A Critical Discourse Analysis of Institutional Responses to Pro-Palestine Student Protests

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Analysis of University Statements and Responses to Politically Charged Topics (Table 13)

Abstract

Student protests are a primary lever for change across higher education. As multi-racial/ethnic and interfaith groups coalesced against overwhelming violence and mass murder of over 38,000 Palestinians, many of these movements were disrupted by police force and others were legitimated as part of the public service mission of higher education. By combining Ray’s (2019) Theory of Racialized Organizations and Lee’s (2011) legal analysis of in loco parentis and the facilitator model, we utilize Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to analyze 20 public communications from senior leadership at six institutions. We found that leaders who rhetorically presented their roles as sympathetic guides rather than disciplinarian parents enhanced the agency of their students and fostered alignment between their policies and actions.

Authors

• Liane I. Hypolite, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Steve Desir, University of Southern California

• Molly Schneider, Washington University in St. Louis

• Ariana Afzali, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Maria Anzaldo, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Nataly De La Pena, California State University