Theme 1: Area studies, global inequality and economic development

Sub-themes to develop research networks

Two-fold:

1. Mapping clusters of research/researchers in terms of geographical areas to facilitate network-building
2. Working across these areas to:

• Operationalise the term ‘areas studies’ to work within/across/between areas of study (different ways/scales - from global to neighbourhood, for instance)
• Explore inequalities and social justice within and across different countries and/or groups.
• Explore inequalities in income, access to technology and economic development within and across different countries and/or groups.
• Explore inequalities in gender and race or ethnicities within and across different countries and or groups.
• Consider cross-cutting issues around movements between/across areas: migration, refugees, artefacts, travelling ideologies, inequalities
• Consider cross-cutting historical dimensions to these strands
• Consider cross-cutting theoretical/conceptual/philosophical dimensions to these strands (and across all themes (The proposed themes are very much issue-based or applied. This is fine but an important central concern for all these is the conceptualisation and theoretical grounding. It might be argued that theory might emerge or be developed from contextual, issue-based, problem-oriented or even applied research. We recently focus our work on social justice in education, as understood from diverse theoretical perspectives, so this theme can be more broadly defined as: Social Justice, Inequalities and Development (theme name change proposed). A common ground under this theme will be the focus on decolonised approaches and the aim of achieving social justice defined by diverse perspectives. Inequalities and development have been researched under dominant perspectives and enabling diverse approaches to flourish can be important for future research.

Mixed views on usefulness of term ‘area studies’:

• Helpful term because it is not coordinated, generally. Having a broader vision would help create links between individual researchers and cut across existing structures in innovative ways.
• Area Studies seems to be a crucial area because there is a lot going on around this topic, but it’s not well integrated across. What are the sub themes of Global Studies/Area Studies that might also bring in different ways of connecting researchers.  
• Areas Studies is not a term necessarily used across disciplines, yet researchers do work around these topics. How can we make the vocabulary more accessible for researchers? These 
• researchers don’t identify with areas studies, yet working on different parts of the world. How can we better signal the relevance of the topic to other researchers and enhance inclusivity?

Mixed views on usefulness of term ‘economic development’:

• To position development exclusively on economic development is likely to push most of the research on global inequalities around global economic inequalities. In writing on behalf of several colleagues who provided feedback to me at the Faculty of Education, we suggest that this thematic area is repositioned in terms of Inequalities and Development. This is particularly important as colleagues working in education may find it difficult to assert their work in terms of global inequalities (of course we look at inequalities in learning, but this is just part of the work on inequalities more broadly). We can also refer to development to include other aspects beyond economic.

Developing collaborations:  To benefit the co-creation of research, knowing who is working on which area/region and developing existing and new relationships is important. Much is based on personal connections and understanding who and where research is taking place across HSS (and beyond) would:

• Enable opportunities for networking and to build new research partnerships and help support/ develop existing collaborations
• Enhance agility in responding to research questions and wider opportunities for collaboration/funding.
• Provide a visible presence for external philanthropic opportunities

Support co-creation and decolonialising research: Knowledge exchange needs to be embedded in research project because where we are educated really frames issues, approaches, methods differently. E.g. partnerships on refugees.

Multiple theoretical perspectives, methodological lenses thus deeper understanding of inequalities in terms of institutions/policies/practices/power structures:

• research under this theme can be shaped by deeper understanding of the development of institutions, systems, policies, and practices that lead to a more socially just society. In doing so, there are key areas of collaboration between different strands of social science and humanities. In the case of education, deeper understanding of policies and power structures can be enhanced by sociological and political science research, as well as history. The work of the REAL Centre has been shared with colleagues at Global Challenges and there has been mutual learning.
• If we are serious about our decolonised work, we must also allow for diverse knowledges to emerge, particularly the knowledge that is being explored by early career scholars.  We must reflect whether we are replicating dominant knowledge rather than enabling new perspectives.  Making this field too narrow, i.e. Economic development, is likely to exclude many scholars.   
• Potential for real-world political action to support social justice