Etica e cittadinanza nelle rappresentazioni degli studenti secondari. Una ricerca esplorativa

Starting from the data collected from answers given by 1308 students (fourth and fifth year of the secondary school) to three open ended questions about citizenship education in the school, the essay presents their representations of citizenship, focusing on ethical ones. Both explicit and implicit perspectives were weighed: every intrapsychic structure, though not expressible, contributes to construct the archaic core of personal identity, and to govern - not always in a conscious manner - peoples' actions. "Citizenship" is portrayed in the students' answers as a place of exchange and personal responsibility for the common good. In shaping practices of citizenship education, it will be necessary to promote a conscious image of citizenship itself as a conceptual construct which can endlessly be enriched and rectified.