Intercultural women’s writings as pedagogical counter-narratives: voices, activisms, and pedagogical applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2420-8175/23763Keywords:
intercultural women’s writings, postcolonial feminism, decolonial education, counter narratives, Muslim women, Afrodescendant women.Abstract
This article builds on a previous research (Chiappelli and Bernacchi, 2024) by deepening the analysis of literary and para-biographical productions – short stories, novels, and graphic narratives – authored by young women with migrant backgrounds in Italy. These texts function as spaces of self-representation and political agency, where feminist and antiracist practices converge in the decolonization of collective imaginaries. Drawing on postcolonial studies, postcolonial feminism, and intersectionality, the first part examines how intercultural women’s writings articulate new forms of relationality and belonging, challenging essentialist constructions of identity. Particular attention is given to Muslim and Afro-descendant women writers, whose works respond to pervasive discrimination by producing sophisticated counternarratives that interrogate citizenship, white privilege, and inclusion. The second part explores the educational reception of one selected text within a university course in Education. Through students’ written reflections, the article shows how these writings foster critical awareness, empathy, and reflexivity, and discusses their relevance for building decolonial and inclusive school curricula. By bridging literary analysis and educational practice, the article highlights the pedagogical potential of intercultural women’s narratives in shaping transformative learning environments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Erika Bernacchi, Tiziana Chiappelli
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