Sitting on the Cliff: Social Vulnerability as Pedagogy Subject-matter

Abstract

The legally compulsory school does not finish for all students equally. In vulnerable neighbourhoods, adolescent dropouts face an uncertain future. If they belong to an ethnic minority, the problem is even more acute. Exploring the geographical expression of social exclusion within a city, it is described therein the situation of suburbs and patterns of life of adolescents in social vulnerability situations. We want to know what they do; how they spend their lives; what are their future prospects. The case study is focused on the period of schooling that they have lived and the contributions that institutionalized education has provided to them. To do that we interviewed 150 young Roma and non-Roma, distributed as minority culture and majority culture. The living space chosen were three districts of the city of Oviedo (Spain) where they live together. On the social portrait presented, we can find materials for discussion and educational reflection, also to improve teacher training.