Pedagogy and Abolition

• In Event: Innovations in Teaching - 2

Abstract

In recent history, a number of institutions and practices in western democratic societies have been the target of campaigns aimed at abolishing their existence. Often characterized as initiatives that would never come to fruition, practices such as slavery and the death penalty have been eradicated in many jurisdictions. Since then, new institutions and practices have come to take their place, such as in the form of prisons, penal systems, and other carceral controls and which have been the target of new abolitionist campaigns. While a number of scholars and advocates have documented different approaches to abolitionist strategy, few have explored the work that can be done sensitizing individuals to abolitionism in the context of the university. This study seeks to build on the contributions outlined in a recent special issue of Radical Teacher, where several authors who teach abolitionism courses in the United States discuss the importance of teaching this perspective in a context of mass incarceration. Using student journal entries, this study discusses the findings of what students consider to be significant barriers to an abolitionist approach and considers possible strategies to moving forward.

Authors

• Vicki Chartrand, Bishop's University

• Justin Piche, University of Ottawa