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Australian and International Journal of Rural Education 

Special Issue –  Exploring Mobility in Rural Education: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Path Forward 

Edited by 

Xin Fan (xin.fan@durham.ac.uk), Durham University, UK 

Melyssa Fuqua (melyssa.fuqua@unimelb.edu.au), University of Melbourne, Australia 

Description 

Mobility is not just about movement; it is a vital characteristic inherent to human activities, facilitating transitions between places and enabling social, cultural, political, and economic exchanges (Gasparovic & Prieto-Flores, 2021). Beyond physical movement, social mobility conceptualizes the potential progression individuals make within social hierarchies, which often correlates with education and its role in social reproduction. Research on education and social mobility has evolved since the 1950s, now standing as an established field within sociological research (Brown et al., 2013).  

It is important to research the intersections of mobility and rurality because there are unique opportunities and challenges. For instance, Gristy (2019) has highlighted the challenges faced by rural youth, particularly their reliance on longer bus journeys to school—a routine yet crucial aspect of their daily lives. Gristy (2019) emphasizes that the mode of transportation to school significantly affects children, their families, and the broader community. Silva et al. (2021) offer a glimpse into the mobility patterns of youth in the rural regions of Portugal, highlighting how the decisions these youths make contribute to a larger trend of outward migration, subsequently leading to a drain of human capital in rural areas. Cuervo et al. (2019) found that the movement of teachers into rural schools from elsewhere helps build human capital, develop aspirations, and generate social capital. Walker-Gibbs (2016) has unpacked the benefits of rural teachers becoming education researchers and teacher-training academics in urban universities. Research like this offered insights into the theoretical importance of exploring education and mobility issues in rural areas, however, there remain many other unexplored dimensions of this issue, and more international research in this area is needed to develop strategies that not only mitigate the challenges but also harness the potential of these mobility patterns to promote sustainable rural development. 

This special issue aims to delve into the multifaceted concept of mobility within rural contexts, examining its implications on social inclusion, rural development, and educational equity. We seek to expand the dialogue by incorporating emerging perspectives and methodological approaches that address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by rural environments. 

We invite contributions that explore various dimensions of mobility in rural education, including but not limited to: 

1. The impact of migration on rural sustainability and ageing populations; 

2. The effects of teacher mobility on the quality and stability of rural education; 

3. Challenges and strategies for improving access to education, employment, and training in rural areas; 

4. Transportation and commuting solutions tailored to the needs of rural youth; 

5. The role of gender, ethnicity, and social class in shaping educational and social mobility in rural settings 

This special issue is particularly focused on engaging emerging scholars in the field of rural education and sociology. We aim to provide a platform for innovative research and theoretical contributions that challenge existing paradigms and offer fresh insights into the intersection of mobility and rurality. Recognizing the importance of mentorship and skill development for emerging scholars, we plan to offer a series of support and learning opportunities in conjunction with this special issue: 

6. Pre-Submission Webinar: A session focusing on navigating the publication process, offering guidance on preparing manuscripts for submission, understanding the peer-review process, and responding to reviewers’ comments 

7. Article Reviewing Workshop: A session offering tips for reviewing journal articles aimed at clarifying the review process and equipping participants with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to the scholarly community as reviewers 

These webinars will be open to any emerging rural education scholar who wants to learn more about the publication process. They are not limited to contributing authors, but special issue authors will be encouraged to attend. 

With this special issue, we aim to foster a vibrant discourse on mobility in rural education, highlighting the critical yet often overlooked contexts of rural places. By bringing together diverse perspectives and offering targeted support to emerging scholars, we hope to contribute to the development of innovative strategies that promote educational equity and sustainability in rural areas. 

Call for Abstracts 

If you are interested in contributing to this special issue, please submit a 250-word abstract detailing your research focus. Submissions must include the proposed title, author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s), and a brief (50-word) statement on your status as an emerging scholar or high-degree research student.  

Please send your abstracts to xin.fan@durham.ac.uk and  melyssa.fuqua@unimelb.edu.au by May 1st, 2024. Authors will receive notification of acceptance by mid-May. The full article submission deadline is January 2025, with the special issue to publish in November 2025. For detailed submission guidelines, refer to the AIJRE author guidelines. 

Please feel free to contact Xin Fan (xin.fan@durham.ac.uk) and Melyssa Fuqua (melyssa.fuqua@unimelb.edu.au) if you have any queries. 

