Narrating the school of the past and the future. A preliminary analysis of the "Educational Memories on Video" (MEV) Database

This paper aims to explore the impact of stereotypical school narratives, conveyed by collective memories, on individual memories. Prejudices and stereotypes that are difficult to uproot. In particular, I will examine some recurring themes and opinions in the public debate around school issues, and then compare them with the memories and imagery that emerge from the testimonies of ordinary people collected in the Educational Memories on Video (Memorie Educative in Video – MEV) database, edited by the University of Florence research unit and hosted on the portal www.memoriascolastica.it. The paper will thus also be an opportunity to describe, albeit briefly, the MEV database.