2025:Call for Papers for Thematic Issue

Journal of Childhood, Education & Society — 2024-10-07

Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Early Years and Childhood Settings

Issue Editor(s):

Dr Sadia Habib, University of Manchester, UK
Dr Umit Yildiz, University of Manchester, UK
Dr Mehmet Toran, Istanbul Kültür University, Türkiye

Recent general and regional elections in several European countries have highlighted how persistent anti-refugee, anti-asylum seeker, and anti-Muslim rhetoric from both right-wing and social democratic parties has fuelled the rise of far-right movements. For example, France's Rassemblement National and Germany's Alternative für Deutschland has made significant gains, while in Austria, the far-right Freiheitliche Partei Österreich has emerged as the leading political force. In the coming months and years, we can expect to witness the effects of far-right representation within education policies. In countries where far-right organisations are gaining strength, the most profound impacts will be experienced by people from global majority communities.

The idea of the ‘permanence of racism’ (Warmington, 2024) is as prevalent today as it has been in the last four decades. Researchers, educators and practitioners using a critical race lens have theorised about the ‘ordinariness’ of racism embedded in formal and informal educational institutions and settings (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012; Gillborn, 2006; Ladson-Billings, 1998).

Racism is on the increase globally and yet there is a remarkable lack of support, guidance and training for educators to tackle racism in school and community education settings (Lander, 2014). Culturally responsive educators and anti-racist educators have been seeking ways to resist and tackle the ‘colour-blind’ approach (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012) that has been adopted by educational institutions.

Educators who are actively challenging institutional racism, in response to the rising racism, are often drawing upon the tenets of critical pedagogy (Freire, 2000; Freire, 2005), as well as on the radical anti-racist education visions of hope and community as described by bell hooks (hooks, 2010, 2013a, 2013b, 2014). A radical anti-racist vision also demands a transformative approach to society in order to create a more just and democratic world (Kundnani, 2023). By radical anti-racism, we refer to the understanding that racism is structural, and therefore, these structures must be dismantled (Césaire, 2000).

The Journal for Childhood, Education, & Society invites submissions for a thematic issue focused on radical anti-racism in early years and childhood education (up to age 8). In the context of a worrying rise in racism globally, this issue seeks to rethink and reimagine how radical anti-racist practices, pedagogies, and theories can be embedded into educational systems across diverse settings. This call emphasises the urgency of addressing global racism in childhood education and highlights the need for radical, systemic change.

We encourage contributions from practitioners, teachers, and researchers working in early childhood education settings, including nurseries, schools, home-schooling environments, and community-based settings. Submissions should explore innovative approaches to anti-racism that, not only address individual and interpersonal racism, but also challenge structural and systemic inequalities.

Key themes we are interested in include (but are not limited to):

Radical reimagining of anti-racist pedagogy in early years and childhood education
Transformative practices for addressing and dismantling racism in diverse educational settings
Critical theories and frameworks that challenge systemic racism within childhood education
Strategies for supporting early years educators in engaging with radical anti-racism
Collaborative and Early Childhood Education community-based approaches to inclusive, anti-racist environments
Impact of structural racism on young children’s experiences and education globally

We are particularly interested in submissions that emphasise the need for structural and systemic change, advocating for radical shifts in policy, curriculum, and educational practice. Contributions can include empirical studies, theoretical papers/conceptual essays, case studies, and reflective pieces from practitioners, educators and activists.

Scholars are invited to submit proposals that are between 400 and 500 words. Please email these to: jces.editorial@gmail.com and include ‘JCES Thematic Issue: Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Early Years” in the ‘subject’ line of your email. The authors of selected proposals will be invited to submit a full paper, which will undergo a double-blind peer review by the editorial board members and external reviewers.

Important Key Dates:

December 15, 2024: Submit a proposal of no more than 500 words to the following email address jces.editorial@gmail.com
January 15, 2025: Abstract proposal decision sent to author/s
March 31, 2025: First full paper submission due for review via JCES submission portal
November 2025: Anticipated date for publication

References

Césaire, A. (2000). Discourse on Colonialism. Monthly Review Press.

Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2012). Critical Race Theory: An Introduction (2nd ed.). NYU Press.

Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum.

Freire, P. (2005). Education for Critical Consciousness. Continuum.

Gillborn, D. (2006). Critical Race Theory and Education: Racism and anti-racism in educational theory and praxis. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 27(1), 11-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596300500510229

hooks, b. (2010). Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. Routledge.

hooks, b. (2013a). Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope. Taylor & Francis.

hooks, b. (2013b). Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. Taylor & Francis.

hooks, b. (2014). Teaching To Transgress. Taylor & Francis.

Kundnani, A. (2023). What is antiracism? : and why it means anticapitalism. Verso.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and what's it doing in a nice field like education? International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7-24.

Lander, V. (2014). Initial Teacher Education: The Practice of Whiteness. In R. Race & V. Lander (Eds.), Advancing Race and Ethnicity in Education. Palgrave Macmillan.

Warmington, P. (2024). Permanent Racism: Race, Class and the Myth of Postracial Britain. Policy Press.

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2025:Call for Papers for Thematic Issue