Inclusion, Diversity and Identity Research Network

The inclusion, diversity and identity research network starts from a social justice perspective, in which inequalities and the cultural construction of differences can be understood through an intersectional lens.  Fraser (2009) proposed an influential three-dimensional conceptualisation of social justice, incorporating elements of redistribution, recognition and representation.  Waitoller and Artiles (2013) drew on Fraser’s model to propose that:

the inclusive education movement should constitute an ongoing struggle toward (a) the redistribution of access to and participation in quality opportunities to learn (redistribution dimension); (b) the recognition and valuing of all student differences as reflected in content, pedagogy, and assessment tools (recognition dimension); and (c) the creation of more opportunities for nondominant groups to advance claims of educational exclusion and their respective solutions (representation dimension).

Inclusive education is concerned with promoting more effective educational opportunities for all, with a particular focus on learners from historically minoritized groups.  In this sense inclusive education research does address issues for those identified with special educational needs or disabilities, but also takes an intersectional approach to race, gender, class, sexuality and other dimensions of inequality or marginalisation.  The breadth of this approach is reflected in the network title: inclusion, diversity and identity.

We appreciate that there are no universally accepted definitions of inclusion, diversity and identity in education.  However, the following statement from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2016) offers a widely recognised reference point:

The right to inclusive education encompasses a transformation in culture, policy and practice in all formal and informal educational environments to accommodate the differing requirements and identities of individual students, together with a commitment to remove the barriers that impede that possibility. It involves strengthening the capacity of the education system to reach out to all learners. It focuses on the full and effective participation, accessibility, attendance and achievement of all students, especially those who, for different reasons, are excluded or at risk of being marginalized. Inclusion involves access to and progress in high-quality formal and informal education without discrimination. It seeks to enable communities, systems and structures to combat discrimination, including harmful stereotypes, recognize diversity, promote participation and overcome barriers to learning and participation for all by focusing on wellbeing and success of students with disabilities. It requires an in-depth transformation of education systems in legislation, policy, and the mechanisms for financing, administration, design, delivery and monitoring of education.

This overall vision indicates a broad agenda for the Inclusion, Diversity and Identity Research Network.  However, this agenda is not prescriptive theoretically or methodologically, so that colleagues are welcome to bring a range of approaches to the network in addressing issues of inclusion, diversity and identity in education.