Is critical thinking in education studies running out of steam? Is critical thinking (un)helpful for reimagining educational futures? To give some answers to these questions, this panel discussion will introduce the recent book ‘Rethinking Sociological Critique in Contemporary Education. Reflexive Dialogue and Prospective Inquiry’ edited By Radhika Gorur, Paolo Landri, Romuald Normand. 

This book explores a new repertoire for critique in the sociology of contemporary education, focusing on emerging social theories that respond to contemporary challenges in education, education policy and governance. Presenting a variety of approaches in the sociology of education, including pragmatist critical sociology, neo-Marxism, post-digital sociology, new materialisms, affirmative critique of education, and decolonial studies, the book engages in a novel, collective dialogue and reflection on the affordances, limitations, and challenges of emerging social theories in contemporary education. Relevant global and decolonial perspectives to study current transformations, drawing on innovations in theorising and empirical illustrations, are offered from different countries.  

In sum, the book suggests that critique in the sociology of education is not exhausted. Rather, (1) it is developing in plural ways and engaging with emerging social theories; (2) a change in the direction of critical thought is becoming visible, which encourages us to reconsider the monopoly of the Western, European, and modern heritage; and (3) there is, increasingly, room for an earthly sociology. By commenting on the main threads or chapters of the book, panellists are invited to give their answers to the opening questions and to engage in a debate on the prospects of critique in contemporary education studies.

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