Advocates and Allies: The Succession of a Good Idea or What’s in a Meme? (Dispatch)

Abstract

In this two-part Dispatch we first trace the evolution of three interdependent terms – advocacy, allyship, and accountability – as a means to highlight their changing roles in driving impactful social justice efforts, then explore how this triad is manifested in a gender equity advocacy program fashioned at a Midwestern United States university, the Advocates and Allies (A&A) initiative. In Part 1, we describe a memetic theory of culture to situate the findings of an Internet term search that reveals a mutable progression of meaning(s) for our threesome. This framework provides grounding for discussion in Part 2 of the wider social milieu reflected in the evolution of A&A. We then offer an outline of central features of the initiative along with reflections from the field, and point out resources for learning more about how the program is being utilized. By surveying the succession of A&A within this culture-as-memetic context we intend to acknowledge what’s been done by others whilst furthering the important and unfinished work of gender equity in academia. We close with interpretations and conclusions.