Education, Culture and Identity in Diverse and Global Contexts

Dear Colleagues,

As educational systems across the globe respond to demographic, cultural and political transformations, questions of culture, identity and diversity have become increasingly significant. This research area offers important insights into how educational institutions negotiate differences and belonging and contribute to more equitable and democratic societies (OECD, 2023; UNESCO, 2024).

This is important as critical scholarship highlights that educational institutions are not neutral spaces but are shaped by broader social, cultural and political processes. Schools and universities play a central role in constructing and legitimizing particular forms of knowledge, identities and cultural values, while also contributing to the reproduction or transformation of social inequalities (Ahmed, 2012; Apple, 2019; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1990). Consequently, research on education, culture and identity increasingly focuses on issues of power, recognition and social justice.

Recent perspectives have called for more critical approaches to diversity that move beyond descriptive or celebratory understandings of difference. Concepts such as critical diversity literacy emphasize how race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, disability and migration status intersect within broader systems of privilege and marginalization (Steyn & Vanyoro, 2024). Similarly, intersectional approaches demonstrate how educational experiences and opportunities are shaped through multiple interacting dimensions of identity and inequality (Collins & Bilge, 2020; Varsik & Gorochovskij, 2023).

Culture and identity are likewise understood as dynamic and relational rather than fixed characteristics. Dervin (2016) argues that educational discourse often relies on simplified notions of cultural difference that risk reinforcing stereotypes and overlooking the complexity of lived experiences. However, identities are continuously negotiated within specific social, cultural and educational contexts. Research further shows that the recognition and affirmation of learners' cultural and linguistic identities can support engagement, participation and educational success (Davies et al., 2023; Lucido et al., 2024; Foster et al., 2024).

The growing attention to culture and identity has also generated interest in epistemic justice, focusing on whose knowledge is recognized, valued and represented within educational institutions. Decolonial and Indigenous scholars have highlighted how dominant educational systems continue to privilege Western knowledge traditions while marginalizing alternative epistemologies and ways of knowing (Andreotti, 2011; Fricker, 2007; Santos, 2018; Smith, 2021). Consequently, recent scholarship emphasizes curriculum transformation, epistemic pluralism and more inclusive approaches to knowledge production (Dei & Cacciavillani, 2024).

At the same time, questions of culture, identity, diversity and inclusion have become increasingly contested in many societies. Debates surrounding citizenship, belonging, curriculum content and democratic values demonstrate that education remains a key arena in which social and political struggles over identity and recognition are negotiated (Noack & Eckstein, 2023).

Against this backdrop, research on education, culture and identity remains both timely and significant. By critically examining the relationships among diversity, culture, identity, knowledge, power and social justice, the field contributes to a deeper understanding of how educational institutions can support more equitable, inclusive and democratic futures.

The aim of this Special Issue is to advance research on education, culture and identity in diverse and global contexts by examining how educational institutions, policies and practices shape the processes of belonging, participation, recognition and social justice in an increasingly interconnected world.

We welcome articles aligning with the following topics:

• Education, Identity and the Politics of Belonging
• Diversity and the Politics of Recognition
• Whose Knowledge Counts? Education and Epistemic Justice
• Languages, Cultures and Educational Futures
• Cultural Heritage, ‘Culture Wars’ and National Identity
• Educational Markets, Diversity and Mobility and Inclusion

References

Ahmed, S. (2012). On being included: Racism and diversity in institutional life. Duke University Press.

Andreotti, V. (2011). Actionable postcolonial theory in education. Palgrave Macmillan.

Apple, M. W. (2019). Ideology and curriculum (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429400384

Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J.-C. (1990). Reproduction in education, society and culture (2nd ed.). Sage.

Collins, P. H., & Bilge, S. (2020). Intersectionality (2nd ed.). Polity Press.

Davies, M. J., Highfield, C., & Foreman-Brown, G. (2023). Secondary teachers’ beliefs about the relationship between students’ cultural identity and their ability to think critically. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 7(4), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202320538

Dei, G. J. S., & Cacciavillani, A. (2024). Actualizing decolonization: A case for anticolonizing and Indigenizing the curriculum. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 58(2–3), 209–226. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopedu/qhae036

Dervin, F. (2016). Interculturality in education: A theoretical and methodological toolbox. Palgrave Macmillan.

Foster, M., Mark, S. L., & Baize, J. (2024). Introduction special issue: Educational equity: Cultural and ethnic diversity in schools. Education Sciences, 14(1), Article 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010038

Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic injustice: Power and the ethics of knowing. Oxford University Press.

Lucido, F., Jimenez, D., & Tang, S. (2024). Affirming culture and cultural identity in bilingual/ESL classrooms. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1338671. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1338671

Noack, P., & Eckstein, K. (2023). Populism in youth: Do experiences in school matter? Child Development Perspectives, 17(2), 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12481

OECD. (2023). Equity and inclusion in education: Finding strength through diversity. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/equity-and-inclusion-in-education_e9072e21-en/full-report.html

Santos, B. de Sousa. (2018). The end of the cognitive empire: The coming of age of epistemologies of the South. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478002000

Smith, L. T. (2021). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples (3rd ed.). Zed Books.

Steyn, M., & Vanyoro, K. P. (2024). Critical diversity literacy: A framework for multicultural citizenship education. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 19(3), 493–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/17461979231178520

UNESCO. (2024). Global Education Monitoring Report 2024/5: Leadership in Education: Lead for Learning. UNESCO.

Varsik, S., & Gorochovskij, J. (2023). Intersectionality in education: Rationale and practices to address the needs of students’ intersecting identities (OECD Education Working Papers No. 302). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/dbb1e821-en

Prof. Dr. Kerstin von Brömssen
Dr. Signild Risenfors
Guest Editors

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• education
• educational markets
• belonging
• culture
• culture wars
• culture heritage
• diversity
• identity
• inclusion
• intersectionality
• language
• mobility