Critical Allyship of Undergraduate White Men

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT035 (Saturday)

Abstract

Allyship has become a widely used but contested concept in higher education. Critics argue it often centers Whiteness, reproduces oppression, and lacks accountability, while undergraduate white men continue to occupy disproportionate cultural and institutional power on college campuses. This study investigates how undergraduate white men construct, define, and practice allyship during their college years, and how these practices align with Broido’s (2000) definition of allyship. Guided by Critical Discourse Analysis as both theoretical framework and analytic method, and employing Narrative Inquiry through semi-structured interviews, this project examines allyship as a discursive practice shaped by Whiteness, masculinities, and power. The study aims to illuminate both the limitations and transformative possibilities of allyship in higher education.

Author

• Grant D Batchelder, University of Arizona