Interdisciplinarity and Social Justice: Revisioning Academic Accountability (Suny Series, Praxis: Theory in Action) [Paperback]

Joe Parker (Editor), Ranu Samantrai (Editor), Mary Romero (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2010 | Series: Suny Series, Praxis: Theory in Action

Considers the past, present, and future of interdisciplinary fields motivated by concerns for social justice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The leading figures and newer voices in this wonderful volume weigh the ability of radical initiatives within academia to transcend their environs, at once celebrating possibility and also providing a sobering astringency." --David Roediger, author of How Race Survived U.S. History: From Settlement and Slavery to the Obama Phenomenon

"Interdisciplinarity and Social Justice is a brilliant collection of reflections on and critiques of interdisciplinary fields, including cultural, gender, ethnic, African American, Chicano, gay and lesbian, and critical race studies. All serious scholars, whether committed to disciplinarity or interdisciplinarity, will find much food for thought in this collection." --Evelyn Nakano Glenn, author of Unequal Freedom: How Race and Gender Shaped American Citizenship and Labor

"This collection fills an important gap in the literature by demonstrating the link between interdisciplinarity and social justice." --Nancy A. Naples, author of Feminism and Method: Ethnography, Discourse Analysis, and Activist Research

From the Back Cover

In the 1960s and 1970s, activists who focused on the academy as a key site for fostering social change began by querying the assumptions of the traditional disciplines and transforming their curricula, putting into place women's and ethnic studies programs that changed both the subject and methods of scholarship. The pattern of scholars and activists joining forces to open fields of research and teaching continued in subsequent decades, and recent additions, including critical race studies, queer studies, cultural studies, and postcolonial studies, take as their epistemological foundation the inherently political nature of all knowledge production. Interdisciplinarity and Social Justice seizes this opportune moment in the history of interdisciplinary fields to review their effects on our intellectual and political landscape, to evaluate their ability to deliver promised social benefits, and to consider their futures. The essays collected in this volume examine how effectively interdisciplinary fields have achieved their goals of intellectual and social change, and consider the challenges they now face inside and outside the academy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 374 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (June 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1438431368
• ISBN-13: 978-1438431369
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,299,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.