Trajectories towards transformation: An abolitionist analysis of student organizing at Mount Allison University

Abstract

This thesis explores student organizing at Mount Allison University through frameworks of analysis derived from prison abolitionists. In the context of the research, abolition is regarded as a broad theory of emancipation and social transformation, presented in conjunction with theoretical perspectives on Black Marxism, decoloniality, and critical pedagogy. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-identified student organizers, surrounding the themes of accountability and social change. A qualitative analysis was conducted on the contents of the interviews. Three major themes emerged: neoliberal organization, community accountability, and transformative practices. In the following chapters, these themes are analyzed in correspondence with existing literature, which draws from the works of scholars and organizers such as Angela Davis, Paulo Freire, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Mariame Kaba. Additionally, the research also references studies on other social movements, including the Zapatista Movement, the Maple Spring protests, the Sir George Williams University student uprisings, and the fossil fuel divestment movement. The findings reveal the importance for developing critical consciousness and community accountability practices in organizing, as well as identify the reproductive role of neoliberal institutions.