ERIC Number: ED665607
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 222
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-7282-4591-9
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EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Is the Academic Freedom of Foreign-Born Professors in U.S. Universities under Attack? A Qualitative Investigation into the Experiences of Arab-Born and Non-Arab Professors Who Teach and Conduct Research about Middle East Issues
Khulod S. Wahboubadr
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Seton Hall University
In this study, academic freedom was defined by 17 foreign-born professors: 12 Arab-born and five non-Arab professors from nine different higher education institutions, as the ability to express different ideas, research any topic, and publish the results without fear of intimidation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine how foreign-born professors experienced academic freedom when teaching and writing about Middle East issues and how their views about the U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East influenced their experiences on the grounds of their foreignness (place of origin, race/ethnicity, and religion). Overall, participants reported positive experiences with academic freedom when teaching and writing about Middle East issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also reported that expressing views from a Middle Eastern point of views added new values and brought different perspectives into the classroom, for the most part. However, they acknowledged that expressing an opinion about Israel and U.S. policies in the Middle East inside the classroom was risky, but what even riskier was discussing these topics outside the classroom. Some were blacklisted by private organizations as anti-American or anti-Semitic for expressing their political views on different social platforms. Whether Arab-born or non-Arab, discussing the Israel policy in the Middle East was seen as a red line, the crossing of which could threaten the academic freedom of professors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: College Faculty, Arabs, Middle Eastern Studies, Diversity (Faculty), Foreign Workers, Academic Freedom, Teacher Attitudes, Ethnic Groups, Social Discrimination, Faculty College Relationship, Personnel Integration, Teaching Methods, Classroom Techniques, Controversial Issues (Course Content), World Problems, Political Issues, Public Affairs Education, Civil Rights
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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