<p>Sometime this Spring (2024), Maastricht University will have to submit a plan to the Dutch government explaining how we will “considerably decrease” the amount of English Language programmes. Why is this happening? What’s the problem with studying in English? According to researchers René Gabriëls and Bob Wilkinson, it’s got a lot to do with feelings of linguistic injustice. We were not so easily convinced and invited them for a talk. </p>

Sometime this Spring (2024), Maastricht University will have to submit a plan to the Dutch government explaining how we will “considerably decrease” the amount of English Language programmes. Why is this happening? What’s the problem with studying in English? According to researchers René Gabriëls and Bob Wilkinson, it’s got a lot to do with feelings of linguistic injustice. We were not so easily convinced and invited them for a talk.

Englishization

How did a term that used to signify an attentiveness to injustice come to be wielded as a stick to beat political opponents and effectively end conversations?... an accusation coming from left and right of being ‘hysterically’ sensitive, irrational, anti-freedom of speech, anti-science or anti-progress. 

If some see wokeness as an outrageously unreasonable response to any perceived slight, others connect it to a dangerous identity politics leading to the further fragmentation of the left in the light of a globally unified far-right. 

The strange thing is that most of us actually agree with the underlying premise: addressing injustices in our classrooms, in (access to) research and society at large.

The idea behind this podcast and hence its title is to play with and explore exactly these associations of the term 'woke' and its associated expressions. We aim to unpack underlying assumptions and work through some of the ideas that move our community and animate the current debate. We do not want to shy away from a label that has turned toxic but want to dissect the key ideas and debates behind the ‘woke wars’. Relevant guests help us in this endeavour. 

Send us an email for feedback/questions: wokeasscience@maastrichtuniveristy.nl

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How did a term that used to signify an attentiveness to injustice come to be wielded as a stick to beat political opponents and effectively end conversations?... an accusation coming from left and right of being ‘hysterically’ sensitive, irrational, anti-freedom of speech, anti-science or anti-progress. If some see wokeness as an outrageously unreasonable response to any perceived slight, others connect it to a dangerous identity politics leading to the further fragmentation of the left in the light of a globally unified far-right. The strange thing is that most of us actually agree with the underlying premise: addressing injustices in our classrooms, in (access to) research and society at large. The idea behind this podcast and hence its title is to play with and explore exactly these associations of the term 'woke' and its associated expressions. We aim to unpack underlying assumptions and work through some of the ideas that move our community and animate the current debate. We do not want to shy away from a label that has turned toxic but want to dissect the key ideas and debates behind the ‘woke wars’. Relevant guests help us in this endeavour. Send us an email for feedback/questions: wokeasscience@maastrichtuniveristy.nl

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Englishization

Englishization