«Inclusion is not enough»: Cultural-Historical Theory and Expansive Learning for a new object in Inclusive Education
Diego Di Masi
This article offers a critical analysis of the concept of inclusion, highlighting its limitations, dilemmas, and contradictions. Drawing on critiques of «sustainability» (Marcuse, 1998), it emphasizes how inclusion, despite replacing the integration paradigm, remains insufficient to overcome the ableist model that still underpins many educational choices. Inclusion is framed as a runaway object (Engeström, 2008), a complex phenomenon that transcends traditional boundaries and demands systemic transformation. The article examines two primary metaphors for learning — as acquisition and as participation (Sfard, 1998) — and introduces the expansive learning model, which fosters the transformation of activity systems. Finally, it underscores the need to anchor the concept of inclusion in a dialectical and multidimensional approach capable of addressing structural inequalities and promoting equity and social justice in education.
Keywords
Inclusion, Conflicts, Ableism, Cultural-historical theory, Expansive learning.
