Mobilizing Literacy Research for Social Transformation

Literacy Research Association 66th Annual Conference
Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville, TN, November 30-December 2, 2016

The Literacy Research Association, a non-profit professional organization, is comprised of individuals who share an interest in advancing literacy theory, research, and practice. We are a community that engages in research and dialogue pertaining to literacy and related topics. We support the professional development of emerging and established scholars. We advocate research-informed improvements in education. We seek high-quality research and discussions of important theoretical or methodological issues. Only original work related to literacy not presented or published elsewhere may be proposed for the conference.

The theme of the 2016 Conference is Mobilizing Literacy Research for Social Transformation. Global advances in technology and the rise of social media have led to the mobility and mobilization of diverse and powerful language, literacy and educational practices. These practices have been employed in recent social movements calling for racial and environmental justice and income equality. Still across the world and within our own communities, many children and families experience chasms of inequity and related disparities in access, attainment, and literacy achievement. The theme of this year’s conference invites us to consider the metaphors of mobility, materiality, movement and transformation in our research epistemologies, methodologies, and literacy areas. We encourage sessions that take a critical look at the research methods we employ, the complexity of interpretation and the implications for policy, particularly where historically underserved communities are concerned.