73380 - LABORATORIO DI FORMAZIONE PROFESSIONALE PER L'EDUCATORE SOCIALE E CULTURALE I (G.I)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the workshop the student: - is able to move autonomously in applying the specific techniques learnt autonomously or within projects organised by the institutions; - is able to compare with others on how to use and document the techniques learnt; - is able to place the specific knowledge learnt in different types of service; - is able to assess the limits and merits of the technical tools learnt; - is able to transfer the technologies learnt into different contexts by making personal modifications and additions.

Course contents

The laboratory addresses the processes through which individuals and groups are perceived, categorized, stereotyped and, at times, excluded from the field of social and moral recognition. Drawing on contributions from social psychology and the sociology of deviance, the laboratory will explore the themes of social perception, impression formation, stereotypes, prejudice, stigma, social and moral exclusion, deviance and labeling processes.

Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the social and cultural educator in critically reading educational, social and community contexts, with the aim of recognizing the dynamics that produce marginalization, discrimination and attribution of blame. The laboratory also aims to promote reflection on the symbolic boundaries between “us” and “them”, on judgments concerning who is considered deserving of help, and on the ways in which certain individuals or groups come to be viewed as less worthy of listening, care, rights and belonging.

Through discussion, case analysis, small-group exercises and experiential activities, students will be guided to distinguish between observation, interpretation and judgment, to recognize the influence of stereotypes on educational practices, and to identify strategies for inclusion and prejudice reduction. The conditions that foster positive intergroup contact and mutual recognition in educational and community settings will also be presented.

The final part of the laboratory will be dedicated to educational planning. Students, organized in small groups, will develop an intervention aimed at a social, school, territorial or community context in which dynamics of stereotyping, stigma, deviance, social/moral exclusion or intergroup conflict are present. The project will be presented and collectively discussed during the final meeting, with attention to the coherence between identified needs, educational objectives, proposed activities, the role of the educator and evaluation methods.

Readings/Bibliography

There are no mandatory readings for attending the laboratory. During the sessions, however, further readings, supplementary materials and bibliographical references will be suggested in order to deepen the topics addressed, with particular attention to social perception, stereotypes, prejudice, stigma, social and moral exclusion, deviance and educational planning.

Teaching methods

The laboratory will combine brief lectures, experiential activities, case analysis, work in small groups and class discussions. Students will be involved in exercises aimed at recognizing processes of social perception, stereotyping, prejudice, stigma, moral exclusion and deviance within educational, social and community contexts.

In the final part of the course, each group will be asked to develop an educational intervention proposal related to a context or case discussed during the laboratory. The project will then be presented and discussed collectively, with attention to the coherence between needs analysis, objectives, planned activities, the role of the educator and inclusion strategies.

Assessment methods

Individual participation and the outcome of the group work will be used as criteria for assessing students’ learning.

Teaching tools

Lessons will be accompanied by PowerPoint slides.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Passini