Funds of Knowledge for the 21st Century: Towards pedagogical justice in diverse societies

The symposium “Funds of Knowledge for the 21st Century: Towards pedagogical justice in diverse societies” took place on 12 March. The event was organized by Dr Konstanze Spohrer (spohrek@hope.ac.uk), Dr Carly Bagelman (bagelmc@hope.ac.uk) and Dr Rosie Germain (germair@hope.ac.uk), and funded by The Sociological Review and the Centre for Education and Policy Analysis (CEPA) at Liverpool Hope University.

This event was held with the intention of bringing together scholars and practitioners to exchange perspectives on working with young people’s local ‘funds of knowledge’ and imagining pedagogies that harness diversity and create richer opportunities. Newer and more established scholars, students and practitioners were invited to develop a set of proposals on the future of the Funds of Knowledge approach. The symposium also aimed to launch an international network of researchers and practitioners, inspiring future collaborations.

The conference included the following lectures and speakers:

  • Professor Bill Chambers, Liverpool Hope University: Opening address.
  • Professor Moisès Esteban-Guitart, University of Girona, Spain: ‘From Funds of Knowledge to Funds of Identity. Sustaining and articulating pedagogically learners’ voices and lived experiences.
  • Dr Adam Poole, Ningbo, China: ‘Towards a visual-textual dialectic for identifying and interpreting digital funds of identity.’
  • Professor Pat Thomson, University of Nottingham, UK: ‘Towards a holistic and culturally responsive approach to knowers, knowledges and ways of knowing.’
  • Professor Gabrielle Ivinson, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK: ‘The Power of Living Knowledge; Re-imagining horizontal knowledge.’
  • Dr Lisa H. Schwartz, University of Colorado Boulder, USA: ‘A funds of knowledge approach to developing community-engaged graduate student scholar cohorts in the arts and sciences.
  • Adam Duckworth, Learning and Participation Team Leader, International Slavery Museum, Liverpool, UK: ‘How museums can be instruments for activism while supporting and supplementing educational settings.’ 
  • Lois South, Museum Young Ambassador, and Respect Group Board Member, International Slavery Museum, UK: ‘At the intersection of race, class and sexism: Challenging discourses and practices that reinforce racism in education and society’

You can check the full programme here.