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Articles/Articoli

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026): Educating for Complexity: Intersectionality, Decolonial Approaches to Teaching, and Practices of Care in Education

Beyond the Eurocentric Canon: Decolonial Perspectives for a Pedagogy of Difference and Plurality

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/ess1-2026oa22547
Submitted
aprile 14, 2026
Published
2026-07-28

Abstract

This article examines the imperative to rethink contemporary educational processes in light of the challenges posed by the decolonization of teaching, intersectionality, and the ethics of care. Starting from a critique of the “coloniality of knowledge” and the Eurocentric canon, the paper explores how established epistemic hierarchies function as exclusionary devices within formal educational institutions. Through a theoretical reflection that intertwines critical pedagogy and post-colonial perspectives, the study proposes a transition from

notion-based ontologies to relational ontologies capable of fostering interdependence and plurality. Specific focus is placed on deconstructing the “hidden curriculum” and transforming standardized assessment practices ‒ often vehicles of epistemic violence ‒ into ecological and formative models. The ethics of care is presented here as a political posture and an “infrastructure of resistance,” essential for recognizing vulnerability as a resource and promoting cognitive and affective justice. Ultimately, the work outlines the role of the teacher as a facilitator of “unlearning” processes, envisioning the classroom as a laboratory of cognitive democracy aimed at radical social transformation and authentic institutional change.

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