European intercultural educational orientations and policies prompted this study that employs a multidisciplinary approach, gathering the sociological and the semiotic perspectives, in order to analyse the interplay between educational policies and citizenship formation in multiethnic schools and societies. The objectives are: to identify the currently effective educational practices in Italian schools; to identify the challenges of the educational practices in Italy in citizen formation and intercultural education; to internationalize the issues and to take a deeper look at the current school realities and educational policies. First the paper offers an overview of the main European Documents and Recommendations in the field of intercultural education. Citizenship is at the heart of education and the development of educational systems, as a social task to form citizens with rights and duties and as a concept that synthetizes the issue of equal opportunities in education. Secondly, this paper looks in depth at the theme of migration, providing a reflection on the role of culture and issues related to citizenship and belonging. More specifically, it focuses on the processes of construction of ‘identity’ and ‘alterity’, making particular reference to the role of the mass media in spreading a ‘sense of citizenship’ (Eco 2011). Students learn about citizenship not only in the classroom but also through informal learning. Civic education is therefore more effective if it is supported in a school environment where students are given the opportunity to meet ‘Others’ and to experience the values and principles of the democratic process. In reference to the social-semiotic perspective, the aim is to describe the tensions and oppositions underlying the dynamics through which ‘OneSelf’ and ‘Others’ incessantly re-define each other (Lotman 1985), activating an interesting process of ‘translation’, ‘stereotyping’ and ‘misunderstanding’. These processes cannot be described according to a univocal and pre-fixed logic, but should be analyzed through an interdisciplinary approach (semiotics and sociology), able to describe their impact on educational policies and to the social-semiotic perspective, practices. Finally, the work discusses the findings of an empirical research carried out between April 2014 and March 2015 in Italian schools. The study analyses the effective school practices for intercultural education and the implementation of the right to education adopted in Italy with reference to educational policies implemented in other European countries and the challenges faced therein. The results serve to examine innovative educational programs and practices to successfully implement the right to education and integrate culturally-diverse students.
Migration, Citizenship and Educational Policies: The Results of Research in Italian Schools
Contini R
;
2017-01-01
Abstract
European intercultural educational orientations and policies prompted this study that employs a multidisciplinary approach, gathering the sociological and the semiotic perspectives, in order to analyse the interplay between educational policies and citizenship formation in multiethnic schools and societies. The objectives are: to identify the currently effective educational practices in Italian schools; to identify the challenges of the educational practices in Italy in citizen formation and intercultural education; to internationalize the issues and to take a deeper look at the current school realities and educational policies. First the paper offers an overview of the main European Documents and Recommendations in the field of intercultural education. Citizenship is at the heart of education and the development of educational systems, as a social task to form citizens with rights and duties and as a concept that synthetizes the issue of equal opportunities in education. Secondly, this paper looks in depth at the theme of migration, providing a reflection on the role of culture and issues related to citizenship and belonging. More specifically, it focuses on the processes of construction of ‘identity’ and ‘alterity’, making particular reference to the role of the mass media in spreading a ‘sense of citizenship’ (Eco 2011). Students learn about citizenship not only in the classroom but also through informal learning. Civic education is therefore more effective if it is supported in a school environment where students are given the opportunity to meet ‘Others’ and to experience the values and principles of the democratic process. In reference to the social-semiotic perspective, the aim is to describe the tensions and oppositions underlying the dynamics through which ‘OneSelf’ and ‘Others’ incessantly re-define each other (Lotman 1985), activating an interesting process of ‘translation’, ‘stereotyping’ and ‘misunderstanding’. These processes cannot be described according to a univocal and pre-fixed logic, but should be analyzed through an interdisciplinary approach (semiotics and sociology), able to describe their impact on educational policies and to the social-semiotic perspective, practices. Finally, the work discusses the findings of an empirical research carried out between April 2014 and March 2015 in Italian schools. The study analyses the effective school practices for intercultural education and the implementation of the right to education adopted in Italy with reference to educational policies implemented in other European countries and the challenges faced therein. The results serve to examine innovative educational programs and practices to successfully implement the right to education and integrate culturally-diverse students.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
