Abstract

According to Max Weber’s ([1922] 1983) approach, authority is a type of power in which governed individuals decide to obey another individual, due to the legitimacy granted to their commands. Authority arises when the other is recognized, which could be motivated by tradition, charm or the legality of the established regulations. From this point of view, authority is a kind of relational reality: there is no authority in solitude. It always requires someone else for authority to be acknowledged and accepted. Thus, expanding this notion to the educational field, it is possible to say that pedagogical authority manifests itself when there is recognition and acceptance from the students towards the figure of the teacher and his demands. In this context, the question of why students from disadvantaged backgrounds acknowledge a superior authority in History teachers arises.What characteristics distinguish these teachers, according to the students’ perceptions? Why do students pick them as the most obeyed teachers? The purpose of this article is to formulate some interpretative hypotheses, supported by evidence and theoretical references, in order to answer these questions. We hope this will help to understand the reasons students from disadvantaged backgrounds acknowledge History teachers as authority entities.