Using Social Theory in Higher Education
Produktdetaljer
This open access book offers a unique and refreshing view on working with social theory in higher education. Using engaging first-person accounts coupled with critical intellectual analysis, the authors demonstrate how theory is grappled with as part of an ongoing practice rather than a momentary disembodied encounter. In a structure that creates a space for relational dialogue, each chapter is followed by a response from another author, demonstrating the varied interpretive possibilities of social theory. Collectively the authors invite the reader to engage with them in questioning the usefulness of social theory in higher education teaching and research, in considering its possibilities and limits, and in experiencing the opportunity it offers to understand ourselves and our work differently. Written in a way that is scholarly yet accessible, the contributors explore how social theories can be used to think through issues that are emerging as key social and political concerns in higher education and beyond. The book will be of interest to advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and early-career academics, as well as established scholars.
Remy Y.S. Low is Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Australia
Suzanne Egan is Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, Australia
Amani Bell is Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, Australia
─Jan McArthur, Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Justice, Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK
“This rich tapestry of deeply personal stories and insightful reflections highlights the usefulness of social theory in educational practice. By describing contexts and stories behind how an author applied social theory in their practice, this book helps readers gauge how they might use social theory in their own contexts. The writing is critical yet accessible, tackling challenging contemporary issues such as social justice, race, and Indigenous Sovereignty, while drawing upon diverse theories originating from around the globe.”
─Maha Bali, Professor of Practice, Center for Learning and Teaching, The American University in Cairo, Egypt
“Books about social theory rarely commence with autobiographical moments but then Using Social Theory in Higher Education is no ordinary publication. From the opening page, when we are invited into Remy’s lived experience of ‘discovering’ the self in theory, I was hooked. This book challenges us to rethink our relationship with theory, not simply as a ‘tool’ to apply but rather an opportunity for self-learning, or as the authors say, to ‘act in the world differently’. Applying theory can be both messy and demanding, but by removing it from the abstract, the book allows theory to be considered in more embodied and nuanced ways, inextricably linked to our stories and life histories.”
─Sarah O’Shea, Higher Education Researcher, Curtin University, Australia
“This volume offers a meticulous dissection of and reflection on choices of social theory in the study of higher education. This makes it valuable both to younger scholars starting their research and choosing their conceptual toolkits, and to established scholars reflecting on their own choice of theories. The contributors give attention to a range of emerging theories which challenge the established canons in higher education research.”
─Manja Klemenčič, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, USA