Reflective thinking and ethical awareness: promoting them from early childhood to counteract the culture of discrimination

Abstract

This essay aims to explore the role of reflective thinking and ethical awareness in countering the culture of discrimination, starting from preschools. The interpretation of data collected during the doctoral research Reflecting Together: a Socio-Ethical Education Curriculum Starting From Preschools, derived from scientific literature and intensive interviews (Bianchi, 2019; Charmaz, 2014) has highlighted categories such as reflective thinking and ethical awareness. One significant aspect concerns their role in addressing stereotypes and discriminations. After a brief presentation of the research design, the essay aims to explore a preliminary result: the role of reflective thinking and ethical awareness within the educational framework as tools for individual emancipation (Freire, 1970; Biesta, 2015), and the prevention of racist behaviours. The contribution will conclude by advancing the proposal of the community of thought construct (Michelini, 2016) as a decisive element for the development of preschools where the recursive and prevailing appreciation of differences and dialogue will interrupt discriminatory attitudes. This will be achieved also by analyzing them from a values perspective and understanding them thoroughly.