Narratives of Hope and Grief in Higher Education, 1st ed. 2020

This collection weaves together the personal narratives of a group of diverse scholars in academia in order to reflect on the ways that grief and hope matter for those situated within higher education. Each chapter explores a unique aspect of grief and loss, from experiencing a personal tragedy such as the loss of a loved one, to national and international grief such as campus shootings and refugee camp experiences, to experiencing racism and microaggressions as a woman of color in academia, to the implications of religious differences severing personal ties as an individual navigates research and academic studies. Unlike most resources examining grief, this collection pushes beyond notions of sorrow as solely individual, and instead situates moments of loss and hurt as ones that matter politically, academically, professionally, and personally. The editors and their authors offer pathways forward to academics, researchers, teachers, pedagogues, and thinkers who grapple with grief in a variety of forms, transforming this book into a critical resource of hope to those in the field of education (and others) who may feel the effects of an otherwise solitary journey of grief, to create an awareness of solidarity and support that some may not realize exists within academic circles.

Stephanie Anne Shelton is Assistant Professor of Qualitative Research with the Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methods, and Counseling at the University of Alabama, USA.

Nicole Sieben is Assistant Professor of Secondary English Education and Coordinator for Graduate Programs in English Education at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, USA.

First book to center personal narrative in considerations of grief and hope relative to higher education and academia

Includes a collection of unique essays grounded in an intersectional framework of allyship through grief that will allow for unique voices and narratives in grief

Explores the ways that grief is a broad-ranging concept including in political and cultural contexts, with an exploration of various international events that have been causes of grief and have shaped higher education and society at-large