Measuring woke culture in universities: a diagnostic approach

Abstract

Objectives This paper aims to present a synthetic diagnostic tool for assessing wokeism in universities, offering a comprehensive framework derived from an extensive literature review. The purpose is to measure and evaluate the level and impact of wokeism, identifying strengths and weaknesses within university contexts. The framework development involves defining dimensions and indicators of wokeism, collecting and analyzing data through diverse sources like surveys and interviews, scoring and ranking wokeism levels. Material and methods This paper presents a synthetic diagnostic tool designed for the assessment of wokeism in universities. It extensively reviews literature on wokeism, offering a framework for the creation of this diagnostic tool. The provided examples demonstrate practical applications for measuring and evaluating the level and impact of wokeism within university settings. Results The paper highlights several limitations and implications that warrant consideration. First, the broad and general definition of wokeism employed might overlook nuanced variations within the movement. Second, reliance on secondary sources and hypothetical data raises concerns about the representation of the actual situation of wokeism in universities. Third, the subjective scoring and ranking system employed may lack the validity and reliability required for a comprehensive assessment. Conclusions The paper proposes directions for future research and practice. It recommends refining and operationalizing the definition and measurement of wokeism, testing and validating the tool and framework with primary and empirical data, and applying more objective and rigorous methods for scoring and ranking.

Keywords

• woke culture
• wokeism
• higher education
• universities
• dei(diversityequity&inclusion)