The Intersection of Social Movements and Education Beyond Borders: A Comparative International Education Perspective

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

If considering the definition of social movements “as moments of collective creation that provide societies with ideas, identities, and even ideals” (Eyerman and Jamison, 1991, p.4), and of education as the “process of becoming” (p.84) through praxis (action and reaction) and “thematic investigation” (p.109) of thinking (Freire, 1970), then education and social movements are bound together, and have a mutual influence on one another. In other words, the conscientization concept in social movements is fundamental in the constitution of public spaces for deepening historical awareness, creating new thoughts and alternatives, and activating new actors; or in general, shaping the society and transforming it. The educational implications of this statement are immense. It reflects what Freire (1970) argues that “education is constantly remade in praxis” (p.84)
Understanding the implications of social movements, resistance, contestation, and protests on the culture of educational institutions to achieve social transformation has received a great deal of attention over years in the literature. It is because “educational processes and contexts are crucial to the ways in which social movements ideas, identities, and ideals are generated and promoted” (Neisz et al., 2018, p.2). At the same time, social movements can serve as an educator and produce knowledge in the public sphere. Therefore, learning about various dimensions of social movements, their evolution, and their implications on any forms of education (formal, informal, and nonformal) can help scholars unpack the historical struggles, intersection of inequalities, power dynamics, and their manifestation in the culture within the interconnected social, political, and economic spheres. In fact, when we put these learnings in the context of educational culture, then we can revisit the education system and regenerate it in a way that can promote social conscientization, and ultimately facilitate transformation of a society.
In their systematic review of educational literature on social movements, Neisz et al. (2018) grouped this field into two categories: (1) education and learning in social movements; and (2) influence of movements on formal education. The first category mainly focuses on how active learning occurs through participation in social movements from informal conversations to massive protests and resistance, either through informal education (e.g., by direct participation in movement activities) or non-formal education (e.g., through the educational initiatives of the movement) or a combination of both. The literature in this category is rich and provides a cohesive perspective in understanding the subject across different fields that focus on it.
Consistently, the second category focuses on the impact of social movements on key elements of formal education (both K-12 and higher education) such as curriculum and pedagogy, alternative education systems, and policy or practices. Beyond the implications of social movements on the characteristics of formal education, although limited in scope, this second category also points to the indirect ways that social movements influence formal education. This influence could be attributed to (1) circulation of public opinion and creation of collective identities in the school; and/or (2) participation of the educational actors such students, parents, and teachers in the movements’ activities.
However, literature is scarce in the second category, and the existing studies, which are from various fields, including education, sociology, anthropology, and political science, seem to be working in silos (Neisz et al., 2018). One potential reason for limited literature in this area can be related to the theoretical framework that traditionally sees education only as a reproduction system that reinforces and legitimizes inequalities without considering it as a site of contestation along with its actors (i.e., teachers, parents, and students) as activists (Au and Apple, 2009). For example, outside of teacher unions, some scholars consider teachers as civil servants in a hegemonic educational system that play a key role in “advancing state projects of modernization, capital accumulation, and nation-building through their professional roles and responsibilities in the classroom and community” (Cardozo and Shah, 2016, p.331).
To further explore this area, we propose a panel that looks at the implications of social movements on the culture of formal education (i.e., the above-mentioned second category) from a Comparative International Education perspective (CIE) in the context of Burkina Faso, Georgia, Iran, and Myanmar. In this panel, we attempt to go beyond discussing each country’s social movements by shedding light on their similarities and differences within the framework they are defined from the CIE lens. More specifically, we hope this panel with the lived praxis from different countries can create an opportunity for learning how social movements across borders connect and learn from each other transnationally, especially in relation to the culture of educational institutions.
Moreover, to address the gap in this line of research, we hope this panel can provide a learning opportunity to better understand the intersection of social movement scholarship with other fields to have a more cohesive and coherent field of inquiry as well. Because as Neisz et al. (2018) pointed out, although this line of research is an interdisciplinary and multi-perspective field, it lacks scholarly exchange and a dialogue among the vast number of fields that focus on it.
To conclude, by presenting about the implications of social movements on formal education in four countries, we hope this panel would help initiate a dialogue on how to rethink of education that can regenerate societies and transform them toward a more equitable and sustainable world.

Sub Unit

• 21st Century Educational Alternatives: Confronting Racial Capitalism, Patriarchy, Militarism, and the Climate Crisis

Organizer

• Elnaz Safarha, University of Maryland College of Education

Chair

• Deepa Srikantaiah, USAID, Africa BureauSD

Individual Presentations

• Burkina Faso’s Educational Social movements: A Historical Review - Edoxi KINDANE, Center for Economic and Social Policies Analysis

• Voices of Struggle: The Intersection of Student Protests and Housing Challenges in Georgia - Sopiko Beriashvili, The Brookings Institution

• Woman, Life, Freedom as a Praxis: Social Transformation and Learning in Iran through Jina’s movement - Elnaz Safarha, University of Maryland College of Education

Discussant

• Steven Klees, University of Maryland