Injustice While Seeking Social Justice: Activist Scholars, Punishment and a Culture of Fear

• In Event: Responses to Crime and Justice

Abstract

At a time when more and more people are calling for public engagement by professors the punitive responses, constant surveillance and the limiting of academic freedom are contributing to a “culture of fear” leading many scholars to reconsider their activist efforts. We by exploring recent events on college and university campuses involving the punishment of faculty related to their activist efforts in the pursuit of social justice. We pay particular attention to gender, tenure status, social issue and university response to set the stage and follow with in depth interviews to illuminate strategies for the activist scholar, from graduate student through administrator, which will enable and promote social justice activism as a necessary and valued piece of the academic career.

Authors

• Donna Selman, Indiana State University

• Emily Troshynski, University of Nevada, Las Vegas