Abstract:

Citizenship education and legality education courses are group training courses that are organized both in the public and private sectors. The purpose of these courses is to allow Italian and foreign minor and / or adult participants to acquire skills in these areas (citizenship and legality) through their active participation in multicultural workshops, managed by social workers who are experts in education to citizenship, legality and multiculturalism.

The objective of this study is to investigate to what extent the education courses on legality and citizenship organized in the COVID-19 era in mixed mode (face-to-face and online) can be able to be inclusive workshops with respect to their participants and to what extent they can favor consolidation of social relations in a multiethnic society.

The paths to citizenship object of this research are in fact aimed mainly at foreign subjects who in their path of insertion into the host society need to know the rules of the host society such as the Constitution, rights and duties, political system, stereotypes and prejudices, through an active comparison with other Italian participants.

The legality education paths covered by this study are organized for minors and / or young adults who enter the criminal circuit at the request of the Juvenile Court as social reintegration paths and together with other young people of foreign citizenship who are in the same situation, and with respect to situations in which immigrants are victims of the crime.

During these educational paths organized in mixed modality (face-to-face and e-learning) multimedia material was used, such as explanatory videos of some of the aspects covered, photos, slides, newspaper articles, as well as practical activities in small groups where the participants were stimulated to a critical and empathic reflection on the contents of the project, through moments of confrontation and interactive and participatory discussions.

The experiences carried out have brought out how much these educational paths can bring out sensitivity and attention towards the other and more generally towards people who belong to different cultures, underlining how much the comparison with the other and the lived experience has brought the participants to a reciprocal integration and to live in a situation of "normality" the comparison with children of other cultures. During the workshops, the Italian and foreign subjects actively participated in the ideas and reflections proposed in a co-constructive way and showing their level of empowerment with respect to the topics covered.

Keywords:

Citizenship education, multiculturalism, legality education, social workers, empowerment.