1st Edition
Pursuing Social Justice Agendas in Caribbean Higher Education Perspectives and Prospects for Small Island Developing States
This book offers a treatment of social justice and higher education within small island developing states like the Caribbean. This is a timely exploration of some of the global-local, structure-actor, policy-practice debates that connect directly to the promise and the challenges of pursuing social justice agendas within and beyond Caribbean institutions of higher education.
In this book, the key points of examination are the (i) changing patterns within the global higher education landscape, emerging mandates for university systems, (ii) the perspectives and challenges for diverse student and staff populations, and (iii) the ways in which these collectively impact social justice agendas within institutions of higher education. The contextualization and politicization of these issues within the broader discourse of small island developing states deepens the understanding of the prospects and challenges of addressing social injustices within the contemporary landscape, but with some re-engagement of existing conceptions and theorizations (related to inclusivity, diversity, equity, ontology, coloniality, postcolonial and critical race theory) to inform how actors within these institutions can strategically respond.
It will be vital reading for scholars and educational researchers with interests in higher education, social justice, and small island developing states (SIDS).
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: Contextualizing Social (in)justice within Small Island Developing States: The Case of the Caribbean-Talia Esnard, PhD, Senior Lecturer, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
Section I: Contextualizing Landscapes and Mandates
Chapter 2: Keeping pace with global trends: Caribbean institutions at the nexus of social justice and higher education- Chad O. Coates, PhD., Undergraduate Advising Director, Stanford University (SU) and Kevin Graham, PhD., Director for Break Through Tech AI, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Chapter 3: Social Justice and the RTHE Framework: Examining the UWI’s Triple A Strategy-Anna Perkins (PhD, Senior Quality Assurance Program Officer, Regional Headquarters, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica)
Chapter 4: Social Justice in Education Sector Reform in Belize: Implications for Teacher Education, Joyanne De Four-Babb, (PhD, Assistant Lecturer, University of Belize), Theresa Coye, (PhD, Lecturer, University of Belize), Christopher De Shield, (PhD, Lecturer, University of Belize), and Miriam Loh, (PhD, Independent Researcher).
Chapter 5: Exploring Fundamentals of Emancipatory Education in the Caribbean: Making the case for Social Justice Leadership, Canute Thompson, (Professor, The UWI, Mona), and Allison Montgomery (Mphil/PhD Student, The UWI, Mona).
Section II-Social Justice for Diverse Populations
Chapter 6: Fighting Social-Personal Dilemmas of the Impostor Syndrome: Experiences for Post-Graduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Women in the Caribbean- Talia Esnard (PhD, Senior Lecturer, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus) and Marsha Simon (PhD, Assistant Professor, University of West Georgia)
Chapter 7: A tale of conundrum and desideratum: Invisible Colonial Vestiges and Male Underrepresentation, Dave Louis, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Houston and Saturninoh Rodriguez, PhD, University of Illinois
Chapter 9: Troubling the Just Reach Phenomenon: A Collaborative Autoethnographic and Decolonial Systems Approach, Talia Esnard (Senior Lecturer, The UWI, STA), Andrew Hunte (Lecturer, The UWI, Five Islands) and Carmel Roofe (Senior Lecturer, The UWI, Mona Campus)
Section III-Academic Workers: Negotiating Context, Epistemology and Positionality
Chapter 10: Subaltern Research as Decolonial Practice: Harnessing Higher Education for Social Justice-Keisha Samlal, PhD Candidate and Teaching Assistant in Sociology, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
Chapter 11-Contested Inheritances of Racialized Entanglements: Cultivating Liberatory Caribbean Imaginaries- Patriann Smith-PhD, Associate Professor, University of South Florida, Tampa
Chapter 12-Thoughtful Subversion: Higher Education as a site for Activism and Co-Creation Laurette Bristol, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Education, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
Chapter 13: Am I Trini enough? Exploring positionality and its implications for the Global Decolonisation of Higher Education (HE): A Caribbean British perspective, Melanie-Marie Haywood (PhD), PFHEA, Birmingham City University, UK
Chapter 14: Advancing Sustainability and Social Justice: A Role for Higher Education Institutions, Therese Ferguson-Murray, PhD, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica
CONCLUSION
Chapter 15: Moving the Needle: From Re-imaginings to Strategic Action-Talia Esnard, PhD, Senior Lecturer, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
Biography
Talia Esnard PhD is a Senior Lecturer and sociologist within the Department of Behavioral Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus.
This is an excellent book! It presents brilliant analyses of the both overt and hidden agendas of Caribbean higher education. It is a must-read for all academicians, students, policy makers and implementers and any advocate for increased social justice in our education system. I hope our Caribbean Governments pay attention!!"-Aldrie Henry-Lee, Professor (sociology) and Pro Vice Chancellor (Graduate Studies and Research), The University of the West Indies, Mona
"This edited book brilliantly dissects the interplay between higher education and social justice in the Caribbean. Esnard and contributors offer insightful analyses of educational inequalities and strategies for reform, making it a crucial guide for reshaping Caribbean education towards greater inclusivity and equity."- Hon. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General OECS
