Call for Proposed Chapters for a Book on:
Effective Practice of Adult-Youth Engagement
in Social and Environmental Justice
It is truly difficult to make a democracy...
It is not what I say that says I am a democrat,
that I am not racist or machista,
but what I do
Paulo Freire (1998, p. 67)
Focus
This book will propose that youth and adults should work together, and
learn from and with each other to develop a common vision of social and
environmental justice, and be engaged as part of a community working
toward that vision. Capacity building in social and environmental issues
in education should not only focus on youth and youth leadership, but
also on the ability to move beyond the "adult as expert" model of
interactions to develop collaborative relationships between adults and
youth. This book will include chapters that examine examples of
effective practice, address issues of teacher-student or adult-youth
relationships, and explore how practice can either promote or limit
democratic and dialogic partnerships. Drawing from international
perspectives, it is hoped this book will introduce a wide variety of
theoretical and practical approaches for understanding effective
practice in developing youth leadership in social and environmental
justice, while offering a pla
ce for sharing experiences that create comfort and insights for adults
and youth to explore and expand their engagement with community activism.
We are looking for international experiences, narratives, theoretical
approaches and encourage alternative forms of expression, such as poetic
work. Submissions should address one of the following objectives and/or
relate to one of the proposed themes.
1. To document effective practices of adult-youth engagement in
democratic decision-making using a framework of dialogic leadership.
2. To develop strong theoretical frameworks for adult participation
with youth in bringing about democratic changes in communities.
3. To promote dialogue amongst practitioners working with youth.
4. To create spaces for adults to see possibilities, potential and
implications of moving beyond transmission model of teaching about
social and environmental justice issues.
5. To create comfort for educators to explore how to bring social and
environmental justice into everyday practice working with youth in ways
that encourage joint learning.
Proposed themes
1. Describing and analyzing projects of effective adult and youth
engagement in social and environmental justice issues.
2. Examining experiences of youth leadership and/or youth-adult
partnerships in pedagogical situations that seek to implement collective
action.
3. Moving beyond transmission model for social and environmental
justice
issues and implications for pedagogy. Seeking examples of social and/or
environmental justice-focused youth projects involving leadership and
development.
4. Examining the multifaceted responsibilities of adults in supporting
youth actively engaging in addressing and building their communities.
5. Investigating how we as educators, theoretically and practically,
work with youth to recreate more dialogical and democratic forms of
pedagogy and community engagement.
6. Asking what conscious and unconscious obstacles and possibilities
individuals and systems create that inhibit and promote the engagement
of social justice pedagogy.
7. Exploring examples, principles and values, skills and competencies,
action-oriented methods, and facilitative relationships that generate
motivation for participation, foster multi-generational partnerships and
encourage democratic youth leadership.
Potential readership
Adults working with youth in school, school programs, and community
settings; people working with at risk youth and youth in care; community
youth leadership programs; people in social justice work with youth.
The book has potential as a text or reference book in teacher education,
social work, youth care, and human justice programs.
Timeline
* A 500-word abstract for your proposed chapter will need to be
submitted by November 15th, 2005. This should be accompanied by a
50-75-word biography.
* All authors will be informed of the outcome of their proposals by
the end of January 2006.
* The accepted chapter will be needed for submission by the end of
May 2006.
Please submit abstracts and biography in .txt, .rtf, .wpd or .doc
format.
Editorial Team
Dr. Linda Goulet is an Associate professor at the Department of Indian
Education, First Nations University of Canada where she teaches
Indigenous pedagogy and anti-racism education. Linda comes to this
project from her work in community with students and their teachers
around the issues of racism and discrimination in schools and is keenly
interested in exploring alternative approaches in education and activism
in social justice.
Dr. Warren Linds is Assistant Professor in Applied Human Sciences,
Concordia University. Warren has a background in facilitation of theatre
for social change. He currently teaches in diversity education and group
facilitation and has worked with youth in developing leadership skills
in anti-racism programs.
Dr. Alison Sammel is an Assistant Professor and the Chair of Science
Education at the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina,
Saskatchewan, Canada. Ali's research and teaching focus includes
preservice elementary and high school science, with particular interest
in social and environmental justice issues, and political agendas,
through the dual lenses of critical theory and feminist poststructuralism.
For more information, or to submit an abstract, contact:
Dr. Alison Sammel, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan,
Canada.
(306) 585 4538
ali.sammel@uregina.ca