La peer education in una prospettiva pedagogica
Fulvio Poletti
For several years the «peer education» has gained attention as one of the most promising approaches concerning the prevention of risk behaviors of the youngsters, and about the promotion of well-being and the quality of life of the newer generations. Often, however, such a socio-educative address is associated rather to technic-instrumental or pragmatic-applicative interventions, towards which some interlocutors (parents, educators, teachers, political, and school authorities) have miraculous or exorbitant expectations. This contribution, recognizing indeed to the PE a valid methodology for the sensitization and the growth of subjects in developmental age, intends to place it within a historic-pedagogical horizon of meaning, to give it an epistemological depth and dignity that will allow it to go beyond the mere operative-functional perspective. To this regard, a targeted review of the history of pedagogy and of the educational thought will be forwarded in order to identify emblematic authors and worthy formative suggestions that will act as theoretic-methodological background and support. The article will end with the concretization of the analysis and of the reflection by means of a synthesis of an actual applicative experience regarding the PE in a specific school context in the Italian part of Switzerland, in range of a European project realized with Italian and French partners.
Keywords
Peer education, Youngsters, Prevention, Promotion of well-being, Participatory pedagogy.