School Psychology International invites submissions for a special issue surveying international perspectives on social justice. Because school and educational psychologists are dedicated to improving the lives of children and families around the world, the concept of social justice is highly relevant across national boundaries. However, social justice has been described and operationalized differently across disciplines and international contexts. For example, some scholars and practitioners may focus primarily on the equitable distribution of resources, whereas others may emphasize concepts of mutual respect and dignity. These emphases are likely to be influenced by context-specific factors (e.g., sociopolitical landscape) and may vary across nations with different cultural and social dynamics.

The goal of this special issue is to assess the nature and current status of social justice advocacy in school/educational psychology across the globe. Authors will be asked to describe the nature of social justice work in their local contexts. Manuscripts may describe social justice efforts related to practice, policy, scholarship, graduate training, and/or other activities relevant to the field of school/educational psychology. For example, potential topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

  • Graduate training in multiculturalism/social justice
  • Research/scholarship on multiculturalism/social justice
  • Emerging definitions/conceptualizations of social justice
  • Practice/advocacy initiatives at the local, regional, and national levels
  • Barriers to social justice initiatives and advocacy
  • Initiatives related to children’s rights
  • Educational rights for students with disabilities
  • Equitable school-based service delivery for underrepresented or minority populations
  • The role of educational and school psychologists in influencing public policy
  • Social justice applications in assessment, consultation, intervention, and other areas of practice

The journal especially welcomes manuscripts that clearly describe the nature and impact of social justice efforts at the local, regional, and/or national levels. Both empirical and non- empirical submissions are welcome. Because research on social justice advocacy has focused primarily on scholarship and practice in the U.S., the journal is particularly interested in manuscripts that describe efforts outside of the U.S. (However, manuscripts that address social justice advocacy in the U.S. will also be considered.)

Abstracts should be e-mailed to the Co-Guest Editors, Drs. Sally Grapin (grapins@montclair.edu) and Dave Shriberg (dashri@iu.edu) by October 15, 2018. Invitations for full-length manuscripts will be sent out by November 15, 2018. As per standard journal policy, all submitted manuscripts will undergo blind peer review prior to a final decision. Inquiries regarding the special issue may be directed to the Co-Guest Editors.