ERIC Number: EJ893528
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-5684
EISSN: N/A
Centering Social Justice in the Study of Higher Education: The Challenges and Possibilities for Institutional Change
Osei-Kofi, Nana; Shahjahan, Riyad A.; Patton, Lori D.
Equity & Excellence in Education, v43 n3 p326-340 2010
In this article, we illustrate and grapple with the challenges of doing social justice work in a neoliberal academic environment. Specifically, we consider our experiences of creating a social justice concentration in a graduate program where higher education serves as the focus of study. In so doing, we draw on information from a number of sources to explore three key considerations: (1) the institutional context within which we developed the social justice concentration, (2) the forms of mobilization we engaged in leading to implementation, and (3) the challenges and opportunities we faced during this process. Although we suggest that the challenges match and in some cases far outweigh the opportunities, we argue that there is no acceptable alternative to not doing this work. We believe we must continue to strive to center subjugated knowledges in the academy, to honor different ways of knowing, and to work for progressive social change by engaging in projects that create an academy that is truly inclusive. (Contains 4 notes.)
Descriptors: Social Justice, Organizational Change, Educational Environment, Institutional Characteristics, Educational Philosophy, Course Objectives, Course Content, Instructional Development, Educational Opportunities, Barriers, Postsecondary Education as a Field of Study, Organizational Climate, Organizational Culture, Teaching Experience
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A