The teacher’s authority and the concept of respect

Danijela Makovec

Summary:  In the introduction to this article, some of the basic elements of social pedagogy are presented: life-space orientation, resources-based orientation, its dialogical approach, and the reflexive relation toward its own interventions. A discussion follows about the dichotomy between the tendency of individuals to adapt to existiIn this paper, the issue of establishing authority is addressed from two different perspectives. Conceptions of authority, which have been established on the basis of the study of social relations and through the study of interpersonal relationships between teachers and students, are presented through readings of the works of Weber and Gogala. Both authors have set milestones within sociological and pedagogical science, and the importance of both of their studies is even greater today because of the emergence of new concepts in our pedagogical space that demonstrate the need to look at the concept of teachers’ authority through both social and interpersonal aspects. After presenting the concepts of authority that have gained importance in Slovenia in recent years, the second part of the paper will address the concept of respect – a dimension which cannot be overlooked within pedagogical relations, as will be argued. As such, we will see how respect is necessary for the establishment of a teacher’s authority.