Abstract
How can faculty assist and equip students to become more “critical consumers” of the information they receive in a culture and climate of alternative facts and multiple truths? With increasing differences in political views informing “truth perspectives,” the shift in what is quickly becoming normalized as a form of appropriate discourse has fostered a culture of entitlement that lends support to voicing critique without critical inquiry. In this article, we examine the multiple and intersecting systems of power and privilege. The recognition of contradictory subjective locations occupied by all the participants in the classroom, including the instructor, are discussed. As practitioners seeking more effective forms of dialogue and engagement, we challenge conventional hegemonic discourses of difference and stereotypical representations within learning by questioning identity politics within the politics of learning and by examining the clashes between discourse and policy in the university classroom.
Highlights
Teaching From a Position of Knowledge Informed by ExperienceExercise 1: Identity Politics and Equity in Society Does the hiring of women or people of color automatically ensure change in the distribution and exercising of power within an organizational structure? How many women or people of color are needed to ensure a balanced distribution of power within an organizational structure? Consider these questions in the following areas: Police Force, Judicial System, Health Care, and Higher Education
How can faculty assist and equip students to become more “critical consumers” of the information they receive in a culture and climate of alternative facts and multiple truths? With increasing differences in political views informing “truth perspectives,” the shift in what is quickly becoming normalized as a form of appropriate discourse has fostered a culture of entitlement that lends support to voicing critique without critical inquiry
The discussion that follows reflects some of the challenges, concerns, and conflicts that emerged when teaching about difference and considering identity politics within the politics of learning in the university classroom context
Summary
Exercise 1: Identity Politics and Equity in Society Does the hiring of women or people of color automatically ensure change in the distribution and exercising of power within an organizational structure? How many women or people of color are needed to ensure a balanced distribution of power within an organizational structure? Consider these questions in the following areas: Police Force, Judicial System, Health Care, and Higher Education. The monthly themed recognition events or holidays (such as Black History Month, Pride Parades, Religious Days of Observance) or the cultural diversity fairs (comprising ethnic songs, cultural foods, and folkloric dance) that are premised on raising awareness, fostering respect, and encouraging tolerance of differences often fail to address the structural inequalities of schools and society. With the increased use of social media in society, and in the educational learning environment, it is valuable to seek different ways to introduce controversial topics into classroom discussions, in terms of how social media has been used and has grown in relation to cancel culture (Graham, 2020). Exercise 3: Teaching From a Position of the Personal as “NOT Political” The following statements could be examined by the students in groups, highlighting how these statements may reinforce political agendas, reinforce fake news from fact, and engender greater hostility and/or hate towards specific cultural groups:. Drawing connections between evidence-based knowledge and personal experience through concrete classroom examples can be one way faculty can assist students to critically question information that they read or images that they see
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