Fundamentals: Participation
In order to create a pathway for people new to Reggio-inspired work and deepen our shared thinking, we offer a regular column, Fundamentals, to introduce and explore central principles of the Reggio Approach. The Reggio Approach is a complex system of thought and practice with many dynamic entry points that interact; it is not a method, program or curriculum. (Key Principles)

Typically, we understand participation to mean ‘to take part’ or ‘to attend.’ However, the straightforward definition misses the rich implications of this Reggio concept. Reggio educators mean something more complex. To participate is to act as a protagonist, to have agency, to belong, to bring one’s unique point of view, skill or interest. This participation is multifaceted and dynamic, operating both on the individual and community levels.

“Participation, in fact, is based on the idea that reality is not objective, that culture is a constantly evolving product of society, that individual knowledge is only partial; and that in order to construct a project, especially an educational project, everyone’s point of view is relevant in dialogue with those of others, within a framework of shared values. The idea of participation is founded on these concepts: and in our opinion, so, too, is democracy itself.”

–Paola Cagliari, Angela Barozzi and Claudia Giudici

Participation goes back to the founding of the Reggio educational project as an act of citizens, particularly the women, who insisted, “we don’t want our children to be duped by fascism, as we were.” Malaguzzi described school as a place characterized by uncertainty, complexity, wonder and solidarity and, perhaps most importantly, a context to practice participation and democracy. 

Participation creates a web of relationships that is strengthened through ongoing exchange. U.S. educators might regard this level of participation as highly inefficient, but it’s also highly productive – it is circular, dense and leads to results that astound us.

Participation is understood as an opportunity, a strategy and a responsibility.