References 

Brown, P., Reay, D., & Vincent, C. (2013). Education and social mobility. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 34(5-6), 637-643. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2013.826414 

Cuervo, H., Chesters, J., & Aberdeen, L. (2019). Post-school aspirations in regional Australia: An examination of the role of cultural and social capital. The Australian Educational Researcher, 46(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-019-00305-7 

Gasparovic, S., & Prieto-Flores, Ò. (2021). Editorial: Lessons on building more sustainable rural societies: Youth and mobility. Sustainability, 13(18), Article 10370. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810370 

Gristy, C. (2019). Journeys to school in rural places: Engaging with the troubles through assemblages. Journal of Rural Studies, 72, 286-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.10.016 

Silva, S. M. da, Silva, A. M., Cortés-González, P., & Brazienė, R. (2021). Learning to leave and to return: Mobility, place, and sense of belonging amongst young people growing up in border and rural regions of mainland Portugal. Sustainability, 13(16), Article 9432. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169432 

Walker-Gibbs, B. (2016). Notions of place, space and identity in rural teacher education. In A. Schulte & B. Walker-Gibbs (Eds.), Self-Studies in Rural Teacher Education (pp. 55-72). Springer. 

The Berkeley Journal of Sociology is a graduate student-run journal with a renewed focus on public sociology. We seek to translate academic social science research into forms that engage wider reading publics. The journal aims to broaden the interpretive range, imaginative scope, and prospective application of sociologically-oriented research to political struggles, emerging cultural trends, and imaginations of alternative futures.

We are currently accepting submissions for our 2024 print journal and website. To be considered for this issue, submissions are due by December 1, 2023 at submissionsbjs@gmail.com. See below for our general submission policies. Should you have any questions, please consult this website or email us at submissionsbjs@gmail.com.

Submission guidelines
The Berkeley Journal of Sociology is accepting the following kinds of submissions:

• Essays: long-form articles based on academic research on any timely social issue or phenomena, or the design, implementation, or practice of social policies. Essays are published in our biannual print journals and on our website. Submissions should be relevant to broad audiences outside of academia, and should also incorporate independent research and support claims with original evidence (2,000–5,000 words)
• Commentary: assessments and critiques of contemporary social, political, or cultural events, journalistic coverage, recent reports, and public discourse (1,000–2,500 words)
• Book reviews: essays that use recently published or canonical books as launching pads to discuss broader social issues (1,000–2,500 words)
• Field memos: elaborations of lessons learned and novel methodologies undertaken in the field as they relate to contemporary social struggles, political debates, or social-scientific practice (500–1,000 words)
• Photo essays: sociological and visual critiques of society at large

Submission Policies

• Submissions must be original work.
• All submissions should be written or produced for a general audience.
• Articles should be timely, jargon-free, and should support all claims with clear and convincing evidence.
• We encourage you to include a high-resolution image or figure to accompany your article.
• Submissions that have already been published elsewhere are not eligible for BJS publication. However, pieces that are extensions/expansions/elaborations on past work, as long as they have not been published previously, are eligible for submission.
• Submissions for the print edition are due by December 1, 2023. If you wish, you may contact us to inquire about specific ideas or proposals before the deadline. Email submissions (and questions about submissions) to submissionsbjs@gmail.com.

Review Process

• All journal submissions are peer-reviewed. You can expect to receive feedback or further communication on your submission by mid-late January, or about a month after the submission deadline.
• The BJS Editorial Team reviews submissions. Typically each submission is reviewed anonymously by 1-2 members of the editorial team.
• The review process has two rounds. In the first round, submissions are either 1) rejected or 2) we invite authors to revise and resubmit based on editorial feedback. In the second round, revised submissions are reviewed again and are either 1) rejected or 2) invited to resubmit with revisions for final publication in the journal. Typically the same members of the editorial team review the piece throughout the process.
• The whole review process typically goes from late January through mid April. The final print publication comes out around May.

Become a Reviewer for the Berkeley Journal of Sociology!
The BJS is made possible with our fantastic editorial collective of graduate students and early-career scholars who review submissions and provide input on the content and layout of the journal. Our editorial board is not limited to UC Berkeley Sociology and we aim to encompass a broad range of sociologically-relevant inquiry.

We are always looking to add more folks to our roster of reviewers! If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, please fill out this form: https://tinyurl.com/Review-BJS

For general information or inquiries, contact us at: berkeleysociologyjournal@gmail.com

Managing Editor: Xin Fan

International Symposium

Democratizing International Student Mobility 

February 2-3, 2024, Waseda University, Japan

This symposium aims to examine international student mobility in the contemporary era with a specific focus on the issue of inequality and the practices and experiences related to the possibility of democratization of international education. 

Since the late 20th century, international student mobility has been expanding rapidly. National governments see international student mobility as a means to cultivate global talent, provide international aid, and promote soft power. Educational institutions promote student mobility to increase the quality of education, revenues, as well as prestige. Individual students participate in cross-border mobility for skills, knowledge, credentials, as well as the opportunity for labor migration and cultural adventures. Currently, the volume of international student mobility is unprecedented and has become a major industry, involving different levels of actors from the state to individuals. However, despite its rapid expansion and commodification, international student mobility remains largely an elite educational practice.

