Urgenze pedagogiche “in famiglia”: gli orientamenti e gli sguardi della ricerca contemporanea in Italia

Why has the subject of family relationships become so deeply embedded in pedagogical research? What theoretical and practical implications has the shift from the family to families and to family rela-tionships brought about? What perspectives and actions challenge and engage the pedagogy of family relationships today? Pedagogical research is practically and therefore ethically involved in exploring these issues and in outlining reflections aimed at guiding educational practices directed at the pro-motion, prevention, and protection of family relationships, as well as fostering the growth of the human person in their individual and plural expressions. The opening essay of the Focus aims to le-gitimize the above questions and draw the lines of development of the topics proposed within it.