Social pedagogy whose ancestral home is nineteenth century Germany and which is widely
practised in many parts of Continental Europe has recently arrived in the English-speaking
world. As practice social pedagogy has been around for a long time but as many roses by other
names. These roses include: care of the poor child welfare and more recently social work
. But today social pedagogy has entered the English language and is here to stay. It has not
made inroads into the vernacular yet but is commonly used in the social professions and also
increasingly in academic and policy circles. Moreover in the UK for example social pedagogy
courses (bachelor and master) have appeared in several universities including the University
of Aberdeen and the University of London. Notwithstanding from what I can see there is as yet
no textbook of social pedagogy in English. SOCIAL PEDAGOGY: Applying the Heart and the Head
seeks to fill that gap. As things are students have to trawl a multitude of sources in order
to find English texts on social pedagogy. Some of the sources are excellent others dubious.
That is why I have written a concise textbook of social pedagogy. The intention is to present
and explore the relationship between social pedagogic theory and practice in an introductory
text and to do so in easy-to-understand but not trivialising language. I originally proposed
to use the title SOCIAL PEDAGOGY. However Professor Peter Herrmann Editor at Europäischer
Hochschulverlag thought that sounded too dull. What about the Heart and the Head? he asked.
He is right of course. Given that social pedagogy is (or should be) based on compassionate
values the Heart as a metaphor for human kindness is a moral compass. It reminds the Head
which is the site of rational action that best practice is not just about effectiveness but
also concerns social justice. The emancipatory goal of social pedagogy is to enable through
educational means perceived efficacy so that people can change theirlives and society for the
better. I have italicised their lives in order to make an important point. Social pedagogic
practice is not a doing to the other but rather a doing for and doing with the other. For this
reason respectful dialogue must lie at the centre of social pedagogic relationships.
