Academic Freedom and Its Discontents: An Autoethnography. Issue 2 (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berger, Ronald J.
• Is Part Of: International review of qualitative research. Volume 7:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 258
• Page End: 273
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: academic freedom -- higher education -- speech; Qualitative research -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Social justice -- Periodicals; Qualitative research; Social justice; Social sciences -- Research; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 001.42
• DOI: 10.1525/irqr.2014.7.2.258
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1940-8447

Abstract

In this essay, the author recounts his experience with a student complaint that reached an influential Republican legislator and raises questions about academic freedom in an era of right-wing political activism. The context of the complaint was a course on white-collar crime in which the author raised issues about the nature of economic and political power that the student found objectionable. Although the complaint was dismissed, its aim was to create a chilling atmosphere in which faculty will self-censor and become fearful about advancing a progressive politics of pedagogical and scholarly advocacy.