Why Diversify Classics? with Arum Park

Abstract

A Google search for ‘diversity and Classics’ reveals the field’s growing dedication to diversity in recent years, particularly in North America and the United Kingdom. But what do we mean when we say ‘diversity’, and—more importantly—to what end do we seek greater diversity in Classics? Shivaike Shah speaks with Arum Park, Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Arizona, to explore these questions and to discuss steps that have been and can still be taken to diversify Classics.

Bibliography

Open-source

Society for Classical Studies Blog, ‘Diversity’: https://classicalstudies.org/blogs/diversity

Wyatt Mason, ‘The First Woman to Translate the “Odyssey” Into English,’ New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/magazine/the-first-woman-to-translate-the-odyssey-into-english.html

Arum Park, ‘Multicultural Voices in Classical Scholarship’, speech at College of Charleston’s Classical Charleston 2019 (video)

• You can find more of Arum’s outreach publications on her faculty webpage here.

Dan-el Padilla Peralta, ‘Some thoughts on AIA-SCS 2019’, Medium: https://medium.com/@danelpadillaperalta/some-thoughts-on-aia-scs-2019-d6a480a1812a

Rachel Poser, ‘He Wants to Save Classics from Whiteness. Can the Field Survive?’, New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/magazine/classics-greece-rome-whiteness.html

Paywalled

Shelley Haley, ‘Be Not Afraid of the Dark: Critical Race Theory and Classical Studies’, in Prejudice and Christian Beginnings: Investigating Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Early Christian Studies, ed. Laura Nasrallah and Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010)

Transcript

You can find a full transcript of the episode here.