The history of schools and educational institutions in southern and insular Italy: a historiographical balance sheet from the second half of the 20th century to the present day between protagonists, itineraries and experiences

Abstract

This contribution aims to critically examine – without claiming to be exhaustive – over fifty years of school and educational historiography produced on and in Southern Italy. The analysis considers the main epistemological, methodological, and thematic changes that have marked the evolution of the discipline, with particular attention to the overcoming of the neo-idealist paradigm, which for a long time confined the history of pedagogy to the history of ideas and the history of schooling to a marginal role in the sciences of education. It also highlights the places, tools, and paths that have fostered the emergence of new research perspectives, contributing to the enhancement of the history of schooling as a complex field, sensitive to the territorial, social, and cultural contexts of southern Italy.