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Academic Repression: Reflections from the Academic Industrial Complex
“This book puts the lie to the myth of academic freedom and that the university is an unabashed training ground for radicals.”—Richard Kahn, University of North Dakota “Essential reading for anyone concerned about the stifling of dissent and free expression in academia and beyond.”—Uri Gordon, author of Anarchy Alive! Since 9/11, the Bush administration has pressured universities to hand over faculty, staff, and student work to be flagged for potential threats. Numerous books have addressed the question of academic freedom over the years; this collection asks whether the concept of academic freedom still exists at all in the American university system. It addresses not only overt attacks on critical thinking, but also—following trends unfolding for decades—engages the broad socioeconomic determinants of academic culture. This edited anthology brings together prominent academics writing hard-hitting essays on free speech, culture wars, and academic freedom in a post-9/11 era. It’s a powerful response to attacks on critical thinking in our universities by well-respected scholars and academics, including Joy James, Henry Giroux, Michael Parenti, Howard Zinn, Robert Jensen, Ward Churchill, and many more. Anthony J. Nocella II is completing his PhD work at Syracuse University. Steven Best, PhD , is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Texas, El Paso. Peter McLaren, PhD , is a professor of education in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
600 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
212 people want to read
About the author
Anthony J. Nocella II
52 books32 followersAnthony J. Nocella II, Ph.D., award-winning author, community organizer, and educator is a Visiting Professor in the School of Education at Hamline University and Senior Fellow of the Dispute Resolution Institute at the Hamline Law School. Nocella is a scholar-activist grounded in the field of education and peace and conflict studies. He is internationally known for his innovative, transformative, and intersectional collaborations among fields of study, social movements, scholars, communities, and activists.
Dr. Nocella has published more than fifty scholarly articles or book chapters, co-founded more than ten active political organizations and serves on four boards. He has founded three book series and co-founded three journals - Green Theory and Praxis, Peace Studies Journal, and Journal of Critical Animal Studies, is on the editorial board of three other journals, and has published more than fifteen books.
Dr. Nocella has guest lectured, provided professional development trainings, and facilitated youth workshops to hundreds of school districts, universities, colleges, high schools, middle schools and many prisons and detention facilities around the Americas, such as Onondaga County School District, St. Cloud School District, Hillbrook Youth Detention Facility, Auburn Prison, Environmental Protection Agency, Brock University, UCLA, Hofstra University, New York University Law School, Rutgers University Law School, Boston College, University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, Swarthmore College, University of Texas, Yale University, and Princeton University.
Areas of Expertise: social justice education, school to prison pipeline, urban education, cultural relevant pedagogy, critical pedagogy, disability studies/pedagogy, environmental education/justice, ecopedagogy, youth culture, transformative justice, hip hop studies, gender and sexuality studies, critical animal studies, eco-ability, justice studies, and peace and conflict studies.
Dr. Nocella has published more than fifty scholarly articles or book chapters, co-founded more than ten active political organizations and serves on four boards. He has founded three book series and co-founded three journals - Green Theory and Praxis, Peace Studies Journal, and Journal of Critical Animal Studies, is on the editorial board of three other journals, and has published more than fifteen books.
Dr. Nocella has guest lectured, provided professional development trainings, and facilitated youth workshops to hundreds of school districts, universities, colleges, high schools, middle schools and many prisons and detention facilities around the Americas, such as Onondaga County School District, St. Cloud School District, Hillbrook Youth Detention Facility, Auburn Prison, Environmental Protection Agency, Brock University, UCLA, Hofstra University, New York University Law School, Rutgers University Law School, Boston College, University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, Swarthmore College, University of Texas, Yale University, and Princeton University.
Areas of Expertise: social justice education, school to prison pipeline, urban education, cultural relevant pedagogy, critical pedagogy, disability studies/pedagogy, environmental education/justice, ecopedagogy, youth culture, transformative justice, hip hop studies, gender and sexuality studies, critical animal studies, eco-ability, justice studies, and peace and conflict studies.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 12, 2025
They had an essay by Christian Davenport that denies the Rwandan Genocide and the author portrayed himself as the victim, and I was so pissed off that’s when I stopped reading it.
I had high hopes for this book because of the topic of academic repression that remains important to this day. But when I saw that disgusting essay promoting genocide denial, I had to call it quits because it was morally unacceptable and repugnant.
I had high hopes for this book because of the topic of academic repression that remains important to this day. But when I saw that disgusting essay promoting genocide denial, I had to call it quits because it was morally unacceptable and repugnant.
March 28, 2012
Does Godwin's Law apply to print media? In some of the essays in this book, the Nazi analogies are so thick that I had a hard time reading them. Writers, analogies involving Nazis are not your friends.
I also would have appreciated reading more contributions from women. I mean, FFS, the very lengthy introduction include a lengthy take on how college mascots oppress animals, but nary mentioned the concerns of folks who aren't white men. Suffice it it to say, I don't think I was this book's target audience.
That's not to say there aren't some good essays herein. I just found it to be a wildly varying and largely disappointing the collection.
I also would have appreciated reading more contributions from women. I mean, FFS, the very lengthy introduction include a lengthy take on how college mascots oppress animals, but nary mentioned the concerns of folks who aren't white men. Suffice it it to say, I don't think I was this book's target audience.
That's not to say there aren't some good essays herein. I just found it to be a wildly varying and largely disappointing the collection.
December 9, 2011
I tried to finish this, but there were just too many essays that I couldn't identify with. Some incredible work in here, especially insightful within the occupy paradigm and what education can and should be.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews