This book explores the dynamics of political activism within colleges and universities. It critically examines the potential for institutional change towards social justice through the themes of identity development, tactics, and institutional responses, highlighting the possibilities of such efforts.
With a focus on colleges and universities, the book examines how political activism can be harnessed to challenge existing power structures and promote equity and inclusivity. It presents a range of research that highlights how students, faculty, and administrators have mobilized for change. Chapters delve into the possibilities and limits of political engagement within higher educational institutions, offering valuable insights for understanding the potential of political activism in catalyzing positive change within colleges and universities. By shedding light on these efforts, the book critically examines the role of education in fostering social justice.
Political Activism in Colleges and Universities will be an invaluable resource for scholars and practitioners in the fields of education, education policy and leadership, educational research, politics and developmental psychology, while also appealing to anyone interested in the power of collective action to shift policy and practice. This book was originally published as a special issue of Peabody Journal of Education.
About the Author: Tina Cheuk is Assistant Professor of Elementary Science Education at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, USA. She is a mother scholar, educator, and advocate focused on empowering and imagining futures that sustain and cultivate the learning, growth, and success of minoritized student groups in postsecondary education.
Rand Quinn is Associate Professor of Education Policy and Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. He studies the origins and consequences of education organizing and activism, the politics of race and class in urban school reform, and the impact of private and voluntary sector engagement in public education.
Jerusha Conner is Professor of Education in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University, USA and directs the Graduate Programs in Education. As a parent-educator-scholar-activist, she focuses on understanding how young people develop agency and collective power, and how adults can support them in envisioning and bringing about more just and liberatory institutions and communities.
