Mapping power structures

Today we brought our conversation about Beyond Education to our own institution, focusing on mapping the power structures that underlie education at UMass.

As a group, we annotated our community note taking from last week’s discussion, highlighting key points of understanding, topics that need more clarity, and remaining questions.

We then used these reflections to guide a breakout room power mapping activity, situating ourselves within power structures at UMass and illustrating the connections between nodes of power as we perceive them. We made these maps using Google Jamboards, a fun interactive tool that can serve as a virtual whiteboard.

Some common themes that we’ll continue to grapple with this semester include: students as consumers, PR and media relations, undervalued staff, and overarching systems of domination that shape education systems (e.g. white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, neoliberal values).

Themes of power and access will continue to weave into our discussions throughout the semester. These power maps can serve as scaffolding to help frame these discussions, reminding us that power and resistance can occur across scales.