La Pedagogía Social en la transición democrática española: apuntes para una historia en construcción

Abstract

The paper analyses the historical construction process of social pedagogy and social education in Spain from the early 20th century to the 1990s, with a special emphasis on the period of the transition to democracy. This historical process can only be properly understood if we analyse its close relationship to the development of democratic culture and far-reaching modernisation that were taking place in all areas of Spanish social life, including education and the opening up of its theories and practices to new forms of educating and being educated in society. In this sense, mention should be made of social pedagogys commitments to improving the quality of life and welfare of the citizenry in the processes that were transforming society. Through training and research, universities and groups of professionals across a wide range of socio-educational fields contributed significantly to social pedagogys and social educations expansion and institutionalisation throughout the country. The economic and social crises that threaten the world, now as then, continue to need their contributions for a better education and a society that are coherent with the civil rights and principles that support democracy and social cohesion.