Student Power: A Canadian Student Movement History Podcast cover art

Student Power: A Canadian Student Movement History Podcast

Student Power: A Canadian Student Movement History Podcast

Written by: Andre Goulet
Listen for free

About this listen

 As global campus protests attract academic and public attention, interest in student movements continues to grow; however, very little is known about the Canadian context. Dr. Roberta Lexier’s monograph offers the first detailed history of on-campus activism in Canada with each chapter drawing upon archival documents, media reports, and oral interviews to chronicle major upheavals in, respectively, the Sixties, 1975-2000 and 2001-2020.

Grounded in the larger historical, political, economic, social/cultural, and institutional context of the period, each episode analyzes the various demands and tactics, the internal and external responses, and perceivable outcomes. Together, they demonstrate that student movements regularly anticipate broader social and political developments and, despite ongoing resistance to their confrontational strategies, effectively advance democracy and social justice both on- and off-campus.

The conclusion brings the story to the present moment, using news coverage, survey data, and interviews to examine recent pro-Palestinian encampments at Canadian universities encouraging scholars, activists, and the general public to take student movements seriously, positing that they are viewed as dangerous, not because they interfere with university operations or public safety, but because they often herald real, transformative change.Dr. Roberta Lexier World
Episodes
  • Canadian Student Movements: An Introduction

    Canadian Student Movements: An Introduction
    Jan 26 2026
    On episode 1 Dr. Roberta Lexier introduces the pro-Palestinian encampments in an interview with University of Alberta faculty member, Dr. Michael Litwack, and considers the long history of student movements with Dr. Pieter Dhondt, co-editor of the book Student Revolt, City, and Society in Europe: From the Middle Ages to the Present.

    Show Notes:
    • Roberta Lexier, Student Power: Canadian Student Movements From the Sixties to Today - https://link.springer.com/book/9783032109620
    • Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/robertalexier.bsky.social
    • Pieter Dhondt & Elizabethanne Boran, Student Revolt, City, and Society in Europe: From the Middle Ages to the Present - https://www.routledge.com/Student-Revolt-City-and-Society-in-Europe-From-the-Middle-Ages-to-the-Present/Dhondt-Boran/p/book/9780367667702
    • Palestine Solidarity Movement - https://www.instagram.com/palsolidaritycad/?hl=en
    • Labour 4 Palestine Canada - https://www.labourforpalestine.com/
    • Independent Jewish Voices - https://www.ijvcanada.org/
    • Faculty for Palestine - https://faculty4palestine.ca/
    • Watermelon Foundation for Justice - https://watermelon-foundation.com/
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
No reviews yet