My Position Comes with Privilege: I’m Going to Learn How to Use It

Scott Richardson

doi:10.26522/brocked.v24i1.448

Abstract

This composite nonfiction narrativizes the experiences of Daniel Meyers, an assistant professor of education. Specifically, it details his transition from a graduate program to working as a full-time tenure track faculty member at a public state university. Methodologically, this research relies on parallax as an important tool to understanding Meyers’s personal, intellectual, and political struggle in adjusting from a research institution to “performing” at a teaching institution. Teaching institutions, to Meyers, are significantly more customer service driven (read: making students happy) which can be problematic when faculty members have significant and different cultural understandings and interpretations than their students and the university as a whole. Meyers struggles to make adjustments, but ultimately realizes his duties as a teacher and that his contributions—though perceived alternative and conflicting with primary cultural and political narratives—provides him with an extraordinary and privileged opportunity to do important work.

Highlights

This composite nonfiction narrativizes the experiences of Daniel Meyers, an assistant professor of education
Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not the sitter
I am sharing a story about Daniel Meyers

Summary

Millersville University Abstract

This composite nonfiction narrativizes the experiences of Daniel Meyers, an assistant professor of education. It details his transition from a graduate program to working as a full-time tenure track faculty member at a public state university. To Meyers, are significantly more customer service driven (read: making students happy) which can be problematic when faculty members have significant and different cultural understandings and interpretations than their students and the university as a whole. Meyers struggles to make adjustments, but realizes his duties as a teacher and that his contributions—though perceived alternative and conflicting with primary cultural and political narratives—provides him with an extraordinary and privileged opportunity to do important work.

My Position Comes with Privilege Introduction

Daniel Meyers