Joshua Alan Youakim

My research interests lie primarily in the ways in which "community" (and related ideas such as "citizenship," "membership," and "belonging") is constructed, maintained, and disrupted. I utilize a critical lens that sits (sometimes precariously) at the intersection of the Rhetorical Studies, Cultural Studies, and various fields that are concerned with issues of Space and Place.

As an educator, I practice a critical pedagogy that encourages students to always reflect on the power, meaning, and value of what they are learning. I seek to help students meaningfully engage, through course material and assignments, with their local and "home" communities.