BODIES, SPACES, AND VICARIOUSNESS: RESEARCH ON IMPLICIT KNOWLEDGE IN DISADVANTAGED AND MARGINALIZED CONTEXTS

Abstract

According to Bioeducational Sciences (Frauenfelder, 2001), which propose a complex view of human development as a dynamic interaction between biological identity and the environment, this contribution aims to investigate the role of Outdoor Education for All (Sravrianos, 2022) as an inclusive practice in marginalised contexts. In this sense, the theory of simplexity (Sibilio, 2017) highlights the role of corporeality as the basis of embodied and situated learning (Maturana, Varela, 1988). In this perspective, the environment becomes potentially vicarious (Berthoz, 2011), particularly for individuals with disabilities who can see their transformative possibilities expand (Sibilio, 2016), promoting the development of intellectual abilities and educational potential. The research questions relate to the possibility of identifying Outdoor Education as a possible approach even in disadvantaged contexts. The research, which adopts a qualitative design (Mortari, 2022), was carried out at Casa Raoul (Sabatano, 2018), a semi-residential community for young people with intellectual disabilities located in an area with a high social vulnerability index (ISTAT, 2023). In the first phase, the research objective presented here aims to investigate the possible relationships between the representations and decision-making processes implemented by individuals to isolate methodological elements that could be transferred to similar contexts.