Visualizing the Power and Privilege of Failure in Higher Education

Jennifer Ross; Pooja Dey; Esther Baffour; Yasmin Abdellatiff; Emily Tjan; Dan Guadagnolo; Nicole Laliberte; Fiona Rawle

doi:10.29173/isotl609

Authors

Jennifer Ross University of Toronto
Pooja Dey University of Toronto Mississauga
Esther Baffour University of Toronto Mississauga
Yasmin Abdellatiff University of Toronto Mississauga
Emily Tjan University of Toronto Mississauga
Dan Guadagnolo University of Toronto Mississauga
Nicole Laliberte University of Toronto Mississauga
Fiona Rawle University of Toronto Mississauga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/isotl609

Keywords:

higher education, power, privilege, visualization, educational research, SoTL, critical race theory, feminism

Abstract

Learning from failure is a core component to education, however it is not often deliberately taught in university courses. In addition, while the rhetoric around taking risks, embracing failure, and bouncing back is pervasive in higher education, the corresponding structural supports are lacking. The purpose of the current work is to explore ways we can visualize and illustrate the power and privilege involved with embracing and learning from failure in the context of higher education. We offer three approaches to visualizing the same set of research data exploring student and instructor experiences of failure. The first figure is structured using a Venn diagram, the second uses a mobius strip, and the third draws on both puzzle imagery and the structure of a kernmantle rope to offer a more complex rendition of power and privilege in higher education. These illustrations are intended to serve as introductory guides to this topic. This work emphasizes that power is diffuse and mutable, and we underscore the critical importance of recognizing that each person will experience power and privilege differently in different circumstances. This exploration of illustrative concepts is a place to start theorizing about how students and instructors experience, resist, or wield power as they navigate academic institutions and engage with failure. We note that each instance of struggle, failure, or recovery exhibits specific configurations of power as multiple vectors contribute more or less strongly to the situation. The exact topography of power will change as different people, areas of the institution, or social policies and values enter the equation.

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Author Biographies

Jennifer Ross, University of Toronto

Jennifer N. Ross, (jennifern.ross@utoronto.ca), is the interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellow for the Failure: Learning in Progress project. Her research focuses on American literature, digital humanities, and critical theory. Previously, she served at the JHI/CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow in the Digital Humanities for the Critical Digital Humanities Initiative at the University of Toronto.

Pooja Dey, University of Toronto Mississauga

Pooja Dey is a Master of Public Health student at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on health equity, health systems, and understanding systemic factors influencing community health and wellbeing. She recently graduated with an HBSc in Comparative Physiology from the University of Toronto.

Esther Baffour, University of Toronto Mississauga

Esther Baffour is an undergraduate researcher for the Failure: Learning in Progress project at the University of Toronto. Her interests include medicine and youth in higher education. She previously served as a student governor on the Campus Affairs Committee and is entering her final year of the Biology for Health Sciences program.

Yasmin Abdellatiff, University of Toronto Mississauga

Yasmin Abdellatiff is a fourth-year undergraduate researcher for the Failure: Learning in Progress project. She is completing a dual major in Biology for Health Sciences and Chemistry at the University of Toronto. Her interests include DNA hybridization nanotechnology and exploring the educational system in relation to students’ experiences and overall well-being.

Emily Tjan, University of Toronto Mississauga

Emily Tjan is completing her Master’s in Science of Biomedical Communication at the University of Toronto. Passionate about communicating the complexities of science, Emily hopes to evoke intrigue and inspire action through her work, including the visualizations of power and privilege in higher education.

Dan Guadagnolo, University of Toronto Mississauga

Dan Guadagnolo, (daniel.guadagnolo@utoronto.ca), is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology at the University of Toronto. He is a historian of twentieth-century US business and culture, and his research examines the political economy of marketing, PR, branding, and management strategy. His current book project, Segmenting America, charts social and technological changes in consumer market segmentation and effects on North American society since WWII.

Nicole Laliberte, University of Toronto Mississauga

Nicole Laliberte, (nicole.laliberte@utoronto.ca), is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Department of Geography, Geomatics, and Environment at the University of Toronto. Her research interests and teaching combine geography, feminist theory, ecofeminism, and critical development studies. Her studies in systemic violence and non-violent responses include research into the intersections of militarism, development, and human rights in post-war northern Uganda, as well as violence in institutions of higher learning in North America.

Fiona Rawle, University of Toronto Mississauga

Fiona Rawle, (fiona.rawle@utoronto.ca), is a Professor, Teaching Stream, in Biology at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the public communication of science, combatting science misinformation, and the science of learning. Dr. Rawle is also an active member of the Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Excellence (TIDE).

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