Abstract

Given the relevant role of mass media in shaping social representations about disability, the present study aims at exploring some cultural models on school inclusion of students with disabilities within the Italian context, from an analysis of the popular press. Emotional Text Analysis was conducted on 128 articles published between 2012 and 2016 in two major italian newspapers («la Repubblica» and «La Stampa»), by using statistical multidimensional techniques (cluster and correspondence analysis). Five thematic clusters (cultural models) were detected along four latent factors, which refer to the social mandate, commission, failure of collusion and welfarism affecting school inclusion processes.