A “militant” educationalist: anti-fascism and women’s associations in the early years of Anna Lorenzetto’s career

Abstract

Anna Lorenzetto – a pioneer of adult and lifelong education – is renowned for her tireless work in the fight against illiteracy, having established, from 1947 onwards in southern Italy, a complex territorial education system, in which literacy is seen as a tool for fostering democratic participation. This system is based on a militant conception of pedagogical knowledge and educational
practice, which Lorenzetto develops during the years following the fall of Mussolini’s regime through her involvement in anti-fascist and feminist movements. This paper aims to retrace this early phase of Lorenzetto’s research and activism, which has not yet been adequately explored.