Contemporary Issues and Perspectives on Gender Research in Adult Education. History, Philosophy, Methodology and Practice

European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA)

Network on Gender and Adult Learning

invites to conference on

“Contemporary Issues and Perspectives on Gender Research in Adult Education. History, Philosophy, Methodology and Practice”

Faculty of Philosophy,

University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

08th October – 10th October 2015

Dominant paradigms in academic research, theory and history of adult education are not explored enough in the current European academic discourse. Postmodern orientated researchers have questioned heteronormative tradition of knowing, but adult education theories still do not tackle enough gender constructed concepts and approaches. Adult education research suffered from slighting gender and women in three basic ways: deletion of women (as individual subjects and as a notion) from the history of research and philosophy of adult education, domination of androcentrism in epistemology and, and misunderstanding of gender perspective and overemphasizing heteronormative differences (placing females in opposition to men) in research methodology and data interpretation, which reproduces dualism and binary positions while underestimating social dimension of gender identities.

Methodological approach to research in adult education is often based on androcentric epistemology that favours objective vs situated knowledge, linear vs complex, reductive vs holistic, and rational vs emotional. It is intriguing paradox that androcentric discourse dominates adult education theory and research, while so called “female characteristics”, such as empathy and caring, are desirable in adult education practice.

The aim of the conference is to discuss what kind of research in adult education regarding gender are prevalent in academic communities, what are the philosophical and methodological backgrounds, how these issues influence formulation c of research questions, how they relate to current adult education practice and what attitudes and subjectivities of adult educators researchers produce. Besides looking at the present, we would like to explore how adult education history was constructed in relation to gender perspective and to offer possibilities to rewrite the past in a gender inclusive manner.

Having all these in mind, the conference will be organized around the following themes:

The role and the status of women in adult education history

Gendered methodology in adult education

Gender and epistemology in adult education research

Heteronormative influence on researcher identity and practice

Theory and gender in lifelong learning

Fields of gender research in educational practice

The Conference will provide spaces to engage participants with these and similar issues in workshops and plenary sessions, will be a forum for researchers to facilitate cooperation, exchange knowledge and experience, and to integrate PhD students into the field. In terms of deconstruction and change of traditional methodology of presenting research results we would welcome alternative and innovative approaches, for example performances, art, creative use of media, space and relations.

The gender dimension is visible in research in the Educational Sciences, but it mainly concerns formal education and children’s socialization and development. The purpose of ESREA Gender Network is to raise awareness of this field of research in adult education in Europe. Reports of research are discussed in terms of their theoretical basis in topics such as gendered learning, gender in higher education, gendered biographies, masculinities-femininities, gender in adult training, gender in academia, gender and informal learning, but also in terms of their methodological dimensions.

You are invited to submit a paper abstract addressing one of conference areas. Abstracts should be no more than 500-600 words in length. The language of the conference will be English.

We would like to encourage PhD students to send in abstracts: few bursaries are available. For this, you are asked to send your abstract with a motivation letter and a formal request in English. The Scientific Committee will transfer those files to the ESREA Presidency.

Deadline for submission of abstracts is March 31st, 2015. They will be sent by email at (Maja Maksimović, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Serbia. Email: esrea.gender.conference2015@gmail.com ).

Authors will be notified by April, 30th 2015.

Completed papers of between 4000 – 6000 words should be submitted by 15th of September 2015. Please use the APA style for writing and referencing. For detailed instruction please follow the link: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.

The final registration is possible until 10th of September 2015.