First, the academic and policy discourse about international education and international student mobility focuses primarily on phenomena and practices at the higher education level. Second, government policy toward international student mobility often ties international students to talent programs. Third, cross-border mobility itself is largely a practice among the elites. Most of those who have access to international student mobility at the higher education level are among the economically better-off in society or those from the global north. Even though a minority of international students might come from less socioeconomically endowed backgrounds or countries, they are often academic elites chosen for the opportunity to pursue higher education across borders.

This elitist tendency seems to be at odds with the philosophy of modern education itself. John Dewey in the early 20th century pointed out that education as an important institution in modern society should be grounded in the principles of democracy and aim to cultivate active and informed citizens who can contribute to the betterment of society. Moreover, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 4 (SDG4) aim to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Granted, international student mobility entails crossing national and cultural borders and can be costly. Are there possibilities for international education to be inclusive, equitable, and rooted in democratic principles?

In this symposium, we ask how students from a wide range of social backgrounds, not just the socioeconomically affluent and academic elites, can be included in cross-border educational mobility. We pay attention to the plurality of international educational practices, including those in and beyond higher education, and those following unconventional trajectories. We invite submissions from researchers in different disciplines, including but not limited to sociology, geography, anthropology, education, and political science. We welcome original empirical studies that engage the following discussions:

• The question of social (in)equality and sustainability in international student mobility
• International student mobility into diverse educational institutions, including language academies, vocational schools, and other education and training programs 
• International student mobility into non-English speaking zones and non-conventional destinations
• The emergent actors and stakeholders of international student mobility
• International student mobility and individual capability building
• ICT and the democratization of international education

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

Paper proposals should include a title, an abstract (300 words maximum), and a brief personal biography of 150 words for submission by 15 September 2023. Please also include a statement confirming that your paper has not been published or committed elsewhere, and that you are willing to revise your paper for potential inclusion in an edited journal publication (in collaboration with the workshop organizers and other participants) if we proceed with such a project.

Please submit your proposal to glfarrer@waseda.jp. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-October. Panel presenters will be required to submit drafts of papers (4,000-6,000 words) by 15 January, 2024. These drafts will be circulated to fellow panelists and discussants in advance. Drafts need not be fully polished. Indeed, we expect that presenters will be open to feedback from fellow participants.

This symposium is funded by Waseda University Top Global University Program and will be held in person on Waseda University campus. Depending on availability, we would be able to cover full or partial travel costs for selected participants. Please indicate in the proposal form if you require funding support.

Contact:

Gracia Liu-Farrer (Waseda University) glfarrer@waseda.jp

Call for Proposals for Winter 2024 Special Issue of Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education :  

Conceptualizing Micro-Level Narratives in  Thematic Constructs of Internationalization  

Send proposals to Guest Editors: Omolabake Fakunle, University of Edinburgh: omolabake.fakunle@ed.ac.uk and Fiona Hunter, Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano 

Papers in this special issue will expound on the micro-level dimension in the internationalization of higher education. The aim is to critically examine internationalization at the individual level because internationalization is impossible without the participation and contribution of individuals who enable [and sustain] its functioning at the institutional, national, and international levels. A case in point is the paradoxical lack of integration of international students’ rationales for internationalization to underpin the development of strategies centered around student recruitment mainly from economic imperatives. This feeds into a persisting neglect of the humanising aspect of internationalization which remains drowned within dominant neoliberal marketized constructs. The relative lack of attention to the human aspect of internationalization implores the need to learn about the transformations that internationalization promises in advancing human development and flourishing, and how these may be actualized, and the challenges involved. The observation in the last three decades by scholars regarding the conceptual fuzziness around internationalization reflects the missing voices of individuals at the heart of internationalization.  

This special issue invites contributions to submit reflective accounts, theoretical papers, or findings from empirical research pointing to the importance of micro-level individual dimension in internationalization. Contributors can utilise different theoretical approaches that speak to the relational dimension of internationalization, such as a decolonial approach or capability approach to underpin articulations of agency amidst structural affordances and constraints. The papers will link to one or more thematic constructs of internationalization, such as:  

academic staff mobility, digitalisation of internationalization, international partnerships, international student mobility, internationalising the curriculum (pedagogical approaches and engagement in internationalised classrooms), internationalization at home, and transnational education.  

Proposals should be 500 words and submitted on or before October 1, 2023. Authors will be notified of their acceptance by November 15, 2023. Completed articles should be submitted by January 30, 2024. All articles will undergo a double-blind peer review process and must follow the JCIHE guidelines: https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jcihe/about/submissions. Proposals can be submitted directly to omolabake.fakunle@ed.ac.uk or can be submitted via the JCIHE website.