GSC Division F Fireside Chat: Marginality and Historical Inquiry: On the Possibility of Educating for Change

Session Submission Type: Fireside Chat

Abstract

How might we approach inquiries into the past as a site for intervention into current unequal relations of power? In what ways do representations of the past pose, both implicitly and explicitly, questions about conditions of inequality in the present, particularly as it relates to historically marginalized groups? To what extent should the relation between the past, present and future inform both the epistemological goals and methodological framing of graduate research? Given the theme of the 2012 AERA Annual Meeting’s emphasis on the use of education research to “improve education and serve the public good” we are interested in learning from our seasoned and emerging scholars on how to negotiate the framing of education research in the current geopolitical moment.

Given that the annual meeting will be held in a neighboring white settler colony, questions around the enduring legacy of colonial relations renew the importance of linking historical research on marginalized groups to changes in education policy and practice. Drawing on the personal experiences of our speakers: Dr. Ruben Donato (University of Colorado at Boulder), Dr. Annette M. Henry (UBC), Dr. David Gumaro García (UCLA) and Dr. Helen S. Raptis (UVic), we will learn about the impact of their research on creating conditions for change, broadly conceived, the contributions of their scholarship to the field as well as a general tips for navigating our way through our graduate and post-graduate careers.

Sub Unit

• Graduate Student Council

Chairs

• Nashwa Salem, OISE/University of Toronto

• Jacob Benjamin Starsky, University of Washington

Participants

• Ruben Donato, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Annette M. Henry, The University of British Columbia

• David Gumaro Garcia, University of California - Los Angeles

• Helen S. Raptis, University of Victoria