Two weeks ago, the article “Challenges of new and pervasive technologies for moral and citizenship education”, authored by Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Levy Farías, was published in the journal Transdigital.

Abstract
The growing gap between the fast development of new, convergent and pervasive technologies (genomics, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnologies, augmented reality, etc.) and the slow legislative processes that should regulate them may be addressed through “soft” or ethical regulations, in which moral principles play a fundamental role. This seems to imply the need of widespread and dynamic efforts in moral and citizen education, but some recent trends in moral psychology have questioned the value of moral principles, moral reasoning and moral education altogether. Meanwhile biotechnological moral enhancement (gene editing, moral molecules, brain implants) is drawing increasing attention. After presenting a schematic overview of the contemporary psychology of moral education, we reaffirm the importance of principled based moral reasoning, and of a democratic moral education able to deal with the highly controversial
nature of emergent technologies.

The article is freely available to download in the Article Section.

The article “Controversies are no excuse: Citizenship education in Spain”, written by Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Eric Ortega, has recently been published in the journal Citizenship Teaching & Learning.

Abstract
Here we discuss the current situation of citizenship education in Spain, briefly reviewing its legal and political context, and taking into account a questionnaire administered to an intentional sample of key informants. We argue that even though the compulsory subject ‘education for citizenship and human rights’ was ruled out from our classrooms, due to the numerous controversies that it raised, there still remain multiple individual and institutional initiatives that aim to form responsible, active and critical citizens. In general terms, however, it is clear there has been a backward step in this respect, especially because as an essential ingredient of democracy, controversial issues should be seen as opportunities or stimuli for learning, not as topics to be avoided or censored. Finally we recommend, among other things, to reinstate citizenship education as a compulsory subject (not as an alternative to religious education); to amend the current scientism, and other flaws, of our current legislation; to improve teachers’ preparation for citizenship and values education, especially for a constructive handling of controversial issues (this requires clarification of the meaning of ‘curricular free speech’ among us); and to foster systematic research and dissemination efforts to optimize the civic qualities of our school cultures.

The article is available to download in the Article Section.

At the beginning of this month of July, the book “Education for Democratic Intercultural Citizenship” has been published. It is edited by Dr. Wiel Veugelers, professor at the University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht (Países Bajos) and also director of the project Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnership EDIC (Education for Democratic Intercultural Citizenship), of which this book is a result and in which seven European universities have participated: University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht (Netherlands), University of Barcelona (Spain), Tallinn University (Estonia), Bath Spa University (United Kingdom), University of Helsinki (Finland), Charles University Prague (Czech Republic) & Aristotle University Thessaloniki (Greece).

Dr. Buxarrais has contributed with the third chapter, entitled Ethical Competences for Democratic Citizenship at School, University and in Family, written with Dr. Elena Noguera and Dr. Fracisco Esteban, also from the University of Barcelona.

The book can be freely downoaded in pdf format from the website of Brill Sense Publishers.

The book “Una mirada femenina de la educación moral” has just been published by Desclée De Brouwer and edited by Dr Maria Rosa Buxarrais and Dr Isabel Vilafranca, both lecturers at the University of Barcelona.

Abstract:

El siglo XX ha sido el siglo de las mujeres, no solo por la masiva incorporación de la mujer al mercado laboral sino, también, por su visibilidad en la esfera pública. La mujer ha dado un paso adelante, dejando de centrarse exclusivamente en la vida privada –el cuidado de los menores, las personas dependientes y el hogar– y tomando cada vez mayor protagonismo en el escenario social, cívico, intelectual, en definitiva, público. Este fenómeno ha permitido gestar un nuevo paradigma pedagógico mundial que, avalado por instituciones educativas internacionales, reclama una educación para la igualdad.

Esta obra viene a cubrir varios vacíos: por una parte, la necesidad de una antología pedagógica de mujeres desde una sensibilidad femenina y, por otra, un homenaje a todas aquellas autoras que desde diferentes discursos, tiempos y espacios, han aportado cuestiones relevantes al ámbito de la Educación Moral. Un libro que pretende hacer visible que los discursos sobre educación moral no deben abordar únicamente una perspectiva de virtudes androcéntricas o universalistas, sino incorporar nuevas formas de argumentación moral que han quedado tradicionalmente desvalorizadas.

The table of contents cover these topics, analysed by the following authors:

– Foreword, by Marina Subirats.
– Introduction, by Isabel Vilafranca y Maria Rosa Buxarrais.
– 01. Edith Stein, by María Azevedo.
– 02. María Zambrano, by Antonieta Carreño.
– 03. Hannah Arendt, by Ingrid Agud y Ana Novella.
– 04. Astrid Lindgren, by Núria Obiols.
– 05. Simone Weil, by Marta Burguet Arfelis.
– 06. Nel Noddings, by María Rosa Buxarrais y Melania Muñoz.
– 07. Virginia Held, by Yolanda Montero y Maria Rosa Buxarrais.
– 08. Carol Gilligan, by Montserrat Payà Sánchez y Laura Rubio Serrano.
– 09. Victoria Camps, by Isabel Vilafranca.
– 10. Martha Nussbaum, by Amèlia Tey y Elena Noguera.
– 11. Amy Gutmann, by Ana Ayuste y Mariona Graell.
– 12. Seyla Benhabib, by Mónica Gijón y Xus Martín.
– 13. Judith Butler, by Raquel Cercós y Karina Rivas.

The table of contents, the prologue and the introduction can be freely downloaded in pdf here.

The book can be purchased in the editor’s website.

Last month, the article “Profile, Motivation and Academic Satisfaction of the Master Students: the Case of Social and Legal Sciences” was published in the journal Estudios sobre Educación. The authors of this article (written in Spanish) are Pilar Figuera, Maria Rosa Buxarrais, Juan Llanes and Marta Venceslao.

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research aimed at analysing the motivations and academic satisfaction in the transition to master’s studies in Social and Legal Sciences. A total of 453 students from 8 master’s degrees from the University of Barcelona and Autonomous University of Barcelona have participated. The results show differences between the typology of master and reasons for choice and satisfaction with studies and the relationship between academic satisfaction and the motives of choice. The specificity of the transition processes to these studies and the importance of establishing guiding actions are confirmed.

The article is available to download in the article section.