Education for a better world: The struggle for social justice in the twenty-first century

Abstract

In this chapter I discuss the nature of the relationship between education and social justice in order to make an overarching argument about the necessity for a particular sort of educational professionalism. I argue that we need to achieve global citizenship through education. That argument is not bound by geography (my definition of global citizenship can happen locally and nationally as well as across state borders) or by precisely framed areas of professional activity (it will apply across all aspects of educators’ work). My argument is that education for global citizenship is achieved through - and expressed by - democratic engagement for social justice. As such I wish to encourage teachers to be activists for a social and political ideal and to see this as an essential part of their role as professionals. There are four main parts to the chapter: the characterization of social justice; the key contexts that apply to social justice; the specific actions that should be taken in order to help bring about a better world - a global citizenship - through education; and, finally, conclusions.