Establishing a Gender and Education Network

Friday, 25 August, 9:00 - 10:30
Location: W3.15

Chair: Branislava Baranovic

We would like to invite all those who are interested in gender issues to a session on developing a Gender network at ECER.

Previous research on gender has demonstrated the social importance and the complexity of gender relations in society and in educational settings within Europe and, indeed, globally. We have become aware of a broad range of gender related educational challenges such as different achievements of girls and boys at school, gender biased and stereotypical choices of school subjects and professions, interests in both masculinities and femininities, issues beyond gender binary, and how gender intersects with social class, ethnicity and disability, to name just a few topics common to all national contexts. Research shows that gender has an impact at all levels of education, from early years, through compulsory schooling, to higher education and beyond.

The scale and scope of concerns about gender and education, and the number of researchers working on gender-related research, would indicate that it is time to have an autonomous network within EERA on gender and education.

Why is it important to establish the new EERA network on gender and education?
As a complex social phenomenon gender is a cross-cutting and interdisciplinary theme which invites cooperation and joint work with researchers from different disciplines. Gender research is currently distributed across a number of EERA networks, such as Didactics-Learning and Teaching network, Inclusive Education network, etc. The new gender network can provide a common platform that will enable a holistic approach and a more comprehensive coverage of gender issues. It will provide a space for gender scholars to share their research, and work on developing common themes and research interests.

Therefore we invite all those who are interested in gender-related issues across the education stages to the session on developing a Gender network. The purpose of the session is:

• to provide a place to meet and share interests;
• to provide more information on the new Gender and Education Network;
• to discuss possible future collaborations;
• to provide a possibility to expand the group of Gender and Education Network convenors.

The session will be an open meeting.

On behalf of the new Gender and Education Network:

• Hubert Schaupp (Austria)
• Branislava Baranović (Croatia)
• Satu Perala-Littunen (Finland)
• Declan Fahie (Ireland)
• Denise Mifsud (Malta)
• Nassira Hedjerassi (France and Switzerland)
• Nadja Duhacek (Serbia)
• Milica Antic Gaber (Slovenia)
• Marie Carlson (Sweden)