Tendenze, temi cruciali e indicazioni metodologiche nella storia dell’educazione degli adulti

This article addresses the issue of the history of adult education: it is an essential dimension of educational research that needs to be elucidated in its methodological aspects, and it needs also to be revitalized in its heuristic and hermeneutic value. In fact, in addition to the opportunity to expand the historical documentation provision, it should be emphasized the importance of the “meaning” of history of adult education in the face of contemporary challenges; the historiographical research in the field of adult education should contribute by providing critical tools for understanding problems, issues, needs and trends. Starting from some introductory remarks on the main historiographical models adopted in the adult education essay writing, this article highlights some different approaches – sometimes more concise, sometimes more in-depth – that testify the need for an history of adult able to get its meaning through those issues that, over time, arise as “big questions” for scholars. With regard to these approaches, it shall also highlight some problems, e.g., the risk to limit the research only to secondary sources; the risk to eclipse “minor” events, authors or works; the risk of overspecialization. Finally, regarding the topics in the history of adult education, it highlights how they consist, above all, in macro-issues whose reach is tending to universal level. These crucial issues, in fact, are always presented, over time, to the attention of those who have put their efforts to formulate educational proposals in respect of epochal crisis and existential problems, of individuals and of society, seeking a balance between policy, quality of life and knowledge.

Il presente articolo affronta il tema della storia dell’educazione degli adulti: una dimensione imprescindibile della ricerca, che necessita di essere puntualizzata a livello metodologico e rinvigorita nel suo valore euristico ed ermeneutico. Di là, infatti, dell’opportunità di ampliare la documentazione storica per via cumulativa, ciò che preme sottolineare è il “senso” della storia dell’educazione degli adulti a fronte delle pressanti sfide della contemporaneità, alle cui risposte formative l’indagine storiografica può e deve contribuire fornendo strumenti critici di comprensione per una progettualità consapevole.