Special Interest Group
The Social Justice SIG promotes dialogue on educational policies and practices at all levels in terms of supporting or inhibiting social justice.
We are committed to developing a range of theoretical understandings of the concept of social justice and the interaction of particular axes of discrimination in education. Particular attention is given to discourses and material effects of social class, gender, ethnicity, citizenship and human rights, and the ways in which these interrelate. In addition, we help to develop an understanding of the opportunities and spaces that social actors in education have to promote inclusion and social justice (as well as the limits and constraints they face), and the ways in which action can be taken.
We contribute to the evaluation of research methodologies for investigating social justice. We consider the processes by which academic critique can or should influence political agendas locally, nationally and globally. Fundamentally, we provide an arena for debate, discussion and dissemination for researchers whose work addresses a wide range of social justice issues. Thus, the SIG’s intention is to bring together research from a range of specialist yet related areas to a general forum to further social justice in education.
The Social Justice organises a range of events and activities to foster research and networking in this important domain.
The SIG organises a number of events and activities which include research projects, publications, conferences and networking.
Academic Employability Consultant at Anglia Ruskin University
John Parkin is an Academic Employability Consultant at Anglia Ruskin University where he works with academics and external partners to embed employability into courses. John Parkin was also a Senior Lecturer Practitioner in Education and a Course...
Lecturer of Community Music and Social Justice at University of Southampton
Dr Chiying Lam is a lecturer in Community Music and Social Justice at the University of Southampton. She also serves as the deputy director of Southampton Centre for Music Education and Social Justice. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Dr Lam...
Senior Lecturer at University of Roehampton
Dr Liliana Belkin has a PhD in Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy from New York University and was awarded a US–UK Fulbright Core Scholar Fellowship in 2019–20. She was awarded an ESRC ADR UK Fellowship in 2024. She is a senior...
Come and join the Social Justice SIG to discuss and plan activities for the next academic year. You will have the opportunity to suggest ideas we can work on in the future. We will also make sure...
This award celebrates the publication of educational research and is awarded to a scholarly book on education deemed to be high quality, engaging and innovative.
The BERA Blog is delighted to invite proposals from teams of guest editors and authors for a BERA Blog special issue on learners from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. One proposal will be...
One of the most challenging debates in education among schools, academic researchers and policymakers in the past three decades has been how to close the achievement gap of Black and ethnic...
Continue reading blog postReflecting on my own educational and professional journey – from my time as a teenager, as an undergraduate student teacher, and now as a professor in England – it is clear how crucial it is...
Continue reading blog postContext Throughout the history of BERA and indeed the BERA Blog, research on the association between living in poverty and not doing well educationally has been a continuing focus. In Wales,...
Continue reading blog postResearch Intelligence issue 163: (Re)shaping the future of research in further education: Opportunities, barriers & beyond
This event will provide a forum to engage in important discussions, reflections and debate on ‘social justice’ in education and development of next steps with attendees in terms of action...
