This is a proposal for joint symposium between net 19 and net 7.

Coordinators: Katariina Hakala, Sirpa Lappalainen and Reetta Mietola

In relation to the ECER2014 conference theme this second part of a two part symposium deals with current discussions and present-day ways of doing ethnographic research and combining different methodologies. Researchers working in Finland, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, England, Spain, Chile, US and Scotland who share an interest in how different social and cultural factors, such as gender, ethnicity,  social class and disability, are intertwined and constructed in  institutional and informal educational contexts and how they relate to  the construction of learner subjectivities and education  justice/injustice are involved. The idea for the symposium came up in the research network Justice through education in the Nordic Countries.

The symposium explores different methodological viewpoints and empirical studies that present, critique and discuss new ways of developing cross-cultural ethnography, where participants´ experiences and narrations are reflected against current educational policies and politics. Presentations include research with Roma, with people with disabilities, people living in stigmatized surroundings , with migrant and other marginal groups. How power relations work in encountering those who take part in doing research and with hegemonies in choosing the “right” knowledge is taken into consideration.  The presentations will describe and discuss new ways of doing ethnography and producing knowledge in educational settings that challenge the traditional ideals of scientific production.