Young people, multiculturalism, and educational interventions for the development of empathy

As is maintained in the Seville Statement on Violence, the role of education in shaping human relations is fundamental. In order to develop effective educational interventions aiming to foster empathic relations, some important prerequisites need to be satisfied. One of these prerequisites, which is based on a constructivist model, is constituted by the identification and analysis of the pre-existing concepts and attitudes of those to whom interventions are directed, regarding the specific issues involved in the specific educational process. More effective positive changes can be obtained this way as they are generated from within the individuals themselves. Using this perspective, a study was conducted in Italian schools on the attitudes of young people between 9-18 years of age towards multiculturalism in contemporary society. The participants (N=350, 176 girls and 174 boys) were invited to write down anonymously their thoughts about multiculturalism. Their essays were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The aim was to obtain a deep understanding not only of the explicit but also of the implicit meaning of the texts and consequently also of the motivations underlying the participants' attitudes. Some of the results of this study are discussed and suggestions are made for the development of educational interventions aiming to foster young people's empathic attitudes.