Educational Equity in Community Colleges

ISSN: 2690-4438

This series centers theory and practice in enacting educational equity, and, ultimately, educational justice at the administrative, institutional/programmatic, governance, and pedagogical levels of community colleges and other institutions of higher learning (Woods & Harris, 2016; Nevarez & Wood, 2010). There is a corpus of literature on the pernicious effects of oppressive pedagogy at the K-12 level, especially for traditionally marginalized, minoritized students (Nasir, 2011; Delpit, 2012; Leonardo, 2010). However, this is not the case at the community college level even though these same traditionally marginalized, minoritized students overwhelming start their college careers in two-year community colleges. Frankly, though there are many valuable contributions to community college education, overall there is a dearth of literature on critical, justice-centered pedagogy, theory and practice (i.e., praxis) within community college administration, governance, programming, and pedagogy. Community college practitioners are interested in enacting educational equity. However, there is little community college-specific literature for them to use to reimagine and, ultimately, reconstruct their administrative, programmatic, and pedagogical practices so that these institutionalized practices become commensurate with educational equity and justice (Tuck & Yang, 2018). Therefore, the goal of this series is to blend the work of university researchers and community college practitioners to illuminate best practices in achieving educational equity and justice via a critical-reality pedagogical framework (Giroux, 2004; Emdin, 2017; Sims, 2018). This series aims to highlight work that illuminates both the successes and struggles in developing institutionalized practices that positively impact poor ethno-racially minoritized students of color. Therefore, we will be looking at pedagogies, policies, and practices that are intentionally developed, curated and sustained by committed educators, administrators, and staff at their respective college campuses that work to ensure just learning conditions for all students.

4 publications

Equity in Higher Education Theory, Policy, and Praxis

A BOOK SERIES FOR EQUITY SCHOLARS & ACTIVISTS Beth Powers-Costello, General Editor Globalization increasingly challenges higher education researchers, administrators, faculty members, and graduate students to address urgent and complex issues of equitable policy design and implementation. This book series provides an inclusive platform for discourse about – though not limited to – diversity, social justice, administrative accountability, faculty accreditation, student recruitment, admissions, curriculum, pedagogy, online teaching and learning, completion rates, program evaluation, cross-cultural relationship-building, and community leadership at all levels of society. Ten broad themes lay the foundation for this series but potential editors and authors are invited to develop proposals that will broaden and deepen its power to transform higher education: (1) Theoretical books that examine higher education policy implementation, (2) Activist books that explore equity, diversity, and indigenous initiatives, (3) Community-focused books that explore partnerships in higher education, (4) Technological books that examine online programs in higher education, (5) Financial books that focus on the economic challenges of higher education, (6) Comparative books that contrast national perspectives on a common theme, (7) Sector-specific books that examine higher education in the professions, (8) Educator books that explore higher education curriculum and pedagogy, (9) Implementation books for front line higher education administrators, and (10) Historical books that trace changes in higher education theory, policy, and praxis. Expressions of interest for authored or edited books will be considered on a first come basis. A Book Proposal Guideline is available on request. For individual or group inquiries please contact editorial@peterlang.com.

35 publications

Critical Literacies and Language

One of the most fundamental aspects of a just society is the right to create equitable and inclusive spaces of belonging for all people while also confronting injustice and oppression. However, we are now in a time where seeking justice and equity is met with neoliberalism, which pervades the academy at all levels of education. Yet, for many, this is not a time for retreat, but rather a moment of solidarity, a time to create new knowledge and understanding through struggle. As Freire wrote, "Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other." Thus, the purpose of this series is to provide literacy and language researchers, practitioners, as well as community activists, with a space to actualize and embody a restless, impatient never-finished objective of critical literacies and language education. It is the aim of this series to create a space to share research that promotes pedagogies of equity. We also recognize that different audiences have different needs. To that end, we seek to provide, when applicable, a "notebook" as a companion to research volumes to facilitate actionable steps for the PK-12 classroom or community spaces. This series is different as it approaches the dissemination of critical work from a place of intentionality to address the gap in disseminating research (typically read by scholars) and the need to have it "on the ground" for classroom teachers, community activists, and workers. By creating companion volumes (where applicable), there is a greater chance for sustained criticality in literacy education.

2 publications

Childhood Studies

ISSN: 2379-934X

"For many years, the field of Childhood Studies has crossed disciplinary boundaries that include, but are not limited to, anthropology, art, education, history, humanities, and sociology by addressing diverse histories, cultures, forms of representation, and conceptualizations of «childhood». The publications in the Rethinking Childhood Series have supported this work by challenging the universalization of childhood and introducing reconceptualized, critical spaces from which increased social justice and possibilities are generated for those who are younger. This newly named Childhood Studies Series in the global 21st century is created to continue this focus on social justice for those who are younger, but also to broaden and further explore conceptualizations of privilege, justice, possibility, responsibility and activism. Authors are encouraged to consider «childhood» from within a context that would decenter human privilege and acknowledge environmental justice and the more-than-human Other, while continuing to research, act upon, and transform beliefs, public policy, societal institutions, and possibilities for ways of living/being in the world for all of us. Boundary crossings are of greater importance than ever as we live unprecedented technological change, violence against living beings that are not labeled human (through experimentation, industrialization, and medicine), plundering of the earth, and gaps between the privileged and the marginalized (whether rich/poor, human/nonhuman). Along with continued concerns related to social justice, equity, poverty, and diversity, some authors in the Childhood Studies Series will choose to think about, and ask questions like: What does it mean to be a younger human being within such a world? What are the values, education, and forms of care provided within this context; and can/how should these dispositions and practices be transformed? Can childhood studies, and the diverse forms of representation and practice associated with it, conceptualize and practice a more just world broadly, while avoiding utopian determinisms and continuing to remain critical and multiple? "

13 publications

Hip Hop Studies and Activism

ISSN: 2690-6872

Hip Hop Studies and Activism book series is the first ever book series dedicated to hip hop studies. This series is an intersectional, interdisciplinary liberatory project that promotes justice, equity, and inclusion. Hip Hop Studies and Activism book series will connect with a broad range of disciplines such as feminism, globalization, economics, science, history, environmental studies, media studies, political science, sociology, religion, anthropology, philosophy, education, and cultural studies. Against apolitical scholarship, Hip Hop studies argues for an engaged critical praxis that promotes the listening and defending space and place for marginalized and silenced communities especially Communities of Color and Youth of Color. Hip hop activism is committed to social action, advocacy, and activism, while other book series are more rooted in theory and apolitical analysis. We will therefore, make a strong effort to publish People and Youth of Color.

8 publications