Call for Chapters

Advancing the Global Agenda for Human Rights, Vulnerable Populations and Environmental Sustainability: Adult Education as Strategic Partner

Edited By:

Mary V. Alfred, Texas A&M University
Petra A. Robinson, Louisiana State University
Elizabeth A. Roumell, Texas A&M University

For over 70 years, the United Nations has worked to advance human conditions globally through its historic agenda for a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world. Through the work of the General Assembly and other programs like the UNESCO World Conferences on Adult Education, the organization has taken a leading role in bringing world leaders together to dialogue on world issues and to set agendas for advancing social and economic justice among and within the regions of the world. The underlying themes of the United Nations’ agenda over the years have been world peace, economic justice, addressing the needs of the world’s most vulnerable populations, and protecting the environment. We draw from the last two declarations, the Millennium Development Goals (September 2000) and the Sustainable Development Goals (September 2015), which were adopted by world leaders with a focus on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable populations. In these declarations, world leaders committed to combat extreme poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, discrimination and violence against women.

The overall objective of the book is to highlight the conditions of vulnerable populations from various contexts globally, and the role adult and higher education can play (and is playing) in advancing the United Nations agenda of social and economic justice and environmental sustainability. Adult education, through research, teaching, and service engagements is contributing to this ongoing effort but, as many scholars have noted, our work remains invisible and undocumented. Therefore, this book will highlight adult education’s critical partnership in addressing these global issues. It will also begin to fill the void that exists in the in US adult education literature on the internationalization of the field.

Tentative Table of Contents:

We invite chapter proposals for this edited volume that focus on social justice, equity, and inclusion in global education. This book will be organized around three major themes that are part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: human rights, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

Section 1: Human Rights

Adult and higher education and vulnerable populations with an integration of human rights and equity perspectives. Among the populations and possible issues are the following:

  • Racial and ethnic minorities
  • Incarcerated youths and adults
  • Economic disparities/poverty
  • Religious minorities
  • Indigenous populations
  • Sexual minorities
  • Immigrants
  • English language minorities
  • Gender disparities/inequality (literacy, economic, health, etc.)
  • Marginalized youth
  • Veterans in adult and higher education
  • Effects of war on vulnerable populations
  • Those with health disparities
  • The homeless
  • Veterans in adult and higher education


Section 2: Economic Empowerment: Laboring to Learn, Laboring to Earn

Through case studies/stories, empirical research, and conceptual analyses, this section will examine the intersection of education and work among vulnerable populations and the governmental policies and instructional practices that frame their experiences.

Section 3: Environmental Sustainability and Adult Education

This section will examine the role of adult education in promoting healthy and sustainable communities. It will raise awareness of the importance of behavior changes that can help increase environmental literacy and sustain a healthy environment.

Proposal Information

Chapter proposals of no more than 500 words are welcome, indicating the section of the book where your proposal is most relevant. Please cite at least 10 sources and include a reference page. The proposal cover page must contain the author’s full contact information. For multiple authored proposals, list all authors’ contact information and indicate the corresponding author. Decisions will be made and communicated by January, 2020 and guidance will be provided to accepted corresponding authors. At all stages, manuscripts must conform to 7th edition APA conventions. Full chapters will range from 5,000 to 7,500 words in Time New Roman 12, double spaced text, inclusive of title, abstract, manuscript, and references.

Tentative Schedule for Publication:

  • Chapter Proposals: December 15, 2019
  • Notification of Invite to Submit Chapters: January, 2020
  • Submission of Draft Chapters for Review: April 1, 2020
  • Return of Reviewed Chapters to Authors: June 1, 2020
  • Submission of Revised Chapters: August 1, 2020
  • Submission of Final Chapters to Publisher: January, 2021
  • Anticipated Publication: Fall 2021

 

Proposal Submission

Please email chapter proposals as attachments in Microsoft Word format to Mary Alfred (malfred@tamu.edu). Enquiries are welcome.

AHEA Book Series 2021 Flyer: Advancing the Global Agenda for Human Rights