Lessons from an Activist Intellectual

Abstract

As a professor with a history in various social movements, I have often asked myself, "How do I justify my teaching and research objectives without losing my commitment to progressive social change? How do I carry out research that does not belittle or hurt our communities? Is it possible to be a critical activist, a researcher, a committed teacher, and a dedicated learner?" Opposing the positivist view that academicians should remain neutral in the classroom and in their research, I suggest that connections can be made between teaching, research, and action.My research and teaching correspond with aspects of the participatory action approach, particularly the explicit connections that approach makes between social research and action (