The Sense of Belonging and the Development of Morality in Schools

Abstract

This article discusses the importance of school offering a “space to play” for children who face serious moral conflicts. Through the presentation of vignettes, it analyzes some dialogues exchanges, during classroom playtime, between a child and a grant-holder participating in the PIBID/Capes Institutional Teacher Training Grant Program. In the light of psychoanalytical concepts, the study demonstrates how play promotes a good-enough environment that, with the help of a significant adult, is vital for moral aspects to be dealt without moralism or rationalizations, and for the feeling of belonging to allow a child to have a deeper enjoyment of the school environment.