Exploring Woke in Educational Policy and Practice

Written at a time when the understanding of ‘woke’ is being increasingly challenged by governments and authorities, this book traces woke back to its early 20th century origins to understand and focus on its transnationalism, promotion and impact in current school and college classroom practice, principally in Australia, the UK and the US.

Chapters present a transnational study of the politics of promotion and impact of and opposition to woke in school and college educational policy and practice. In doing so, the book explores the ideals and practices of political correctness, Critical Race Theory (CRT), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and intersectionality. Further, it demonstrates the ability of ‘woke’ to mobilize and raise awareness around social issues, challenging existing power structures and demanding change. Investigating these as a contemporary embodiment of early 20th-century progressivism, the author argues that ‘woke’ is best understood through its association with moral panic, risk society mentality, post-truth, cancel culture, and the rise of it in social media.

This exemplary volume will be of interest to scholars, researchers and academics in the field of education policy and politics, sociology of education, cultural studies, and race theory. Those involved in tertiary training of teachers and curriculum developers may also benefit from it more broadly.