| Abstract |
This paper presents a systematic review of scientific articles on friendship and character education (CE) published between 2007 and 2021. It seeks to identify the dominant theories from which CE is approached, how friendship is understood in the studies, and what specific relationship is built between friendship and character; in other words, the extent to which it is posited that friendship can be harnessed to acquire virtues. Results indicate a prevalence of a psychological approach to CE, linked to an instrumentalist perspective on friendship, which associates it with certain benefits. However, this approach is closely followed by a philosophical–moral view that understands friendship as a good in itself and, consequently, highlights its humanizing potential. The Aristotelian framework for understanding friendship and character stands out within this approach. The relationship between friendship and character in the selected articles is explored through 5 categories that emerged in the analysis: 1) friendship for char-acter; 2) character for friendship; 3) friendship and transgressions; 4) teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the influence of friendship; and 5) analysis of programmes that include friendship in the curriculum. © 2023, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. All rights reserved. |
