Critical Qualitative Research in Social Education (HC)

Critical qualitative research informs social education through a lens that ensures the investigation of issuesin education tied to power and privilege ultimately leading to advocacy and activism. The concept ofcritical is increasingly challenged in this age of neoliberal reform; nevertheless critical impliesquestioning investigating and challenging in terms of equity and social justice leading to criticalconsciousness (Freire 1970). While we resist defining social education as hopefully these ideas / conceptsare fluid the idea stems from a continual analysis and synthesis of critical theory/ critical pedagogy mediaand cultural studies social reconstruction / social justice and social studies education framed by culturallyresponsive pedagogy. A social education take on critical qualitative research thus suggests multiple truthsand perspectives and focuses on questions rather than answers.While many have written on qualitative educational research and some have attempted to integrate criticalpedagogy and qualitative research few have explored the specific idea of social education and criticalqualitative research. A major issue is that social education claims that there are no set procedures scriptedapproaches or narrow definitions as to the possibilities of research endeavors. Social education researchersmake the process and investigation their own and adapt questions procedures methods and strategiesthroughout the experience. This reflects an ever changing criticality in the bricolage of the research(Steinberg 2011).Critical qualitative research and social education are vital for the world of the 21st century. The onslaught of neoliberalism corporatizationstandardization testing and the continuing attack on public schools and educators necessitate critical approaches to teaching and learning along withcritical qualitative research in social education. Ongoing issues with equity and social justice tied to race ethnicity class orientation age and abilitylinking to schooling education teaching and learning must be addressed. The struggle between unbridled capitalism and democracy warrant theseinvestigations in the 21st century hopefully leading to advocacy and activism.