Socialisation citoyenne et représentations de l’altérité : apprendre à re-connaitre les points de vue des élèves avant d’ « éduquer à… »

Abstract

In this article, we present some thoughts on how to educate adolescents about a sense of “Us” based on the idea of diversity. Top-down pedagogical approaches are challenged alongside more horizontal and participatory approaches. The ANR Affirmatif allowed us to carry out a first quantitative survey on how adolescent high school students react to the issues raised by international human migration and their expectations of schools in terms of citizenship socialization. We interviewed 1,300 high school students in the PACA region of southern France (M age 16.7). The framework that emerges is multidimensional: a) school does not really seem to be a context for political socialization, even though students have high expectations of education on diversity, b) the issues raised by international immigration are a fact that is well established in their representations of society, even though some of the issues it raises are approached with a fearful eye, c) adherence to republican values generates unexpected effects on prejudices and representations of diversity. In the discussion, we emphasize the importance of carrying out participatory and horizontal citizenship education initiatives that, first and foremost, recognize the opinions and representations of students without any prejudice on the part of the teaching staff.