Explorans - Dip. Psicologia e Scienze Cognitive UniTrento

The Italian academic research in the field of Social Health Education is still in its infancy. Indeed, the basic education of Social Health Educators in Italy passed from regional schools to Universities only thirteen years ago.

The new bachelor’s degree has allowed Italian educators to participate actively in the process of “globalization” of education, research and of the professions. This acknowledgment, however, involves the risk of transmitting an excessively theoretical knowledge, as a natural consequence of the traditional education offered by Italian Universities.

We have seen in our own region (Trentino), that in social health education, besides the theoretical scientific-technical part, it is necessary to develop self-knowledge and awareness of personal characteristics, resources and limits. It is essential, indeed, to be able to achieve an important competence which is particularly required by the job market, i.e. the relational competence.

The opportunity of carrying out research and awareness-raising projects concerning relational competencies is particularly interesting for the University of Trento, which has recently set up, being one of the first in Italy, a specific research unit in methodology and organization of the social health profession. Also the extensive experiences in the field of social and health education in our area should be better valued by the academic world, with the development of innovative research methods constantly related to the national and international situation.

Our local area and first of all the Autonomous Province of Trento require, indeed, professionals who are flexible and able to connect two sectors that have historically operated in a separate way (social-health) and who are able to faithfully interpret a continuously changing environment, also considered the global economic crisis which is severely affecting the social and work situation and the health of citizens.