[Xmca-l] Cultural-Historical Research SIG Call for Submissions, AERA 2017

[Natalia Gajdamaschko]

Hi Dear All,
On behalf of Cultural-Historical Research SIG, we would like to invite your submissions. 

When AERA was founded a century ago, Vygotsky was 20 years old and on the brink of a decade of prolific work that led to discoveries that would (eventually) shake up Western psychology and education and reshape how learning, development, culture, and language, and the relationship between all of these are understood. While it took over 50 years for those discoveries to make it to the United States, Vygotsky’s theory (and those of his colleagues) is now one of the most utilized frameworks for innovations in education in formal and informal settings. In that time, Vygotsky’s original work has given birth to a wide range of theories and practices including Socio-Cultural, Cultural-Historical, Activity, and postmodern approaches. It is utilized across educational disciplines including the learning sciences, literacy, language education, mathematics, technology, youth and community development, and early childhood, all of which are represented in the Cultural-Historical SIG. 

The Cultural Historical Research SIG of AERA is therefore calling for proposals for the 2017 Annual Meeting that represents the breadth and relevance of Vygotsky, Socio-Cultural, and Activity theory, research and practice for education in the 21st century. We are particularly seeking proposals that represent:

•	The diversity of approaches that fall under the umbrella of sociocultural theories, including Activity Theory, socio-cultural, Marxist, arts-based, critical, and postmodern approaches. 

•	The relevance of Vygotsky for innovation in education and offer creative responses to the ongoing education crisis in the US and around the world

•	The range of methodologies that utilize sociocultural and cultural historical approaches including mixed methods, action research, arts based research, and performance studies. 

•	The diversity of fields and settings in which sociocultural theory is used and applicable to (i.e. learning sciences, early childhood, outside of school, technology learning, literacy, adult learning, ELL)

•	Proposals that explore the past, present and future of cultural historical research approaches. 

We are seeking proposals from experienced and new scholars (including graduate students) who are working to incorporate Vygotsky, socio-cultural, and activity theory into their work.  We are also eager to support practitioner researchers who are utilizing cultural historical approaches in their settings. 



SIG Officers,
Carrie Lobman, Aria Razfar, Natalia Gajdamaschko.