(Re)imagining Education for Liberation

Submission Deadline: Nov 18th, 2019

Dominant discourses of equity and inclusion in education are often connected to (neo) liberal ideologies of democracy, multiculturalism, and citizenship. Liberalism, however, has been critiqued by many critical scholars for professing to value equity, justice, and sustainability while preventing the radical reform necessary to achieve socially just and sustainable communities. Under liberalism, “inclusion” is the mainstream compromise while global systems of oppression continue to be operationalized and whiteness continues to be centered. This phenomenon is perhaps most visible in the areas of STEM education, where there are increased efforts to “broaden participation” for greater inclusion, without fundamentally changing the structures, culture, or conditions that have excluded much of the world’s population. Almost always framed within the context of capitalism and the global marketplace, STEM programs in schools and universities have increased dramatically worldwide, in an effort to produce more workers in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Furthermore, STEAM advocates have proclaimed that while these areas are important for the global economy, the arts, and humanities, or adding an “A,” is necessary for fostering creativity, innovation, and critical problem-solving. It is questionable, however, if STEM/STEAM education offers critical thinking and problem-solving opportunities for students to collaborate to solve some of the greatest social challenges. Many of the central issues related to global human suffering and inequality (hyper-capitalism, climate change, racism, gender inequality, technology access, globalization, etc.) are rarely addressed in schools and universities, and students are often working under the auspices of the dominant (STEM) enterprise. Despite this, youth today are mobilizing globally through technologies and participating in various protest movements to voice their concerns about the current trajectory of world politics.

This conference invites educators, researchers, and activists to dialogue on the important work of (re)imagining education for liberation. We ask contributors to consider how systems of interlocking oppressions impact education, and how it could be reimagined across k-12 and higher education for greater justice and liberation. Some critical questions might include: Liberation from what/toward what? What does education for liberation look and feel like in k-12 and higher education? How could STEM/STEAM education be (re)imagined for global justice and liberation? How might a greater focus on activism in education change schooling? We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops, panels, artistic expressions, and posters that share research and/or practices in education that rethink or (re)imagine education for greater justice and liberation. Key areas presenters may wish to consider include:

Critical Theories and Critical Pedagogies for Liberation
Re-thinking Teacher Education
Artivism and Art for Social Justice
Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and Climate Change
Critical STEM, Critical STEAM, Indigenous STEM
Critical Media Literacies and Cultural Studies of Education
The Intersections of Race, Gender, Sexuality, Citizenship, and Technology
The Intersections of Surveillance, Technology, Privacy, and Social Life