Communication, Social Justice, and Joyful Commitment

Abstract

Combining an overview of the history of communication scholarship with lessons learned from 20 years of experience as a prison abolitionist and peace activist, Hartnett argues that the discipline of communication can be enriched intellectually and made more politically relevant by turning our efforts toward community service, problem-based learning, and new means of collective scholarly production. Drawing from his personal experiences to address the consequences and opportunities of engaging in such work, Hartnett calls upon communication scholars to forego heroic narratives of triumph, instead focusing on what he calls “joyful commitment,” a Buddhist-inspired sense of seeking fulfillment via solidarity with others.

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