| New books on campus |
Abington Professor publishes book that challenges myth of meritocracy
Karen Weekes, associate professor of English and women's studies, recently published a book of essays titled, "Privilege and Prejudice: Twenty Years of the Invisible Knapsack."
The book challenges the idea that an individual succeeds in life solely due to his/her own efforts (the "myth of meritocracy").
It also emphasizes societal influences manifested as privilege or prejudice that vastly increase or decrease chances of success.
"Reading the book," said Weekes, who is also division head of Arts and Humanities, "is an opportunity to evaluate our own practices and to make sure we are addressing both privilege and prejudice as we think about interactions and how we proceed in the world."
