This course provides an overview of contemporary and historical debates about diverse social justice and radical pedagogies including “feminist” and “critical” pedagogies. Students will become familiar with the different theoretical and philosophical conceptions that shape diverse educational aims, philosophies, practices and visions of education. The focus on liberatory educational theory and praxis will specifically center debates regarding gender, class, and racial equity and justice, engaging the work of such thinkers as Paolo Freire and bell hooks. Seminar readings, lectures, and discussions will raise questions such as: Who decides what counts as “progressive” or “radical” educational aims? Can pedagogy ever be neutral? What theoretical notions support such educational aims as growth, social justice, transformation, or critical consciousness? Who evaluates “liberation” and “growth” of students given progressive educational aims? How have new social movements and historical debates surrounding feminism, critical race, and identity politics influenced social justice education?