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Communicating Privilege And Faculty Allyship, Lisa Hanasono, Hyun Kyoung Ro, Deborah A. O'Neil, Ellen M. Broido, Margaret M. Yacobucci, Susana Peña, Karen V. Root

School of Media and Communication Faculty Publications

As individuals who use their privilege to reduce prejudice, educate others about social justice, and actively stop discrimination, faculty allies can play a vital role in transforming universities to be more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. However, discrepancies persist in how faculty define privilege and communicate allyship. Drawing from standpoint theory, we examined discursive divergences in how 105 full-time faculty defined and experienced privilege and how they enacted allyship in the workplace. Participants tended to conceptualize privilege as a set of advantages and lack of structural barriers for people based on their group membership(s). Discursive differences emerged regarding the degree to …