What is AGORA?

The AGORA Centre coordinates and develops sociological and critical educational research, research networks and research projects. AGORA brings together scholars from a wide variety of multidisciplinary backgrounds, who share an interest in critical theories, philosophies and methodologies in education. The Centre focuses on empirically-grounded theoretical considerations and developing further understanding of social justice and equality as a multifaceted economic, cultural and social phenomenon.

 

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AGORA research

 

AGORA community offers a supportive environment for junior and senior researchers who are interested in questions of social justice and equality alongside far-reaching changes in terms of welfare state reforms and governance.

The Nordic welfare state’s shift towards competitive/neoliberal/therapeutic state is a prominent study within the Centre’s research. We aim at investigating cross-sectoral and transnational policies and educational and other societal practices especially in terms of marketisation, privatisation, psychologisation and learnification and in relation to children, young people and young adults.

Intersectionalities, power, and agency, and societal mechanisms of inequalities are important themes for joint research groups in the AGORA. The Centre unites and develops various research fields and research networks with eminent universities and researchers nationally and internationally.

Please read more about our key research themes and about the specific themes of our individual researchers.

 

Activities

 

We have provided seminars, workshops, lecture series in which over 3000 scholars, teachers, students, professionals and policy makers have participated.

AGORA holds workshops and regular research seminars, closely connected with social justice and equality perspectives. These research seminars are inclusive so that they create a unique, supportive environment for MA’s, PhD’s and post-doctoral researchers as well as university lecturers and professors. The seminars are useful especially to doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in terms of building their independent research careers. Along with research support, these seminars provide a site for future funding plans, development of teaching and collaborative writing. The Centre provides courses in Finnish and English. It contributes to the development of teaching from equality and social justice perspectives.

Please read more about our seminars and teaching activities.

 

Collaboration

With networks in the Nordic countries, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia, it is easy to create stronger collaboration related to centre’s themes. Through the networks, we can discuss and disseminate research results with researchers, educationalists and other actors in the field. The Centre encourages collaborative publishing, both nationally and internationally. Consequently, the Centre brings internationally recognised perspectives and emphases, thus improving the literature and offering ideas for more relevant practice from a multi-disciplinary perspective in relation to transition of young people.

The research center also serves as a regional center of the Nordic Centre of Excellence Justice Through Education in the Nordic Countries.

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Please get to know our research associates and learn more our national and international research collaboration and our active engagement with the community and society.

News and blog

May we present our new researchers at the AGORA

This spring the AGORA Research Centre’s community has grown with two new brilliant researchers as Saara Vainio and Ivan Zamotkin have started their PhD research in the Doctoral Programme of School, Education, Society and Culture (SEDUCE). Ivan Zamotkin’s PhD research topic is Theory of Anarchism in the Future Trajectories of Education.  “The aim of my doctoral …

Welcome to a book launch: “Youth on the Move. Tendencies and Tensions in Youth Policies and Practices”

The Helsinki University Press has chosen three most current and thought-provoking books from HU scholars which they want to publish as Open Access publications – and among them is Youth on The Move. Tendencies and Tensions in Youth Policies and Practices, edited by Kristiina Brunila and Lisbeth Lundahl. Where is the book launch: Tiedekulma Fönsteri, …

Agora onnittelee Ruskeat tytöt mediaa ansaitusta Suomi-palkinnosta

AGORA kasvatuksen ja koulutuksen tasa-arvon ja oikeudenmukaisuuden tutkimuskeskus haluaa onnitella lämpimästi Ruskeat tytöt -yhdistystä ja mediaa tiede- ja kulttuuriministerin  vuoden 2019 Suomi-palkinnosta! Palkinto myönnetään vuosittain merkittäville taiteilijoille ja yhteisöille. Ruskeat tytöt on poliittisesti ja uskonnollisesti sitoutumaton ”ruskeilta ihmisiltä ruskeille ihmisille” tarkoitettu yhdistys, jonka tavoitteena on laajentaa representaatioita kulttuurin, erityisesti median, viestinnän ja kirjallisuuden alueella, normalisoida …