Unit 1 - Educational inequality

Axis 1 of the RT “educational inequalities” brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines who are interested in educational inequalities. Inequalities are not considered through their social dimension but as a part of a wider educational process that takes place in both formal (e.g. school) and informal (e.g. family, peers, associations) environments. This question is addressed by combining the contributions of various disciplines (sociology, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, economics, geography, etc.).
The nature of inequalities, their causes, and ways of reducing them are considered. The aim of this axis is to bring together researchers with different theoretical and methodological approaches, so as to cross-fertilize their viewpoints and take a rich approach to all facets of inequality. Geographical, family, school, socio-economic and socio-cultural environments, as well as biological factors, are all taken into account. Ways of reducing inequalities are evaluated and questioned.

Axis 1 enables research data to be shared through regular meetings, conferences and workshops. Given the highly multidisciplinary nature of the Axis, epistemological reflection on the notion of inequality is central.
In the start-up phase of the RTP Education, which preceded the RT, we organized a workshop in 2022 focused on how different research disciplines approach the notion of “educational inequalities”. Following this event, the members of the axis decided to change their approach and start thinking more in terms of “bridging” than “bonding”; which, incidentally, corresponds to the flagship mission of the RT, i.e. to offer knowledge with a multi-disciplinary nature – the aim being to achieve truly interdisciplinary reflections.
A reflection on the notion of crisis (health, migratory, urban, climatic, geopolitical, political, economic, etc.) and its impact on educational inequalities was carried out. Indeed, the major societal changes that happened in recent years deeply altered the teacher-student relationship and the way parents and children are received at school as well as pedagogical contents, ways of teaching, and teachers’ self-efficiency. These changes inevitably have repercussions on inequalities, and we propose to tackle this question with a multi-disciplinary approach. The challenge is to work together, to draw on the strengths of our theoretical and methodological approaches, to take a global understanding of inequalities without necessarily disregarding our respective disciplinary fields.

We are currently opening up a new field of investigation on the relationship between education and cultural diversity. The theme of immigration, the links between ethnic diversity and social justice, is a subject of interest for various Axe 1 members. The aim of this reflection is to question realities that are the subject of debate both in France and internationally: inequalities, forms of segregation and discrimination to which ethnic diversity in schools is subject, but also the question of citizenship, inclusion or accessibility, intercultural communication and social rights are the facets of the “immigration and education” binomial that the members of the Axis intend to question. These reflections will be conducted in collaboration with INED’s Institut Convergence Migrations.
Workshop sessions with young researchers will also be set up to enable doctoral and post-doctoral students to present their work.

Axis 1 coordination