Joshua Livingston

Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies

Primary Academic Program: American and Indigenous Studies

Biography:

Joshua Livingston earned his PhD in social welfare from the City of New York Graduate Center and holds an MSW and a certificate in human services management from Boston University. Using his experiences as a Licensed Master Barber as a model, Professor Livingston focuses on how social innovation and “place-making” can be utilized by young people of color to challenge institutional environments through the use of community forms that hold cultural significance. His dissertation, “Place-Making by Black and Latinx Students in Predominantly White Institutions: Participatory Design and Meaning through a Social Enterprise,” addressed the problem of Black and Latinx retention in post-secondary institutions, particularly in predominantly white institutions. Despite efforts to welcome and support male students of color, he argues, the structures used are created through dominant cultural norms. The thesis outlines an innovative, solution-based retention effort based on the barbershop model. He conducted research for this work at Bard College, utilizing journals written by barbershop participants on their use of the space and the meaning of it to them. Dr. Livingston previously taught at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.

BS, University of Missouri­–Columbia; MSW, Certificate in Human Services Management, Boston University; PhD, The Graduate Center, City University of New York. At Bard since 2019.

 
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