The research explores children’s education for participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes. The relationship between education and politics has been at the heart of various pedagogical traditions (Bertolini, 2003; Dewey, 1916; Freire, 1968) which have placed the concept of participation at its centre. In the history of politics, as intended in the European tradition, participation is far from being an inherent practice; instead, it requires specific training. Childhood studies’ (Ariès, 1968; Becchi, 1994) analyse children’s participation in common spaces as a defining feature of the profile of childhood in the course of history. To date, child participation is a transversal but not explicit dimension of the exercise of rights, the formation of which is placed at the basis of the sustainable development of humanity (United Nations General Assembly, 2015). Moreover, the phenomenon underlies a crucial pedagogical question: what can a child learn to do and be in a given society (Biffi, 2018)? The meanings of the phenomenon have been explored through a content analysis (Berelson, 1952; Mayring, 2004) of policies addressed to children from 2010 to 2018 at an international and European level (Montà, 2021). Subsequently, an empirical phase explored its lived meanings. The project is part of a qualitative research approach (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018), built on the basis of the phenomenological-hermeneutic method (Mortari, 2016; Van Manen, 1990, 2016), according to the case study strategy (Yin, 2014). The case was identified in the exemplary experience offered by the work carried out by the Scottish Children's Parliament (CP) in collaboration with Manor Park Primary School in Aberdeen. It is a context able to translate into educational practices the sense of children’s participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes as described by policies. Data collection and documentation of the research process took place through ethnographic observations (Anderson-Levitt, 2006; Angrosino & Rosenberg, 2011; Van Manen, 1990), semi-structured interviews (Hesse-Biber, 2017; Merriam, 2009; Sità, 2012) and focus groups that were held also online (Moore, McKee, & McCoughlin, 2015; Salmons, 2014; Stancanelli, 2010; Wilson, 1997). A central role was also played by the researcher's reflective thinking, which was kept track of through the research journal. Data analysis was conducted following the phenomenological-hermeneutic approach (Van Manen, 1990) with the support of NVivo software. Reflections and indications emerge from the work that are crucial for rethinking the construct of 'child participation' and the underlying educational practices.

La ricerca studia il fenomeno dell’educazione alla partecipazione dei minorenni ai processi decisionali a livello pubblico, formale e strutturato. La relazione fra educazione e politica è stata oggetto di diverse tradizioni pedagogiche (Bertolini, 2003; Dewey, 1916; Freire, 1968) che vi hanno posto al centro il concetto di partecipazione. Nella storia della politica, per come intensa nella tradizione europea, la partecipazione è lungi da essere pratica connaturata, richiede, invece, una specifica formazione. Gli studi di storia dell’infanzia (Ariès, 1968; Becchi, 1994) analizzano la partecipazione di bambine/i negli spazi comuni come tratto di definizione del profilo dell’infanzia. Ad oggi la partecipazione dei minorenni è una dimensione trasversale ma non esplicita all’esercizio dei diritti, la cui formazione è posta alla base dello sviluppo sostenibile dell’umanità (United Nations General Assembly, 2015). Per giunta, il fenomeno sottende una cruciale domanda pedagogica: che cosa può imparare a fare e a essere un/una bambino/a in una data società (Biffi, 2018)? Si è scelto di esplorare i significati del fenomeno attraverso un’analisi contenutistica (Berelson, 1952; Mayring, 2004) delle policy rivolte all’infanzia dal 2010 al 2018 a livello internazionale ed europeo (Montà, 2021). Successivamente, una fase empirica ne ha esplorato i significati vissuti. Il progetto si inserisce in un approccio qualitativo alla ricerca (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018), costruito sulla base del metodo fenomenologico-ermeneutico (Mortari, 2016; Van Manen, 1990, 2016), secondo la strategia dello studio di caso (Yin, 2014). Il caso è stato identificato nell’esperienza esemplare offerta dal lavoro svolto dal Children’s Parliament (CP) scozzese in collaborazione con la scuola primaria di Manor Park di Aberdeen, in quanto contesto in grado di tradurre in pratiche educative il senso della partecipazione dei minorenni ai processi decisionali pubblici, formali e strutturati descritto dalle policy. La raccolta dati e documentazione del processo di ricerca si sono svolte attraverso: osservazioni etnografiche (Anderson-Levitt, 2006; Angrosino & Rosenberg, 2011; Van Manen, 1990), interviste semi-strutturate (Hesse-Biber, 2017; Merriam, 2009; Sità, 2012) e focus group anche on-line (Moore, McKee, & McCoughlin, 2015; Salmons, 2014; Stancanelli, 2010; Wilson, 1997). In fine, un ruolo centrale è stato svolto dal pensare riflessivo della ricercatrice, di cui si è tenuto traccia attraverso il diario di ricerca. L’analisi dei dati è stata condotta seguendo un approccio fenomenologico-ermeneutico (Van Manen, 1990) con il supporto del software NVivo. Dal lavoro emergono riflessioni e indicazioni cruciali per ripensare il costrutto di ‘partecipazione dei minorenni’ e le pratiche educative che ne stanno alla base.

