Campus protests and civil disobedience: does academia have a problem with activism?

"Much of our research relates to the real world, and to addressing real-world problems. And this ambition to make the world better is the motivation for many who enter academia. For some, that doesn't start and end with their research. It can extend to activism, often a thorny topic within academia. Victoria Burns 00:40 I struggle almost with whether to call myself an activist or an advocate. There's almost, I would say, a bit of a negative connotation with activism."

"I was attending Oregon State in 2020 during the protests in Portland, Oregon, and across the country, in response to the murder of George Floyd and other Black People at the hands of American police. I was actively engaged in those activities in Portland. There was definitely a lot of fear around how people in power would perceive those activities and whether that would hamper my ability to continue in my programme."

"Specifically, other professors in the department thought that I was wasting my time, should have been focused on research. So it's possible that that work or involvement will come back to bite me, as they say, later on in my career. But I am like a white, effeminate-presenting person, right? If I was a person of colour, or a person of colour and male, or any of the any of the other sort of categories that often people view you as being dangerous,"

Many researchers aim to address real-world problems and seek to make the world better through their work. For some, that commitment extends beyond research into activism and advocacy. Activism can create tension within academic settings, with concerns that visible engagement might hamper career prospects or be judged as neglecting research responsibilities. Perceptions of activist activity are shaped by race, gender presentation, and other identities, altering how involvement is received by authorities and peers. Some academics worry about negative connotations associated with the label 'activist' and prefer 'advocate.' These dynamics complicate decisions about public engagement and professional risk.

Read at Nature