"(Counter)Storytelling" Our Way Through Struggle and Advocacy: A Collaborative Autoethnography

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Intersectional Educational Justice (Table 23)

Abstract

This study interrogates the inequities in higher education using (counter)stories as an epistemological tool. Situated in a mid-sized Midwestern U.S. university, seven educators/researchers from a College of Education and Human Development advocacy group collaboratively engage in a collaborative critical autoethnography. Drawing on personal experiences (from field notes, interactive interviews, written reflections, artifacts), this paper sheds light on the oppressive experiences with the tenure process, the burden of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, allyship, and racism in academia. The findings emphasize that (counter)stories serve as powerful tools to challenge dominant narratives that dismantle oppression. We highlight the necessity for collective action in DEI efforts and a broader commitment from the entire academic community.

Authors

• Elizabeth Isidro, Western Michigan University

• LaSonja Roberts, Western Michigan University

• Mary Ebejer, Western Michigan University

• Brianne Rose Pitts, Western Michigan University

• Arezoo Rojhani, Western Michigan University

• Luchara Wallace, Western Michigan University

• Regena F. Nelson, Western Michigan University