Changing the social dialogue through education: the experiment of Italian students in the Liceo Scientifico Statale E. Majorana

In this research paper we will explore the conceptualization that young minds have of Italian past and its connection to modern issues of racism and immigration, analysed through the lens of education. By exploring the Italian context, a particular emphasis will be placed on how it is understood, taught and remembered by the people, and its role in shaping collective memory and identity. To do so, a “before and after” knowledge intervention will set the ground to understand the change in the quality of the discourse. It will touch upon some of the most engrained Italian myths and discourses, to later explore its instrumentalization in today’s far-right agenda. The importance of the topic is to be found in the fact that social understanding, beliefs and perceptions can be changed, provided in-depth information. The main findings of the study show a significant change in the quality of the social dialogues among the students, towards a more critical and humane view the presented topics.