Search

This paper focuses on the European Commission Communication Rethinking Education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes (November 2012). The comments concern the school educational tasks and, in particular, the young-adult "identity" required to face multiple challenges of current global crisis. In an educational perspective, it require a "re-thinking" of education, maintaining a meaning horizon dedicated to the promotion of a "genuine" quality of life, and an anthropological project that cannot be sacrificed in the name of the contingent political and economic pressures. In a lifelong education view, this article considers the relationship between education/adult education and the meaning of adult identity, to improve the human "desirable" ideals vs than what is too often presented as "necessary evil". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes contemporary migration processes, by focusing on the so-called 'second generation' in Europe and Italy. After a brief description of the different meanings attached to this definition, the article highlights some of the peculiar aspects of the Italian context and analyzes them. Italy has experienced immigration only recently in comparison to other European countries. In addition, in this country immigration is often discussed by politicians and the media as a process related only with the labour market. This makes it interesting to define some preliminary indicators and trends in relation to the presence of migrants' children in Italy. Through the analysis of statistical data and academic research, this article studies migration projects through the perspective of the 'second generation', to show this can provide an appropriate lens to understand migration trajectories in their full complexity. Additionally, this article encourages researchers to consider migration from this perspective, as it will be part of a long-term process which may be viewed, from an analytical perspective, as a trajectory, or rather as a multiplicity of potential trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the association between social cohesion and the levels of economic disparity in Europe. From an empirical point of view, social cohesion has been related taking into consideration both macro and micro levels. On the macro level, the levels of criminality, inoccupation, indices of economic disparity, levels of education, people with racist attitudes and electoral participation have been taken into consideration. On the other hand, on the micro level, social cohesion has been referred to the behaviors and attitudes of human beings towards the different spheres of social life.