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Diversity and the Study of Antiquity in Higher Education. Perspectives from North America and Europe (D.) Libatique and (F.) McHardy (edd.), Pp. viii + 144. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2023. Cased, £48.99. ISBN: 978-1-032-23512-7

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Diversity and the Study of Antiquity in Higher Education. Perspectives from North America and Europe (D.) Libatique and (F.) McHardy (edd.), Pp. viii + 144. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2023. Cased, £48.99. ISBN: 978-1-032-23512-7

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2024

Brian J. Zawiski*
Affiliation:
Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, NJ, USA
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Abstract

Type
Book Reviews
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association

This work is a collection of chapters from different authors addressing issues about diversity and inclusivity in the Classics classroom, particularly in the United States, United Kingdom, and Greece. This work presents the reader with the real challenge of engaging a diverse, modern audience with the study of the ancient Greco-Roman world through the integration of recent praxis inspired by an appreciation and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This work challenges the contemporary Classics educator to take a new look at their curricula, pedagogy, and assignments to make sure that our praxis is meeting the needs of our students in a diverse and cosmopolitan world. This challenge is necessary when one considers that the Classics classroom has not been known to be the pinnacle of diversity and representation.

Each of the authors in this work's 11 chapters takes up this challenge from a different perspective. Chapters deal with issues surrounding representation in terms of race, gender, and disability. The first chapter presents us with an interesting discussion of how a variety of universities in the United States have located the Classics within their overall curricula and tied them to the mission of their individual institutions. This discussion is framed by the recent debate between pre-eminent thinkers, such as Cornel West, concerning the dissolution of the Classics Department at Howard University. The second chapter discusses the need to increase BIPOC voices in the field of archaeology and offers practical advice for increasing diverse voices in the field. The third chapter discusses a project at Wake Forest University called Classics Beyond Whiteness and about how the Classics faculty took a deliberate approach to highlighting ‘what, and whom, we value’. The fourth chapter presents a fascinating discussion about the teaching of Cicero's Pro Fonteio as a framework for a discussion of the place and treatment of colonised people within the early Roman Empire. For anyone who has taught Caesar's De Bello Gallico, this discussion of who is a Gaul and what was their place within the imperial system proves to be incredibly relevant. Other interesting chapters include discussions of disability and access in terms of museum education, gender and voice in the Classics classroom, and ensuring relevance and inclusivity in the Classics classroom.

This work is incredibly relevant for the contemporary Classics teacher – both at the secondary school level and at the university level. While not every chapter will be of interest to every teacher, there is certainly at least a chapter or two that will prove to be of interest to any teacher open to this challenge and task of creating a more inclusive Classics classroom.