‘Little paroxysms of rage’: A conversation about academia and feminism with Professor Alison Jones

Abstract

This is an interview with Professor Alison Jones, who began her academic career as a tutor in 1978 and then started working as a lecturer of feminist theory in education at the University of Auckland in 1986. I (Kirsten Locke) chose to talk to Alison about her experiences of being a feminist in the academy, knowing her time at the university has spanned four decades of change. Alison, a Pākehā, is now a professor in Te Puna Wānanga, School of Māori and Indigenous Education at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, where she focuses on MāoriPākehā relationships. Alison is well known amongst her peers and students for her scholarship, her awardwinning teaching, and her brave and outspoken views. My sincere thanks to Alison, who spoke to me in a conversation that spanned two days in late October 2019. Alison worked with this script’s final form and was supportive of the project throughout the process. Dr Charlotte Johnson helped edit the 25,000-word conversation into a manageable form. Charlotte came to this project through the staff mobility fund during the COVID-19 lockdown. Her work was so important that I suggested toAlison that Charlotte be listed as an author. Of course, Alison said yes.