Expressions of Faculty Activism in the Natural Sciences: The Development of a Typology

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Abstract

In this proposal, we develop a typology of natural science faculty activism drawing from the thematic analysis of media texts, including news and magazine articles. We identify types of public (e.g., protests, social media engagement) and institutional (e.g., curricular inclusivity, bringing Indigenous knowledge into research) activism as major expressions of natural science faculty’s resistance. We also describe forms of activism that span both the public and institutional spheres where, for example, natural science faculty focus directly on preparing their students for activist engagement in their classes. The faculty activism typology we develop is a conceptual tool to understand the politics of scientific endeavors and the significance of natural scientists’ engagement in activities that connect to societal and environmental justice.

Authors

• Katalin Szelenyi, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Willord Simmons, Harvard University