(2022). Children’s education for participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes: moving between policy and practice. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2022).

Children’s education for participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes: moving between policy and practice

MONTA', CHIARA CARLA
2022

Abstract

The research explores children’s education for participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes. The relationship between education and politics has been at the heart of various pedagogical traditions (Bertolini, 2003; Dewey, 1916; Freire, 1968) which have placed the concept of participation at its centre. In the history of politics, as intended in the European tradition, participation is far from being an inherent practice; instead, it requires specific training. Childhood studies’ (Ariès, 1968; Becchi, 1994) analyse children’s participation in common spaces as a defining feature of the profile of childhood in the course of history. To date, child participation is a transversal but not explicit dimension of the exercise of rights, the formation of which is placed at the basis of the sustainable development of humanity (United Nations General Assembly, 2015). Moreover, the phenomenon underlies a crucial pedagogical question: what can a child learn to do and be in a given society (Biffi, 2018)? The meanings of the phenomenon have been explored through a content analysis (Berelson, 1952; Mayring, 2004) of policies addressed to children from 2010 to 2018 at an international and European level (Montà, 2021). Subsequently, an empirical phase explored its lived meanings. The project is part of a qualitative research approach (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018), built on the basis of the phenomenological-hermeneutic method (Mortari, 2016; Van Manen, 1990, 2016), according to the case study strategy (Yin, 2014). The case was identified in the exemplary experience offered by the work carried out by the Scottish Children's Parliament (CP) in collaboration with Manor Park Primary School in Aberdeen. It is a context able to translate into educational practices the sense of children’s participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes as described by policies. Data collection and documentation of the research process took place through ethnographic observations (Anderson-Levitt, 2006; Angrosino & Rosenberg, 2011; Van Manen, 1990), semi-structured interviews (Hesse-Biber, 2017; Merriam, 2009; Sità, 2012) and focus groups that were held also online (Moore, McKee, & McCoughlin, 2015; Salmons, 2014; Stancanelli, 2010; Wilson, 1997). A central role was also played by the researcher's reflective thinking, which was kept track of through the research journal. Data analysis was conducted following the phenomenological-hermeneutic approach (Van Manen, 1990) with the support of NVivo software. Reflections and indications emerge from the work that are crucial for rethinking the construct of 'child participation' and the underlying educational practices.
BIFFI, ELISABETTA
partecipazione; processi decisionali; minorenni; analisi delle policy; caso studio
participation; decision-making; childhood; policy analysis; caso studio
M-PED/01 - PEDAGOGIA GENERALE E SOCIALE
English
18-feb-2022
EDUCAZIONE NELLA SOCIETA' CONTEMPORANEA
34
2020/2021
embargoed_20250218
(2022). Children’s education for participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes: moving between policy and practice. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2022).
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Descrizione: Tesi di dottorato Children’s education for participation in public, formal and structured decision-making processes: moving between policy and practice
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/363770
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