Education, Power and Social Change

Is education a force for reproduction or transformation in the world? Does education change the world or maintain the current system - for example, can it alleviate the effects of poverty or does it increase existing inequalities?

These are just some of the questions we consider in this Master's degree, where we explore the links between education (all forms of informal and formal learning, across all age ranges, including adult, higher and professional education), and social and political movements, and develop understandings of how 'education' as a contested field should be viewed within a globalised and postcolonial context.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach to thinking about education, we draw on the arts and humanities as well as the more conventional representations of education in social science. We explore key debates on what is the role of education and how people learn, developed from a range of viewpoints, including critical theory.

This degree will appeal to you if you are interested in developing and extending your knowledge and understanding of education and social change. Studying this course may also contribute to your professional development. In previous years, some students have used the qualification to take their careers in new directions, while others have used the programme to deepen their thinking about their current practice.