Student voice and the politics of listening in higher education

Abstract

The promise of giving voice to under-represented and marginalized groups has been a mainstay of emancipatory agendas in educational research. It has been an especially influential focus in feminist and gender equity reform projects and is increasingly a feature of policies and programs directed to enhance youth participation and civic inclusion. Voice typically signals a concern with representation and empowerment and associated claims for transformation have been criticized on several grounds, from offering only superficial forms of inclusion to the problem of power in the selective bestowing of voice. Yet the appeal of voice remains powerful. What can be learnt from feminist and other crit..