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On Teaching as Activism
Author(s) -
Nopper Tamara K.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sociological forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.937
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1573-7861
pISSN - 0884-8971
DOI - 10.1111/socf.12654
Subject(s) - sociology , democracy , social activism , racism , political activism , academic freedom , conflation , literacy , gender studies , higher education , pedagogy , political science , politics , law , epistemology , philosophy
This essay explores the relationship between teaching and activism by interrogating if teaching in higher education should be considered activism. Through a discussion of my commitment to data literacy and how participatory democracy, as practiced by Black Freedom Movement organizer Ella Baker, informs my pedagogy, I interrogate if activism and academic labor should be conflated. In the process I examine how my assessment is informed by my relationship to activism, the academy, my career trajectory, and racism as part of academic work conditions.