Beyond the fascination of critical thinking: the contribution of post-critical pedagogy in transformative radicalization studies

The paper aims to discuss the contribution of transformative learning theory and post- critical pedagogy perspectives to the eld of radicalization studies. In the first part, the article examines a theoretical framework based on transformative learning theory to interpret the phenomena of radicalization. Examined through this lens, radicalization is an individual or collective process emerging from precritical thinking that can generate distorted ideological assumptions and polarized perspectives, that are potentially refected in variegated, yet stereotypic-related actions and behaviors. Consistent with those arguments, in the second section, the article presents an illustrative case of an empirical research project investigating radicalization processes: the F.O.R.w.A.R.D. project. In the third part, the paper delves into the post-critical pedagogy to reinterpret educational perspectives that have been adopted in seeking to prevent the occurrence of radicalization phenomena.