Book Review: Equipping Technical Communicators for Social Justice Work: Theories, Methodologies, and Pedagogies by R. Walton & G. Y. Agboka (Eds.)

Abstract

The social justice “turn” in technical and professional communication (TPC) began shifting the field from a focus on “mere ethics, which often exist in an individual’s character or behavior,” to one with “a social justice stance, which tends to be more collective and action oriented” (Jones, 2016, p. 211). Laying the groundwork for engaging TPC and social justice, scholars and practitioners are increasingly drawing upon theoretical approaches and heuristics that better position technical communicators as advocates and coalitions for action (Jones, 2016; Walton et al., 2019). From book collections of social justice-oriented pedagogies (Haas & Eble, 2018) to examinations of researcher positionality, power, and privilege (Jones et al., 2016; Walton et al., 2019), TPC scholars are focusing more explicitly on how to address complex problems of systemic injustice still rampant in the everyday sites of TPC work (Agboka, 2021; Walton et al., 2019). Furthering the trajectory of how to “do” socially just work in TPC, Equipping Technical Communicators for Social Justice Work: Theories, Methodologies, and Pedagogies, edited by Rebecca Walton and Godwin Y. Agboka, offers narratives, reflections, tools, and heuristics to prepare academic and practitioner readers to move beyond understandings of oppression and toward advocacy and action. The collection features an introduction, 12 chapters separated into four sections (“Section I: Centering Marginality in Professional Practice,” “Section II: Conducting Collaborative Research,” “Section III: Teaching Critical Analysis,” and “Section IV: Teaching Critical Advocacy”), and an afterword. Each component offers innovative and practical ways to implement socially just approaches in TPC. The first section, “Centering Marginality in Professional Practice,” highlights intersectionality and inclusivity of lived experiences and community participation as Book Review