How Should Researchers Act in the Context of Social Injustice?

• In Event: Can We Research Leadership for Social Justice in Rigorous and Meaningful Ways?

Abstract

This paper draws attention to the role of the educational researcher in the context of social (in)justice at the local and global levels. It is framed as a challenge and a commitment to leadership as researchers, by re-conceptualizing the ordinary, everyday actions of the professor in education as deliberate and conscious social justice praxis. Drawing on her experiences as an educator and researcher in local and international contexts, the author underscores the particular responsibility of senior professors in nations and regions where it is “safe” to engage in social justice work, to re-cast their roles from the perspectives of those for whom such professional engagement is life-threatening. The author ends the chapter with a personal commitment to lead, teach, and research by example; to create spaces for social justice research; to engage persuasively with colleagues; and to view research as an act of courage.

Author

• Dilys Schoorman, Florida Atlantic University