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Towards situated learning: Luiz Gama Human Rights Clinic and urban realities at the University of São Paulo Law School

Laura Cavalcanti Salatino et al.

Community Development Journal2025https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsaf028article
ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This article critically examines the pedagogical potential of a territorially grounded approach to human rights education. To do so, it analyses the work of the Luiz Gama Human Rights Clinic (CDHLG), created in 2009 by law students at the University of São Paulo to reconnect legal education with the surrounding urban reality and the lived experiences of homeless populations in downtown São Paulo. Anchored in the theories of situated learning and education as the practice of freedom, and grounded in social constructionist epistemology and action research, this study explores two pedagogical experiences developed by the CDHLG between 2021 and 2023: (i) field visits conducted with the São Paulo City Council’s Human Rights Commission to observe public services for homeless people; and (ii) the development and implementation of Walking with Maria, an educational game based on local narratives. Data were collected through participant observation and field notes. Findings demonstrate that a territorially engaged legal education can foster experiential, critical, and politically committed learning. CDHLG’s work also shows that integrating community voices and spatial context promotes collective knowledge production and inspires innovative methodologies for human rights education and advocacy. The article argues that such practices hold transformative potential for human rights education and underline the importance of bridging academia and territory through sustained dialogue and social engagement.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsaf028

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@article{laura2025,
  title        = {{Towards situated learning: Luiz Gama Human Rights Clinic and urban realities at the University of São Paulo Law School}},
  author       = {Laura Cavalcanti Salatino et al.},
  journal      = {Community Development Journal},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsaf028},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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