Growing global consciousness underscores the urgency of addressing ways in which imperialism, colonialism, and neoliberalism manifest within practices of education and are complicit with the global project of coloniality. The escalation of social justice movements, heightened awareness of systemic inequalities, and calls for decolonization have brought these issues to the forefront of academic discourse. However, despite acknowledging the role of colonial power discourse, the rhetoric of decoloniality does not always align with actions. This special issue aims to amplify voices and perspectives that contribute to this crucial conversation, offer insights into transformative practices, and create space to support collective reflexive co-learning on decolonial practices in community psychology inquiry and education. Formal education has been a common strategy of colonization and nation building given that the experience of learning is carefully delineated to inform, design, and employ people into socio-political structures that uphold Western superiority in all life domains; this is what allows those in power to maintain the current structure. Educational settings play a central role in colonizing through various forms of socialization, academic capital, assumptions about the global nature of knowledge, knowledge production, and potential lack of critical analysis of more natural pathways for dissemination/communication. They provide the rationale for maintaining the status quo and the basis of frameworks for practice through traditions of science, teaching, mentoring, and learning. Globally, there has been increasing awareness of the problematic nature of the limitations and assumptions embedded in institutions of education and increasing calls for decoloniality within Community Psychology, associated fields, and transdisciplinarily. A systemic transformative shift in paradigms that allow for alignment of being and doing is necessary. We hope for pedagogical approaches that will allow for more critical, liberatory, and decolonial approaches to reconsider the nature of education, assumptions embedded in science, and what is perceived to be valid knowledge and ways of knowing and being. This special issue is a call to action - for our colleagues to investigate what we have come to regard as knowledge. Inevitably, this investigation also involves questioning what we have come to know as “science”, or knowledge production, the role of institutional structures in maintaining norms that allow harm to remain embedded in the status quo, and to re-examine power dynamics within educational settings. We hope to explore together what we, as a global community, are doing to push against Western imperialism and epistemicide within settings and places of education. This call for proposals invites scholars, researchers, educators, students, and practitioners to contribute Reflexive Case Studies to share attempts, challenges, and tensions with engaging decolonial practices that comment on historical context and positionality as it relates to choices of action. More specifically we are interested in learning about successes and challenges with enactments of liberatory and decolonial approaches to inquiry and education. We encourage sharing of suggestions or re-imagining renewed opportunities in teaching, learning, and inquiry. General points for potential authors to consider: Submissions must be Reflexive Case Studies (Qualitative Inquiry), but we also welcome papers using mixed/integrated methods. Submissions may include links to video, audio, or images to promote accessibility of content. While the majority of papers will be research articles (minimum of 70%), we will also welcome:
At least two reviewers will review submissions. The Special Issue co-editors will engage authors in a dialogue (likely through Zoom) to support submissions through the publication process. Authors will be asked to serve as peer reviewers, but serving as a peer reviewer will not be mandatory. Those who choose to serve as peer reviewers will be asked to participate in a co-learning process on using decolonial practices in peer review. There will be an optional learning community where authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to learning community sessions. These sessions will provide opportunities for co-learning and community-building space to support continued understanding of different ways of knowing and knowledge. We (Mazna Patka, Tiffeny R. Jiménez, Hana Shahin, Olya Glantsman) invite potential authors to meet with us via Zoom to discuss any questions/concerns about the special issue. Contact us at ReflexiveDecolonialPractices@gmail.com Kindly submit an abstract of 300 to 500 words (references are not required and are not included in the word count), double-spaced, one inch margins, 12 point font, in Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial. Accepted manuscripts must adhere to the journal’s instructions for authors, available at http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/cpgp/about/submissions#authorGuidelines Link to Abstract Submission Site: https://forms.gle/rCBMbN6yD5kbUjJZ9 Important Dates:
Glossary: We grappled with the varying definitions of some terms we used. Therefore, we provide a brief glossary of how we use them. Submissions are not limited to our definitions, so we welcome varied understandings of these terms as they relate to specific contexts/situations. Coloniality: Refers to the “colonial matrix of power” (CMP) (Quijano, 2000) or coloniality of power interrelating the practices and legacies of European colonialism in social orders and forms of knowledge. Some have referred to coloniality as the dark side of Modernity, which was the basis and justification for the exploitation of the world and its resources by European systems of domination. This matrix of control operates through control or hegemony over authority, labor, sexuality, and subjectivity by way of political administration, production of materials, and exploitation of land and people. Community Psychology: Community psychology is regarded in this special issue as a transdisciplinary practice and science that may be labeled differently depending on the context, however the emphasis is on social or structural inquiry/research/investigation grounded in actions linked to reducing harm to our communities or addressing root causes that reach for justice. Various contexts may label this work differently as coming from various disciplinary trajectories (e.g., Social Justice Education, Social Innovation). Decoloniality: Decoloniality is a movement that seeks to dismantle the enduring effects of colonialism and Eurocentrism by centering marginalized voices and promoting alternative epistemologies rooted in indigenous knowledge and resistance. It aims to foster liberation from oppressive structures and create more equitable and inclusive societies. Decolonization: Decolonization is the process of undoing colonial systems of oppression, including political, economic, social, and cultural domination, often by formerly colonized peoples reclaiming their autonomy and sovereignty. It involves challenging colonial legacies, redistributing power, and advocating for the rights and self-determination of marginalized communities historically subjected to colonial rule. Education: Education is defined broadly to include both informal and formal knowledge sharing that can take place in all locations. Epistemology: Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge, investigating its nature, acquisition, and justification. It explores questions about what we can know, how we know it, and what distinguishes justified beliefs from mere opinion. Inquiry: “An examination into facts or principles: RESEARCH” (Merriam-Webster, 2024) Reflexive Case Study (or Contextual Reflection): A process whereby a person/group explores their own situation and past experience with the phenomenon to identify ways of dismantling and re-creating systems and structures through alternative ways of thinking, knowing and action |
e-ISSN: 2421-2113