Following a successful call for short contributions on the theme of academic activism, we are pleased to publish a selection of diverse and thought-provoking reflections on the theme, mirroring and complementing the complexity and richness of views originally captured in the PaTHES webinar Towards a new academic activism (April 2020).
The diversity of perspectives and generosity of reflections emerged in the collective debate almost naturally demanded that we kept the momentum going, revisiting and refining our thinking in relation to academic activism. Considering the relevance of the topic and the interest sparked by the event, we felt it was important to try and capture the complexity, richness and tensions in the discussions by inviting short written contributions.
Among the issues addressed by those who have responded are:
- The need to discuss and promote academic activism today
- The justification of academic activism
- The plural material context and spaces of academic activism
- The expression and positioning of academic activism
- What make activism academic, and vice-versa
We encourage you to engage with this vibrant set of contributions that span a broad range of research fields and perspectives, enriching and taking the debate on academic activism a step further.
Fadia Dakka, Birmingham City University Luca Morini, Coventry University
On academic activism: a discussion by a (sometimes) academic activist James Arvanitakis Western Sydney University
Co-creating and claiming spaces for acts of academic activism Patric Wallin Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Academic activism: justifying the unjustifiable Ronald Barnett University College London
Contribution following the question: How and when is activism academic? Martin Gough University of Liverpool
On academic activism: a discussion by a (sometimes) academic activist James Arvanitakis Western Sydney University
Co-creating and claiming spaces for acts of academic activism Patric Wallin Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Academic activism: justifying the unjustifiable Ronald Barnett University College London
Contribution following the question: How and when is activism academic? Martin Gough University of Liverpool
Academic activism and how it gets written Julia Molinari University of Nottingham
FeesMustFall protests at the University of Cape Town, October 2015
By Discott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44418178