Manu Sharma
Associate Professor
Scholar, Educator, and Researcher with a commitment to social justice given her direct experiences with different injustices, with a vision to create equitable schools and a truly equitable society for all racialized and marginalized peoples.
About me
Manu Sharma is an Associate Professor at Thompson Rivers University in the Faculty of Education and Social Work. She brings a critical social justice lens to her research, teaching, and service; and is committed to empowering marginalized communities through capacity building. She is the Founder and President of the Canadian Association for Social Justice Education and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Justice Education. Her research interests and publications in social justice education are based on equity initiatives, social justice pedagogy, deficit thinking, and international teaching experiences. She is a proud mother of her amazing twins and thankful for her thought-provoking husband. Manu enjoys swimming, playing piano, gardening, and taking long walks by the water.
Teaching & Research
My research carries the vision and goal of societal transformation
As a social justice educator who upholds values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, while acknowledging power, privilege, different needs, and histories of each marginalized community, I hope to bring unity in upholding each other with support, alliance-building, and championing humanitarian perspective with values of care, respect, and love.
My research in social justice relates to making social change by investigating how power, and structural hierarchies shape people’s perceptions across the areas of education and policies. By examining the influence of neoliberalism and Eurocentric values in Western Society, my research challenges the unquestioned hierarchies on teacher education, higher education and policy development.
Recent Initiatives
The Journal of Social Justice Education
It is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that publishes scholarly, practitioner, and creative works examining inequities in educational contexts. It features critical analyses, community-engaged research, and diverse methodological approaches that interrogate power, policy, and practice across local and global settings.
Canadian Association for Social Justice Education
In this association, we intend to welcome racialized social justice researchers and allies who engage in social justice education to come together and critically question normalized practices, systems, power/privilege, and behaviors.
CSSE EDID Advisory Council
This Advisory Council provides direction on action and initiatives related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID) to the Canadian Society for Studies of Education.
What I Believe In
“I believe that we have the strength and depth of an ocean when we are a community. And for me, this strength of a community comes alive in the university classroom in each course I teach. I encourage critical questions, discussions, and philosophical thinking in all my courses to help provide a space for creative thinking and new possibilities with respect to rethinking the structures of schools and society”
Want to hear more?
I am always open to accept invitations to meet with colleagues, for keynotes or presentations. Please do not hesitate to contact me.