Autonomy and human development in pedagogical situations: a difficult journey

Abstract

This article discusses the process of structuring the childs autonomy in pedagogical situations. It starts by attempting to distinguish between the concepts of freedom and autonomy, since these are often taken synonymously. It is fundamental to establish this distinction to reveal the non-innate character of the autonomy, a quality of the being that needs structuring. In the interactionist theoretical approach chosen for this discussion the structuring of autonomy is seen as a process that needs to be built between the natural freedom - inherent to human nature - and the self-regulating ability of the child in the face of the needs of her/his equals. This process is considered here as resulting from a dialogue between the childs innate potentials and elements external to his/her self: the culture and the social relations. When such interaction is neither coercive nor lax the necessary conditions would be given to a healthy structuring of the self, that is, the process of human formation understood in its most rigorous sense and full of positiveness. The reflection developed here is rooted in the Humanist pedagogy, especially in the thinking of Rousseau, Rogers, and Dewey. The text concludes with a positive view of the possibilities of constructing autonomy but, within the limits and theoretical boundaries of the work, tries to show that this is a problematical possibility. That would be due to the difficulty of acting and comprehending democratically in a society that is simultaneously conducive and permissive.