Author Profile

Alexander Riley

Alexander Riley is a Professor of Sociology at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.

Articles by Alexander Riley

The Origins of the Cruel Ritual of Diversity Training

May 5, 2021 · · Comments Off on The Origins of the Cruel Ritual of Diversity Training

Diversity training is now in force at many institutions of higher education. In the typical scenario, students, staff, and faculty submit themselves to the mercies of hectoring lectures and demeaning demonstrations that purport to reveal white privilege and the oppressive conditions faced by “underrepresented populations” in their institutions. Former Smith College staffer Jodi Shaw’s account … Continue reading “The Origins of the Cruel Ritual of Diversity Training”

The BlackLivesMattering of Higher Ed: Some Notes from the Field

Oct 16, 2020 · · Comments Off on The BlackLivesMattering of Higher Ed: Some Notes from the Field

When the University of Chicago English Department announced over the summer that, in response to the protests after the death of George Floyd, they would only admit graduate students willing to work in Black Studies (a proclamation that, after media attention brought criticism, they recently removed from their webpage), observers of the increasing dominance of … Continue reading “The BlackLivesMattering of Higher Ed: Some Notes from the Field”