Connecting Through Mapping

Introduction to the IJME Special Issue

Abstract

In this introduction to the special issue of IJME, we highlight the tensions and possibilities of maps and mapping as scholarly pursuits in critical, justice-oriented education. We discuss the potential for maps to portray deeply personal stories and perspectives of the world while also acknowledging their sometimes fixed and hierarchical attributes. Through this discussion, we show how maps can be potent forces of connection or separation. The authors in this special issue showcase the challenges and opportunities of mapping scholarship and reveal its promise to inspire connection and collective action towards theory-building, advocacy, and social transformation in education.