Social Pedagogy and School Community Preventing Bullying in Schools and Dealing with Diversity: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Abstract

This paper presents a social pedagogical research programme that has been carried out during the years of economic crisis in Greece. It focuses on preventing bullying in schools, primarily by dealing with personal beliefs about diversity as well as by expanding and strengthening emotional, communication and social skills. What may differentiate this social pedagogical programme from others on bullying in schools is that it holds that positively dealing with diversity/otherness is important in preventing bullying, and that the programme is systemic in nature; that is, it utilises multiple possibilities arising from the transdisciplinary synergy of social pedagogy and systems science and is inspired by an emerging common philosophical and epistemological perception, integration of principles, methods and practices to be derived from the combined operation, at a higher level, of the two sciences.This programme brings together: those involved directly or indirectly with the school and the wider community; all those who seek to create a powerful and consistent communications network to establish, strengthen, and eventually be inspired by what we call the ‘social pedagogical ethos’, which will shape and establish a new ‘social pedagogical culture’.