Critics of 19th and 20th century neoliberal and capitalist policies (see Issar, 2021; Jessop, 2019; Wilkinson, 2019) have noted the increasing number of financial, ecological, industrial, health, and humanitarian crises that have been catalysed in their wake. In the immediate aftermath of many of these crises, diverse disenfranchised populations seek to redress the deleterious impacts of hegemonic orders imposed by social, cultural, or political elites through populist movements spanning the political spectrum: from right-wing conservative views to those espoused by supporters of liberalism or the progressive left. The creation of a diverse and sometimes extreme populist rhetoric has led to the debate of many controversial issues in the public sphere - for example, abortion rights, the tension between secularism and the right to practice one's religion, the freedom of political expression to protest a government, and the immigration and refugee policies adopted by governments in the wake of wars and humanitarian crises, to name a few.

We are looking to hire a postdoctoral fellow to outline a knowledge mobilization initiative that aims to promote the creation of pedagogical spaces for pluralistic dialogues on controversial issues that cut across social, political, cultural, and economic spheres. The objective of this initiative is twofold: 1) to develop collaborations with civil society stakeholders that will allow us to better identify the issues related to the treatment of controversial questions in Québec, Canadian and international democracies; and 2) to develop concrete dialogic spaces to deploy public pedagogical tools to address these sensitive questions while avoiding the trap of polarization.

PhD in Education with a specialisation in philosophy of education, educational studies, curriculum studies and/or related disciplines.

Application deadline: May 5, 2024; only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview in

Position expected to begin in the Fall of 2024.

• All documents must be submitted to Vivek Venkatesh and David Waddington
• Please include the reference number with your application

• One to three (1-3) page research statement demonstrating fit with the program described above 
• Current curriculum vitae demonstrating research excellence and a capacity for leadership in the domain (maximum 5 pages)
• Two letters of reference from academic supervisors or current employers to be sent via e-mail directly to Vivek Venkatesh and David Waddington