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Taking It to the Streets

The Role of Scholarship in Advocacy and Advocacy in Scholarship

edited by Laura W. Perna

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As scholars become more public, what responsibility do they have to advocate for policies that will advance equity, inclusiveness, and social change?

Higher education scholars often conduct research on topics about which they care deeply, but to what extent should they be advocates for reform and social change? One school of thought believes researchers should remain dispassionate and data focused; the other, that a researcher, by the very questions she asks, can help effect social change. In this book, Laura W. Perna questions how, why, and when higher education researchers should be public...

As scholars become more public, what responsibility do they have to advocate for policies that will advance equity, inclusiveness, and social change?

Higher education scholars often conduct research on topics about which they care deeply, but to what extent should they be advocates for reform and social change? One school of thought believes researchers should remain dispassionate and data focused; the other, that a researcher, by the very questions she asks, can help effect social change. In this book, Laura W. Perna questions how, why, and when higher education researchers should be public intellectuals and whether, armed with research, they are—and should be—a powerful force for change.

Taking It to the Streets collects essays from nationally and internationally recognized thought leaders with diverse opinions and perspectives on these issues. With the intentional inclusion of voices on different sides of this discussion, the volume offers a thought-provoking and nuanced understanding of the multifaceted connections between higher education research, advocacy, and policy.

Contributors: Ann E. Austin, Estela Mara Bensimon, Anthony A. Berryman, Mitchell J. Chang, Cheryl Crazy Bull, Adam Gamoran, Sara Goldrick-Rab, Shaun R. Harper, Donald E. Heller, Adrianna Kezar, Simon Marginson, James T. Minor, Jeannie Oakes, Laura W. Perna, Gary Rhoades, Daniel G. Solorzano, Christine A. Stanley, William G. Tierney

Reviews

Reviews

Tackling an important topic from a variety of perspectives, Taking It to the Streets brings together a stellar lineup of experts in higher education.

Can higher education research be a driver of equity and social change? Yes, it must! This collection of essays from notable scholars aptly outlines various paths and approaches to the integration of scholarship and social justice. Research conducted solely as an academic exercise can no longer be justified.

Taking It to the Streets is a critical contribution to conversations about connections and contradictions between scholarship, advocacy, and policy. The expert cast of scholars consider perspectives rooted in history, policy, race, philosophy, and inclusive excellence to prompt readers to grapple with the enactment of social change in higher education.

How is academic research linked to activism for social equity? The education scholars in this book share why and how they do research for the public good—with rewards that are balanced by risks, disappointments, and worries. Collectively, they portray a field’s striving for and learning about relevance in research.

Historically, neither policymakers nor college and university leaders have found higher education research useful. This book is an invaluable resource on how higher education scholars can make their research important to policymakers and engage in advocacy, which is essential today. I wish it had been available when I began my career.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
160
ISBN
9781421425467
Table of Contents

1. Connecting research, advocacy, and policy to advance equity, inclusiveness, and social change in higher education
2. A day late and a dollar short
3. Changing the course of history
4. Using

1. Connecting research, advocacy, and policy to advance equity, inclusiveness, and social change in higher education
2. A day late and a dollar short
3. Changing the course of history
4. Using postsecondary research to influence the policy process
5. The activist as intellectual
6. Researcher as instrument and advocate for inclusive excellence in higher education
7. Commitment to a scholarly life of contribution, meaning, satisfaction
8. Choosing how, why, and to whom we profess
9. Bridging the artificial gap between activism and scholarship to form tools for knowledge
10. So that the people may live
11. My people's professor
12. Listening to students
13. Why racial microgressions matter?
14. A road less travelled
15. Using philosophy to develop a thoughtful approach to going public or not
16. Research for policy in higher education
17. Public scholarship
Contributors
Index

Author Bio
Featured Contributor

Laura W. Perna

Laura W. Perna is a professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania and is editor and co-author of several books, including The State of College Access and Completion: Improving College Success for Students from Underrepresented Groups.