PCEP - Participation, Communities and Political Education

Summary

This research group contributes to CIIE’s general goal of promoting more inclusive, egalitarian and just societies, recognising that some of the important social and educational inequalities have been amplified in recent decades due to economic, cultural, political and technological transformations. Resulting challenges such as those connected to precarity and poverty, to changes in the world of work/training/education, to declining levels of trust, or to dealing with new and old forms of diversity and discrimination, have impacted on regional, national and European policies, the action of educational and social institutions, and on the experiences, opportunities and wellbeing of various groups. Pursuing different lines and perspectives, this research group focuses on these challenges and impacts looking at how they operate in producing and/or reproducing in/justice, social and educational, with a focus on communities – as education is inevitably 'in-context' – and taking into account the politicised tensions brought by differences and inequalities on the basis of gender, age, disability, literacy, poverty and migration, among others.

PCEP's research has a particular emphasis on policies, communities and participation, while focusing on:

Analysis of educational and social policies and their impacts on social inclusion, equality and wellbeing;
Participation processes and experiences in multiple contexts, including formal and non-formal education and broadly civic and political experiences, and their potential for promoting learning, empowerment and community development, particularly regarding deprived groups and territories;
The systematic monitoring and evaluation of educational, social and community intervention programmes and projects that foster inclusiveness, diversity and wellbeing, both for individuals and communities;
Articulate, co-construct and share knowledge with partners, policy-makers, and citizens (including adults and/or members of especially vulnerable groups) as part of projects and strategies that may involve arts and digital cultures, as well as other innovative approaches to the construction of significant and empowering educational contexts.

Students: Ana Isabel Teixeira, Ana Moura, André Barros, Andreia Antunes, Bárbara Machado, Carmo Antunes, Carmo Gouveia, Carolina Gomes, Célia Rocha, Cláudia Ferreira, Daniel Vieira, Fátima Ginicolo, Hélia Rocha, Juliana Diógenes, Juliene Pereira, Lívia Mendes, Lucas Lago, Lucinda Saldanha, Márcia Dantas, Maria Faria, Maria Jesus, Maria Luís Queirós, Mariana Bacelar, Marlene Almeida, Miguel Correia, Patrícia Alves, Pedro Menezes, Ricardo Soares, Vera Cerqueira.