Lorenzo Milani, The School of Barbiana and the Struggle for Social Justice

Description

This book sheds light on the work of one of the 20th century’s foremost critical educators, the Italian Lorenzo Milani (1923–1967), on the 90th anniversary of his birth. It provides an exposition and critical analysis of the ideas contained in his writings, ideas that emerged from his experiences in two Tuscan localities. The work of Milani and the School of Barbiana that he directed provide signposts for a critically and sociologically engaged pedagogy. Important themes include education and class politics; education and imperialism; education and the culture of militarization; the collective dimensions of learning and writing; peer tutoring; critical media literacy; and reading history against the grain. These ideas are analyzed with reference to similar and contrasting ideas by other international educators, scholars and thinkers. As the book argues, Milani’s oeuvre contains important ingredients for a social justice-oriented critical pedagogy. The spirit for this pedagogical approach is captured in the School of Barbiana’s motto ‘I care.’ Cover Contents Preface Chapter 1. Introduction: Lorenzo Milani’s Relevance to Our Times Critical Pedagogy Other Italian Pedagogues International Following The Lettera and Other Texts Learning History in an Age of Militarization Anticipating/Complementing Critical Sociology of Education Antidote to Measuring Schools Rekindling Interest in Milani in a Period of Indignation Chapter 2. Don Milani and His Time His Education and Conversion: The Years of Fascism The Italian Political Situation: After Fascism and the Birth of Christian Democracy Ordainment as Priest and the San Donato Years The San Donato Experience and Italian State Schools of the Time The Transfer The Barbiana School: The Beginnings Changes to the Italian School System in the Mid-1950s Pastoral Experiences: A Book Withdrawn from Publication The Late Period Chapter 3. Lorenzo Milani and the School of Barbiana’s Pedagogical Approach Milani and Other Critical Pedagogues: Any Influence? ’68 and All That! Underlying Common Influence: Radical Christianity Gender and Other Forms of Difference Blood, Sweat, and Tears Education, Politics, “Class Suicide,” and Social Justice The Worlds of “Having” and “Being” Lessons from Lorenzo Milani and the San Donato/Barbiana Experiences Chapter 4. Writing as Collective Literacy Writing as an Art Form The Letters to Mario Lodi’s Pupils Letter by the Barbiana Pupils to the Piadena Pupils The Second Letter by the Barbiana Pupils Steps to a Collective Approach to Writing Step 1: Choosing the Theme and the Reader Step 2: Collecting Ideas Step 3: Clustering Ideas According to Chapters and Paragraphs Step 4: Organizing Ideas within Chapters and Paragraphs Step 5: Writing the Full Text Step 6: General Revision of the Full Text Step 7: Simplifying and Improving the Full Text Step 8: Revision of the Full Text by External Actors Collective Writing as Critical Literacy Practice Notes Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 References Name Index Subject Index