HOW TEACHERS AT SCHOOL SHOULD PROMOTE COEXISTENCE AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: PREJUDICES AND POWER AS A LIMIT

Nowadays, in the contemporary globalized, multicultural and postcolonial society, the relationship between autochthonous and allochthonous replicates the dynamics and mechanisms of exploitation, subordination and intersectional discrimination in continuity with colonialism and European imperialism. School, as a social context, is one of the places which most suffers from these dynamics, implicitly and unconsciously implemented– even by teachers– making prejudices and power significant barriers for the promotion of coexistence and global citizenship. Therefore, the following pilot study through a questionnaire and two focus groups conducted with five teachers of an Italian high school, aims to investigate their awareness regarding past colonialism in general, Italian colonialism in particular and the current postcolonial condition, to discover stereotypes and prejudices they nurture and present in their classrooms, as well as their role in the classroom– beyond their mere teaching role– and their possible awareness of the power they hold to promote coexistence and global citizenship. The ultimate aim is to decolonize teachers’ minds from stereotypes and prejudices in order to make school a more democratic environment.