History of emotions and (global) citizenship education

an interview with Ute Frevert

Abstract

The interview with Ute Frevert took place in her office at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Max Planck Institut für Bildungsforschung - MPIB), in Berlin, in the context of a research project on the socio-emotional domain in global citizenship education. As defined by UNESCO, emotion, cognition and attitude or behaviour are the three dimensions are the three dimensions educators should focus on to equip people to face the social, political and environmental challenges of our times on a local, regional and planetary scale. As we know from research and experience, emotions play a key role in this triad, although they are sometimes underestimated in our rationalist culture. Ute Frevert’s work makes us aware of the historical and contextual character of emotions, helping us thus to overcome a simplistic approach in our pedagogical practices. Emotions shape and are shaped by economy, emotions shape and are shaped by politics, as they shape and are shaped by all institutional arrangements that make up our social world.