Diversity is a contemporary topic in education and educational research and is approached from a variety of perspectives. While some perceive increasing diversity as a challenge for the education system and society, others emphasise the merits of diversity and call not only for greater sensitivity towards diversity but also that it should be embraced.

The conference will bring together latest social science research and its key findings on diversity in terms of vertical and horizontal differences and inequalities in societies. The aim is to discuss how to deal with diversity, how to make use of diversity and how to tackle diversity-related challenges. The structural categories such as social class, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religion that are used to describe and analyse diversity are axes of inequality at the same time. Studying diversity is thus strongly related to the study of inequality. It also appears meaningful to consider different sociological levels of analysis when addressing diversity, including the micro or micro-social (e.g., students, teachers, parents), meso (e.g., educational institutions, non-formal and informal settings) and macro level (e.g., education systems, educational policies).

Highly intertwined with diversity is the notion of inclusion, which presents an approach to responding to diversity – also in education. Inclusion is about reducing social closure and social inequality, responding to the need for respect and recognition of all people as well as enabling social participation in various key areas of society regardless of personal characteristics in terms of aforementioned structural categories. In educational settings (e.g. classrooms in schools) which are embedded in education systems, inclusion means treating all participants in education (e.g., students) in their uniqueness, considering each individual’s needs, and ensuring that all students participate and achieve together. In consequence, inclusion implies that (educational) institutions or settings should adapt to the needs of the individuals rather than making them adapt to institutional boundaries.1We invite abstracts focusing onthe conference theme above on diversity, inclusion, and inequalities, as well as other related topics, addressing a sociological perspective.

Keynote Speakers
Mieke van Houtte (Ghent University, Belgium)
Justin Powell (University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg)
Caroline Sahli Lozano (PH Bern, Switzerland)

Participant numbers are limited (max. 100).

Contribution formats of the conference include:

• oral presentations (approx. 20 min presentation, approx. 10 minutes discussion)
• poster presentations (incl. approx. 3 minutes poster pitch)
• pitch presentations (approx. 7-8 minutes presentation, approx. 7-8 minutes discussion)

The conference language is English.

A structured abstract of 600 words maximum (excl. references) should cover Background (context of the study), Purpose and Theory (main research aims/questions, theoretical framework), Design and methods (study design and methods, including dates of data collection, sampling method, methods of data collection and analysis), Results (main findings or expected findings in relation to the research aims/questions), Conclusions (arising from the research).

The deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 November 2024.

Please submit your abstracts via conftool at https://www.conftool.net/embracing-diversity2025/index.php?page=index

After a double-blind peer review procedure, you will be notified whether your abstract has been accepted by 15 January 2025. Registration deadline: 01 June 2025

via the Embrace 2025 homepage https://events.unifr.ch/embrace2025

Registration Fee: 50 CHF

Organising team and scientific committee

Susanne Edler (SOPA, University of Fribourg, Switzerland)
Claire Edwards (DPS, University of Fribourg, Switzerland)
Mona Granato (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung BIBB, Bonn, Germany)
Andreas Hadjar (SOPA, University of Fribourg, Switzerland)
Petra Sauer (SOPA, University of Fribourg, Switzerland)
Tania Simonis (DPS, University of Fribourg, Switzerland)
Oliver Winkler (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany)
Carmen Zurbriggen (DPS, University of Fribourg, Switzerland)