1st Edition
Taking Back the Academy! History of Activism, History as Activism
Taking Back the Academy! is not only an historical look at activism on campus since the 1960s, but also an exploration of the ways in which the historian's craft leads to social change. Written against the current political wave that views liberal academics as treasonous and unpatriotic, these authors defend political dissent and powerfully document the importance of activism and public debate on college campuses. From the controversies surrounding the current war to continuing problems of identity politics on campus, Taking Back the Academy! covers a number of issues raging on today's university campuses.
Biography
Jim Downs is a PhD candidate in the Department of History at Columbia University. Jennifer Manion is a PhD candidate in the Department of History at Rutgers University.
"This extraordinary collection of essays by young scholars and leaders in the profession raises questions about our own life choices. Taking Back the Academy! sometimes made me weep and sometimes made me angry. It will lead everyone to probe the meaning and purpose of the scholarly enterprise." -- Alice Kessler-Harris, author of In Pursuit of Equity: Women, Men, and the Quest for Economic Citizenship in 20th-Century America