Network
NW 07 Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Title
Challenging Inequalities: 30 Years of Network 7 ”Social Justice and Intercultural Education – Past Insights and Future Perspectives”
Abstract
This special call opens up a space to reflect on the journey which has led Network 7 to stand where it does today within ECER. Its contribution lies both in the development of ideas over the past three decades as well as in interrogating practice in many contexts across several countries. The network has provided opportunities to look at controversial issues and competing ideas relating to social justice. It has also played an important role in the development of academic careers of new and experienced researchers. This is a celebration of the network’s achievements and its contribution in the future.
The Call
In 2026, EERA Network 7 – Social Justice and Intercultural Education – celebrates its 30th anniversary. Over the past three decades, the network has provided a forum for researchers, educators, and practitioners to critically engage with questions of social justice and equity in education across European contexts. This network has also provided a space for researchers to engage in a meaningful exchange of ideas from presenters and participants whose research was based in USA, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, India, Pakistan and Jordan.
As Ghazala Bhatti and Yvonne Leeman (2011) highlighted in “Convening a Network within the European Conference on Educational Research: A History of the Social Justice and Intercultural Education Network”, sustaining a research-based dialogue requires both flexibility and focus. Their work traced the first 15 years of the network, reflecting on challenges such as negotiating a shared theoretical language across diverse research traditions, including multiple positionalities, languages, and epistemologies, and balancing academic quality with inclusivity in a European and global research landscape marked by asymmetrical power relations and shaped by the growing influence of neoliberal policies and the normalization of right-wing ideologies and the continuity of coloniality.
Building on this, this special call invites contributions reflecting on the development of social justice and intercultural education in Europe and beyond, as well as contributions opening up perspectives for the future. We particularly welcome papers that:
- trace continuities and transformations in the understanding of social justice and intercultural education;
- connect historical insights with forward-looking approaches and emerging concepts, taking into account situated knowledge, local contexts, and community-based perspectives;
- explore European and global influences on educational research, policy, and practice, considering how transnational dynamics intersect with local, context-specific experiences and the voices of diverse communities;
- critically engage with epistemic dominance and epistemic violence in research collaborations, reflecting on whose knowledge is privileged or marginalized and how more inclusive, community-grounded approaches can be fostered.
In addition, we invite reflections on the experience of being associated with NW 7. This can be a critical academic paper and/or a personal / collective perspective on the network’s impact and its role in shaping European and transnational debates on social justice and intercultural education. We warmly welcome personal and reflective accounts documenting experiences within the network. We invite colleagues to contribute both traditional research papers and more reflective and narrative contributions. They may like to consider
- how participation in the network and its conferences has influenced their research and professional development;
- their own career trajectories, professional focus, and scientific or political self-understanding;
- insights into structural, institutional, or field-specific changes in education and research related to social justice, equity, and diversity;
- key challenges and societal issues related to mobility, diversity, and inclusive transformations in educational contexts, particularly in the light of neoliberal and right-wing political pressures as well as the continuity of colonial power relations.
This anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the network’s rich history, celebrate its achievements, and collectively envision the future of social justice and intercultural education in Europe and beyond.
Contact Person(s)
Ghazala Bhatti (ghazala.bhatti(at)education.ox.ac.uk)
Hanna Ragnarsdóttir (hannar(at)hi.is)
Lisa Rosen (lisa.rosen(at)rptu.de)
References
Bhatti, G., & Leeman, Y. (2011). Convening a Network within the European Conference on Educational Research: A History of the Social Justice and Intercultural Education Network. European Educational Research Journal, 10(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.2304/eerj.2011.10.1.129