We are proud to announce that Jesika Keener, EdD, a 2025 graduate of the EdD program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University, has published her dissertation titled Becoming the Donkey Derby’s ‘Karen’: A Humane Educator’s Autoethnographic Journey Toward Anti-Speciesist Communication.
In this groundbreaking research, Jesika explores how language not only carries oppression as an educative force but is also inherently speciesist, a pervasive issue within society. Drawing on critical discourse analysis (CDA), this autoethnographic study delves into the hidden curricular aspects of speciesist discourse and the power dynamics reinforced by it. Through personal memory exercises, self-observational audits, and self-reflections, Jesika examines her own journey from an unconscious participant in speciesist culture to an activist challenging speciesism.
Jesika’s work critically engages with the communicated forms of speciesism and offers a framework for resisting its reproduction, with the goal of making anti-speciesist work culturally relevant and institutionally recognized. She highlights the unique experiences of holding a double consciousness, as described by Du Bois, and emphasizes the importance of educational and civic engagement in countering speciesist discourse.
Her dissertation is an important contribution to the literature on humane education, ecolinguistics, and disability studies, bridging the gap between the hidden curriculum in traditional classrooms and the cultural forces that shape our learning through everyday interactions. Jesika’s research opens new possibilities for future scholars and offers valuable insights into fostering compassionate coexistence with all beings.
In addition to earning her EdD, Jesika holds a Graduate Certificate in Comprehensive Humane Education from the Institute for Humane Education, a Master of Arts in Education from The University of Akron, and a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University.
Engage with the full dissertation here: https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/1130/
