Engaging Educational Researchers in the Pursuit of Social Justice for Children and Young People

• In Event: 46.018 - How Can Education Policy Respect Children and Young People? British Social Justice Researchers Seek New Ways to Inform Public Debate

Abstract

This paper introduces the BERA Respecting Children and Young People project, focusing particularly on the role and activity of the Social Justice SIG. The Respecting Children and Young People project is using the research done by BERA members to inform public debate prior to the UK government election in May 2015. The project is developing policy recommendations on issues related to the lived experience and futures of children and young people. Some of BERA’s leading educational researchers are working alongside other members to produce an alternative policy manifesto that is informed by British research on equality in education from the last 40 years; through this manifesto we aim to raise the profile of educational research by actively promoting our alternative manifesto amongst politicians, lobby groups, non-governmental organisations, social media and the press. The purpose of the remainder of the paper is twofold.
First, we will briefly communicate how our commitment to social justice has influenced the rationale and intended outcomes of the project. We will highlight how the project has been shaped by the context of neoliberalism, globalisation and evidence-based education, drawing attention to the exacerbating inequalities of global change and difficulties of attending to these inequalities when proposed policy solutions are instrumental and driven by predominantly conservative ideologies (Gorski, 2012). We discuss background debates on the education research/policy interface (Hammersley, 2013; Lubienski, Scott & DeBray, 2014) and how education researchers have been positioned within political debate (Sewell, 2010).
Second, we will explain how we have constructed the project's methodology/process to achieve its aims. This will include reflection on the role of social media during the project for the sharing of ideas and stimulating public debate (Carmichael, 2011; Ackland, 2013; Fuchs, 2014). The project aspires to be as inclusive and participatory as possible. To date, the edited blog has attracted a large international readership and these ‘readers’ have been encouraged to play an active role in both shaping, extending and ‘spreading’ the blog’s ideas, using other social media technologies like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to do this. Through this symposium we hope to further participation in the project, by extending our network of readers and collaborators within the US. It is important, however, to remain critical of the extent to which the project can be truly democratic given that not all voices have the same power or reach (Jenkins, 2008). The project continues to critically reflect upon these issues.

Authors

• Ruth Boyask, Plymouth University

• Katy Vigurs, Staffordshire University