Dear Colleagues,
I am seeking interview participants for a research study exploring the experiences of Jewish-identifying scholars and educators. Despite increased public attention to antisemitism’s manifestations and discourses since October 7, 2023, scholarly attention to the lived experiences of Jewish people in the academy, including or perhaps particularly within rhetoric, composition, and writing studies, and its sister disciplines (communication, technical communication, etc.) has remained scarce. As understandings of identity and bigotry, already deeply political in a polarized society, are increasingly politicized within and beyond the academy, Jewish scholars and educators, regardless of their own understandings of their identities or communities, have too often been positioned as proxies for majoritarian arguments and agendas – while their own stories and lived experiences have been overlooked. This qualitative research project considers Jewish educators’ experiences within classrooms, schools, and professional communities, both in and beyond the context of sociopolitical tensions in the U.S. and around the world.
Because this research is grant-supported, I can provide $50 compensation to interview participants.
If you meet the following criteria, I would be very grateful for your participation:
- Identify as Jewish, regardless of the nature or complexity of that identification; and
- Identify as an educator or scholar of rhetoric, composition, writing studies, communication, technical communication, and/or a related field on the postsecondary level, regardless of employment status.
- Optional: Work in multiple humanities disciplines and/or focus on social justice (however defined).
I have attached the full Request for Participants for your reference.
I recognize that, for many people, especially those from minority/ized communities, this is a difficult time in higher education and the world. I am always grateful for folks willing to participate in research, and I’d be happy to work with you to make sure the process is as comfortable as possible.
If you are interested in participating in such an interview, please complete the brief Willingness to Participate form.
If you have any questions, please contact Principal Investigator Mara Lee Grayson directly: maragrayson.
Many thanks for your consideration,
Mara Lee
Mara Lee Grayson, Ph.D.
Recent Books:
Antisemitism and the White Supremacist Imaginary: Conflations and Contradictions in Composition and Rhetoric
Challenging Antisemitism: Lessons from Literacy Classrooms
The Gendered Transaction of Whiteness: White Women in Educational Spaces
MLG, Disciplinary Discourses – Request for Participants, Apr26.pdf