Rappresentazioni sociali e sviluppo di cognizioni sociali in età evolutiva: note storiche

Reviews current research on children's social cognition, focusing especially on Piaget's genetic-structuralist approach to cognitive development and E. Durkheim's and S. Moscovici's social representations. This type of research is conducted through semistructured verbal clinical interviews with children or by observing them in natural or semistructured social-interaction situations. Results suggest that children possess sophisticated sociocognitive capabilities at an early age. The authors discuss children's conceptualizations of the socio-institutional world and, specifically, their ideas of politics, community, country, social classes, property, work, money, school, means of transportation, and trades. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)