Literacy Research and the Radical Imagination

In his seminal piece on the role of imagination in social science research, Bowman (1936) reminded researchers that the purpose of a research report is to “implant pictures or conceptions in the reader’s head like those which the investigator has in his” (p. 635) as a reader is unable to directly observe evidence described by researchers. Thus, the research report becomes the “intermediary between the imagery of the writer and that of the reader” (p. 635). The articles in this issue not only do that, they also assist in “awaken[ing], enliven[ing], and convok[ing]” the radical imagination of the reader (Khasnabish & Haiven, 2017, p. 2). On the surface, researchers who operate from their radical imagination are able to imagine social institutions (and life within) not only as they are but how they might be. Furthermore, this type of researcher arrives as a “critical, reflexive agent” and works in solidarity with social movements to build capacity for resilience in the transformative struggle (p. 2). The studies that appear in this issue radically reimagine the ways in which research can reposition people and ideas to create new and more inviting spaces for literacy.