Scholars have called for radical and comparative examination of social and cultural contexts to illuminate the complex and interrelated realities of education in an increasingly changing world. The intentional interdisciplinary inquiry of micro- and macro-level forces that foster or constrain opportunities for education remains an under-studied facet of today's gender and education research.
Keeping with the CIES conference's theme "Development as Freedom: The Role of Education," this year's Gender and Education Committee will sponsor a day-long symposium that will take place on Thursday, March 11th at the 2004 CIES conference in Salt Lake City. The symposium, "Examining the Social, Cultural and Political Contexts of Gender and Education," will address the impact of agency and structure on participation in education, and propose viable and innovative strategies for achieving gender parity in this area. The day will offer symposium registrants the choice of morning and afternoon sessions featuring invited guest speakers.

Morning Session A (10:15 AM - 12:15 PM): Listening to Voice
This session positions individuals at the center of the social and cultural environments that define them. Their voices--some powerful, influential and imperious, while others faint and even silenced--reveal the critical role of gender in education. To the extent that the complex nexus of gender relations involves power dynamics, this session will address how different forms of power influence, if not govern, educational opportunities for male and female students. Situating voice within the context of families, communities and nations, this session explores the cultural and sociopolitical conditions which shape, mold and dictate individual agency, which in turn determines educational choices.

Morning Session B (10:15 AM - 12:15 PM): Ethnicity and Religion in Educational Opportunity

This session will focus on how ethnicity and religion function as intersecting socio-cultural forces in the community. In particular, panelists will analyze the underlying and often hidden socio-cultural factors embedded within ethnic and religious traditions of the home, and the community which figure prominently in the educational opportunities for the young. By examining how notions of ethnic identity and religious beliefs function in the home, the panelists will reveal the ways in which these social structures influence gender related chances for education. It will also explore the dichotomy between local and state ethnic and religious identities, and the ways in which these tensions influence educational opportunities in rural and urban settings.

Lunch (12:15 PM - 1:30 PM): Welcome: Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Director, Women's Research Institute, Brigham Young University

The Women's Research Institute of Brigham Young University's Women's Research Institute will host a luncheon for current and future scholars, practitioners and policy makers in the field.

Afternoon Session A (1:30 PM - 3:30 PM): National and International Structures that Shape Educational Opportunity

Globalization has resulted in the emergence of institutions that have significant implications for education. The cauldron of bilateral and multilateral organizations operating across national boundaries and parameters fundamentally shape educational policy and practice. Speakers at this session will examine the dichotomy between national educational ministries and international institutions, and the ways in which their philosophical and cultural differences influence access to educational opportunities. Topics will include organizational structure of policy-making bodies such as the World Bank and UNESCO.

Afternoon Session B (1:30 PM - 3:30 PM): Shaping Educational Policy
Significant efforts over the past three decades have created and expanded opportunities for education. These initiatives, in terms of educational policy, have been informed by both the ideals of development theorists and the experiences of practitioners. In particular, international conferences and cross-cultural interactions have formulated frameworks for improving education, especially in countries where financial resources are scarce. This session raises the question of how local perspectives and indigenous knowledge are incorporated into programmatic initiatives such as Education for All, and provides a venue for discussion that advances educational policy.

Summary and Conclusions (3:30 PM - 4:00 PM)

The group will reconvene at the end of the symposium. Mary Ann Maslak, Chair of the Gender and Education Committee, will offer concluding remarks about the transformative leverage of agency in individual's attitudes, beliefs and values, as well as the structural realities that define customary boundaries that influence education.
Please register for the symposium when you register for the conference. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Ann Maslak at maslakm@stjohns.edu