Negotiating sociolinguistic justice: turning spaces of inequality into spaces of conscientization
Authors: Martín Rojo Luisa , Pujolar Joan , Amorrortu Estibaliz 
Published: February 2025

This introduction to the special issue Negotiating Sociolinguistic Justice: Turning Spaces of Inequality into Spaces of Conscientization focuses on how sociolinguistic research can be reimagined as a tool for activism and social intervention. The authors advocate for research that not only describes language-based inequalities but actively intervenes to address them by engaging communities in participatory processes. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s concept of conscientization, this special issue explores ho w spaces can be created for researchers and participants to engage in critical reflection on linguistic injustices, investigate their socio-political roots, and mobilize for collective change. Grounded in the action-research project EquiLing, conducted across various sociolinguistic contexts in Spain – including Madrid, Galicia, Catalonia, and the Basque Country – this special issue examines the role of language in the (re)production of social inequalities, manifesting differently across regions. These inequalities include the exclusion of immigrant languages, non-standardized language varieties, and minoritized languages such as Basque, Galician, and Catalan, as well as the misrecognition of their speakers, resulting in their limited participation in social institutions. In four articles, the authors illustrate how conscientization spaces integrate participants’ voice and agency – from university students to youth in sports clubs – to critically reflect on the roots of language-based inequality and mobilize toward counteraction. Each article explores a different stage of the conscientization process, from raising awareness of inequalities to exploring structural causes to mobilizing for action. The issue also examines how research committed to sociopolitical transformation extends beyond academic boundaries, requiring partnerships with social collectives and activists at all stages of the research. This involvement poses significant challenges to epistemological, methodological and policy frameworks, which in turn raise ethical concerns. Addressing these challenges requires rethinking who has the right to produce knowledge and developing approaches that foster collaborative engagement with co-participants and stakeholders. This approach adds a political dimension to research, which in turn poses new challenges, particularly with regard to the impact of transformative action, and requires critical reflection on the social responsibilities of researchers and the power dynamics inherent in research practices. Ultimately, it requires navigating ethical complexities related to participants’ agency and authorship. This special issue highlights the potential of participatory action research to promote sociolinguistic justice and aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on how to effectively address these challenges. Together, these contributions provide a roadmap for future research that seeks not only to understand linguistic inequalities but also to transform them through collective action.