Women’s Empowerment as an Emerging Dynamic in Italy’s Largest Telematic University

Titolo Rivista EDUCATION SCIENCES AND SOCIETY
Autori/Curatori Valentina Grion, Irene Gianeselli
Anno di pubblicazione 2025 Fascicolo 2025/1
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 11 P. 150-160 Dimensione file 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/ess1-2025oa19743
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Despite the efforts of Italian universities in recent years, gender equality in higher education remains far from fully realised, with persistent segregating models in several countries. Drawing upon this state of affairs, Mezirow and Marsick’s (1978) Transformative Learning Theory, which initially emerged from the observation of female emancipation through the American College Re-entry Programs between the 1960s and 1970s, provides significant insights into current gender relations within educational contexts. With reference to the theories of Mezirow (2000) and Bateson (2021), this article aims to analyse the role of distance learning in fostering women’s empowerment. Starting with an analysis of student population data from Italy’s largest telematic university, the paper considers how distance learning supports women’s educational fulfilment and identifies emerging “invisible dynamics” that warrant greater attention from the Italian higher education system.

Despite the efforts of Italian universities in recent years, gender equality in higher education remains far from fully realised, with persistent segregating models in several countries. Drawing upon this state of affairs, Mezirow and Marsick’s (1978) Transformative Learning Theory, which initially emerged from the observation of female emancipation through the American College Re-entry Programs between the 1960s and 1970s, provides significant insights into current gender relations within educational contexts. With reference to the theories of Mezirow (2000) and Bateson (2021), this article aims to analyse the role of distance learning in fostering women’s empowerment. Starting with an analysis of student population data from Italy’s largest telematic university, the paper considers how distance learning supports women’s educational fulfilment and identifies emerging “invisible dynamics” that warrant greater attention from the Italian higher education system.

Parole chiave:; Gender equality; Women’s empowerment; Telematic universities; Distance learning; Transformative Learning Theory; Emerging educational dynamics

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Valentina Grion, Irene Gianeselli, Women’s Empowerment as an Emerging Dynamic in Italy’s Largest Telematic University in "EDUCATION SCIENCES AND SOCIETY" 1/2025, pp 150-160, DOI: 10.3280/ess1-2025oa19743