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bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldua make it possible to fold critical theory into our teaching as care, love without needing the 'right' terminology. We don't need the discourse to value each other and respond with humanity. Being critical can also be exposing barriers in the room. We can do critical theory without the theory, as a PRACTICE.

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Writing this while listening to the presenters’ opening positionality statements… One thing that strikes me is that as someone who grew up in a middle-class but not affluent family, there’s a kind of instinctive defensiveness that kicks in when discussing working class experiences. I really try to recognise that reaction for what it is, rather than making that knee-jerk “well just because I’m middle class doesn’t mean my life was easy” response, which is really unhelpful in these discussions!

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Even though my family was impoverished, I only realised that I am privileged on account of my skin colour after reading ‘White Fragility’. 

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Even though my family was impoverished, I only realised that I am privileged on account of my skin colour after reading ‘White Fragility’. 

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In HE librarians need to listen to their students first rather than imposing their theoretical knowledge and middle class approaches and respond to students’ needs.

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In HE librarians need to listen to their students first rather than imposing their theoretical knowledge and middle class approaches and respond to students’ needs.

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Widening participation in librarianship seems to declined. Especially in HE

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I do not feel uncomfortable thinking about this. I was a free school meals kid. My mum worked three jobs. I stayed home for university and commuted. I know these things shaped my experiences as they will shape the experiences of my students.

I am certainly living a middle class life now. But I have not forgotten the journey.

Clearly it is not ideal to grow up on the poverty line. But I have qualities that are missing in those around me.

Resilience as a learner. I do it because I love it. I trust in my own ability to learn.

Determination. I achieve anything I set my mind to.

Asking the ‘basic’ questions. I can ask them in front of many people and I don’t care what they think.

These are things that I believe are a part of my working class learner journey. These are assets. Our working class students have assets and we should recognise them.

When I’m teaching, I try to assume nothing. I try to articulate everything. When I get an email from a student in the 3rd year asking for my help as they have never used the library. I wonder about all their ingenious ways they must have developed to get to this point. They need to tick a box to get their degree. That’s fine with me.

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Flynn, D., Crew, T., Hare, R., Maroo, K., & Preater, A. (2023) ‘They burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why’: Stories at the intersection of social class, capital and critical information literacy — a collaborative autoethnography. Journal of Information Literacy, 17(1), pp. 162–185.

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Flynn, D., Crew, T., Hare, R., Maroo, K., & Preater, A. (2023) ‘They burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why’: Stories at the intersection of social class, capital and critical information literacy — a collaborative autoethnography. Journal of Information Literacy, 17(1), pp. 162–185.

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Keywords:
critical information literacy, autoethnography, higher education, social class, UK, information literacy

Abstract

In this article we connect critical librarianship and its practices of information literacy (IL) with working-class experiences of higher education (HE). Although the research literature and professional body of knowledge of critical information literacy (CIL), is one of the most theoretically-developed areas of wider critical librarianship (Critlib) movement, working-class knowledge and experiences remain underrepresented.

One reason for this is that the values, behaviour and assumptions of library and HE workers are shaped by a HE system which inculcates middle-class values and cultural capitals within students, and stigmatises working-class students as lacking or in deficit. Hegemonic, or non-critical, IL proselytises middle-class values and assumptions about academic practices and skills development including the notion of an ideal student with behaviour and markers of identity which reflect those most privileged by wider society. In contrast CIL, framed as the socially-just practice of IL is theoretically well-placed to support working-class library workers in destabilising this alongside middle-class accomplices.

Employing Yosso's (2005) concept of community and cultural wealth (CCW), we analyse how library workers can recognise working-class cultural wealth within the context of CIL and wider working practices. As such narrative accounts are lacking in the literature, we utilise collaborative autoethnography (CAE) (Chang et al., 2013) to consider and interpret our own experiences of libraries when we were university students ourselves, and more recently as HE workers of working-class heritage.

Section

Critical Information Literacy: Research articles (peer-reviewed articles)

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'They burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why'

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critical information literacy, autoethnography, higher education, social class, UK, information literacy In this article we connect critical librarianship and its practices of information literacy (IL) with working-class experiences of higher education (HE). Although the research literature and professional body of knowledge of critical information literacy (CIL), is one of the most theoretically-developed areas of wider critical librarianship (Critlib) movement, working-class knowledge and experiences remain underrepresented.

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Tara J. Yosso (2005) Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth, Race Ethnicity and Education, 8:1, 69-91

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Tara J. Yosso (2005) Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth, Race Ethnicity and Education, 8:1, 69-91

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Reay, D. (2018). Miseducation: inequality, education and the working class. Bristol: Polity.

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Reay, D. (2018). Miseducation: inequality, education and the working class. Bristol: Polity.

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Noe, M. (2024) Thinking about Socioeconomic Background in Librarianship, Journal of Library Administration, 64(2), pp.252-259 [Online].

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Noe, M. (2024) Thinking about Socioeconomic Background in Librarianship, Journal of Library Administration, 64(2), pp.252-259 [Online].

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Crew, T. (2020). Higher education and working-class academics: precarity and diversity in academia. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 

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Crew, T. (2020). Higher education and working-class academics: precarity and diversity in academia. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 

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Draws on the work of Pierre Bourdieu to examine the experience of the working-class academic

Illustrates that the term 'working-class academic' in itself is not homogenous

Examines the numerous intersections of ethnicity, gender, dis/ability and place within academic identity

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

About this book

This book examines how a working-class habitus interacts with the elite culture of academia in higher education. Drawing on extensive qualitative data and informed by the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the author presents new ways of examining impostor syndrome, alienation and microaggressions: all common to the working-class experience of academia. The book demonstrates that the term 'working-class academic' is not homogenous, and instead illuminates the entanglements of class and academia. Through an examination of such intersections as ethnicity, gender, dis/ability, and place, the author demonstrates the complexity of class and academia in the UK and asks how we can move forward so working-class academics can support both each other and students from all backgrounds.

About the author

Teresa Crew is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at Bangor University, UK. Her research interests include higher education and social mobility; social capital of vulnerable groups and access to and barriers into employment.

Bibliographic Information

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Higher Education and Working-Class Academics

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This book examines how a working-class habitus interacts with the elite culture of academia in higher education. Drawing on extensive qualitative data and informed by the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the author presents new ways of examining impostor syndrome, alienation and microaggressions.

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Please add your comments and questions under our provocations for us to discuss during the panel.

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If you identify as middle class, what steps could you take in terms of allyship or as an accomplice to challenge social class elitism in your information literacy practices and workplace?

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If you identify as middle class, what steps could you take in terms of allyship or as an accomplice to challenge social class elitism in your information literacy practices and workplace?

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We ask if you feel uncomfortable reflecting on classism and class privilege in your work and information literacy practice, to ask yourself why that might be?

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We ask if you feel uncomfortable reflecting on classism and class privilege in your work and information literacy practice, to ask yourself why that might be?

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Do you agree that if you care about equity and social justice then you should include critical theories within your information literacy practice?

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Do you agree that if you care about equity and social justice then you should include critical theories within your information literacy practice?

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We observe librarians are unaware of how middle-class librarianship is. How do you think this permeates our teaching environments as a form of shared knowledge?

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We observe librarians are unaware of how middle-class librarianship is. How do you think this permeates our teaching environments as a form of shared knowledge?