Review author: Nadia Alsamadi, PsyD
Summary: This is a brief, six-chapter text that presents models and strategies to increase undergraduate student buy-in, openness, and engagement in social justice work.
Citation: Johnson, A. J., & Vinding, A. (Eds.). (2023). Subverting Resistance to Social Justice and Diversity Education: Constructive Approaches with Undergraduate Students. Cham: Springer (93 pages).
Subverting Resistance to Diversity and Social Justice Education is a six-chapter text written by different authors that presents models and strategies to increase student buy-in, openness, and engagement in social justice work. As educators of undergraduate students, the editors and other chapter authors offer their perspectives regarding identifying and assessing student resistance, finding workable solutions to motivational barriers to engagement, and promoting community engaged learning. Johnson acknowledges in the first chapter that this text is not a standalone guide on this complex topic, and that the models and applications are reflective of the authors’ particular contexts. This text may be particularly helpful for educators interested in developing project-based, community-engaged courses that center social justice topics; however, those not utilizing community engaged learning would also benefit from flexibly applying the spirit and strategies of these models to their own courses and professional development.
Chapter one is an essential strength of this book. Johnson describes common sources of resistance that not only occur within students, but also educators. This chapter prompts the reader to look inward and consider how resistance to social justice growth can occur continually within themselves, and it could exist as a stand-alone article for students and professionals to reference throughout their careers.
In chapter two, Johnson describes the Moving Toward Social Justice (MTSJ) model, which assists educators in dissolving students’ defensive walls to social justice terms and concepts by introducing the ways in which social justice aligns with one’s personal values.
Chapter three goes on to discuss the process of developing community partnerships through the Relational Partnership Development Model (RPDM). The RPDM is grounded in grassroots approaches and epistemic justice, and amplifies the voices, needs, and leadership of community partners when developing long-term, place-based, community-centric relationships with organizations. In chapter three, Brekke recognizes that the deep-rooted history of harm, exploitation, and performative allyship committed by universities precedes any attempt at relationship building with community partners; thus, they remind us that educators must commit to ongoing critical reflexivity, listening more than speaking, and long-term investment in social issues in a particular location.
In chapter four, one of Johnson’s former students provides a practical example of the application of the MTSJ model as they describe their time working with Trahern Crews of the Saint Paul Recovery Act. They partnered with Crews to provide education to the local public to continue the push to develop a planning committee for reparations for American Descendants of Chattel Slavery.
In chapter five, Vinding offers a process-oriented approach to cultivating a learning environment that is collaborative, curious, and centers relational connections as the foundation of learning. They outline practical strategies, techniques, and activities that assist educators in embodying an approach that shares power and values student perspectives, while also creating containers for students to explore complex and often novel intersectional topics.
In the final chapter, Robinson explains their approach that integrates many of the strategies outlined in previous chapters to subvert resistance to social justice topics related to gender expansiveness and transgender identities. They emphasize the importance of enhancing knowledge, correcting misinformation, promoting empathy, and fostering contact as effective ways to undercut the myths that fuel resistance, while also increasing students’ openness to the acceptance and support of transgender and gender-expansive folks.
While this text highlights specific models to subvert student resistance and the editors have humbly acknowledged that there are many critical topics and readings beyond the scope of this book, I believe there is one chapter that could be added to this text. One of the greatest challenges of being an educator is navigating a classroom that consists of students at different stages of identity development and awareness. In subverting the resistance of privileged students, we must simultaneously prioritize the needs of students with marginalized racial and other identities in our classrooms.