Critical Disciplinary Scholars

Who We Are

The Critical Disciplinarity Scholars are a scholarly community that aims to support liberatory thought and practice by critically examining disciplinary power, positioning, and resistance within knowledge traditions.

What We Do

Each semester we meet for five 90 minute discussions, each focused loosely on its own topic. Our goal is to talk about what it’s like to write inside your discipline, and to write yourself as part of your discipline. Our discussions focus loosely on

1. the ways that our separate disciplines ask us to “be,” to present ourselves, our identities, our communities and our scholarship;
2. the pains (and other feelings) that come with these presentations;
3. experiences—exciting, bewildering, rebellious, and otherwise—of writing inside (and outside!) of disciplines.

Our meetings are free and open to graduate students, fellows, and other community members interested in these questions. As members use this space to consider difficult topics and experiences, it is of the utmost importance that we maintain a supportive, respectful atmosphere. 

If you have questions or are interested in joining, contact Azlan Smith at azlans2@illinois.edu.