5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

In a global context of growing social and educational inequality, implementing educational policies that seek to reverse this pattern is crucial. However, research has warned that these policies do not always achieve their goal. The evidence reveals that the prevalence of neoliberal educational governance worldwide pushes schools to prioritise efficiency and academic results over strategies to promote equity and inclusion. In addition, despite schools being a privileged space to foster cultural exchange and the development of democratic attitudes, the literature shows that internal segregation and reinforcement of prejudices between groups may be strengthened even in inclusive and socially diverse schools.

This session seeks to gather social scientists in different stages of their careers to present their research in Latin America and discuss how to promote truly inclusive education in schools. We expect that the session will allow the identification of some of the unique challenges for school social inclusion and togetherness in the region, as well as the strategies for facing them. Ultimately, this session seeks to serve as a networking platform to critically explore what educational approaches and practices are necessary to promote social and educational inclusion in schools.

We especially encourage submissions around the following topics:

- Policy enactment of inclusion and coexistence policies at schools.

- Transformative pedagogic and organisational actions.

- Perceptions and experiences of school actors concerning social inclusion and coexistence in their schools.

- Action research studies on strategies for promoting inclusive practices and coexistence in schools.