Emotion to know

Strategic principles of the method of inclusion

“Emotion to know” is the translation of the systemic and interdisciplinary concept of inclusion „l’emozione di conoscere e il desiderio di esistere“ (Nicola Cuomo (1946-2016). It was developed, researched and differentiated at the University of Bologna over a period of around four decades. Cuomo achieved an international reputation. Introduction to the method (2019).

1. The concept is based on a few strategic principles:
   “Progetto di vita” (global perspective of life, with parents as the core group), that is, the pedagogy and its measures are examined based on their significance for life, a life that allows the person to be autonomous, socialized and competent.
2. Context first, i.e. inclusion only succeeds if the context is first researched and changed (family system, school and teaching system, workplaces, leisure time).
3. Resources first. This means: deficits are usually used to justify individual-centered, summative diagnoses or prejudices; the promotion of inclusion rigorously relies on resources, including emotions and social relations.
4. The indicators of inclusion are observable in the progressive development of autonomy, socialization and competence.
5. The design of inclusive processes requires action models (“piste di lavoro” (working plans), projects and empathic-relational competences).
6.  Control and quality development are realized through supervision and multi-perspective action research (cf. Bruce & Pine, 2010).

In the magazine „l’emozione di conoscere ed il desiderio di esistere“ (9-10/2010) Dr. Alice Imola portrayed Cuomo’s method: The „Emotion to Know“ method by Nicola Cuomo. This is an important working paper.

In the first conversations with families and educators, the skills of the person with deficits and the educational styles (vissuto-subito: joyful / meaningful – oppresive) in the sense of a systemic ethnography are examined, see „analysers“

According to Macedo & Freire (1987, p. 141) not only the educational styles (vissuto-subito), but also literacy will be analyzed according to whether it serves to reproduce existing social formations (oppression, exclusion) or whether it contains cultural practices that promote democratic, inclusive, and emancipatory change.

Throw Sticks: A game of the Apache, self invented game arrangement

photo: Silvia Fallani (2011)

Case studies showed that flexible interviewing (critical method) helps professionals make the transition from teacher’s talk to creative dialogue, that Danilo Dolci (2011) had called reciprocal maieutics.

Master thesis on the basis of the concept of inclusion „emotion to know“ (German)