Driven by Responsibility and Hope: The Whys and Hows of Activists-Scholars

• In Event: Disrupting Hegemonic Ideologies in Community-University Partnerships

Abstract

How do citizen-scholars who are deeply motivated by a sense of responsibility, negotiate the risk inherent in speaking out about politically controversial issues? Drawing from 31 in-depth interviews with a diverse pool of faculty from multiple institutions, this paper examines why and how citizen-scholars choose to speak out about systemic injustices in the face of unknowable, yet potentially severe personal and professional consequences. While the participants’ narratives suggest that the culture of the academy encourages conformity rather than ethical risk-taking, the findings also reveal how responsibility, hope and reflexivity are salient praxes that sustain their commitment to advocating on behalf of marginalized communities. This work aims to elucidate ways that administrators and faculty members can support education that confronts inequality.

Author

• Nicole Rangel