Biography

Monika L. Son, PhD is a tenured assistant professor at John Jay College , City University of New York. She teaches courses in Education and Justice and is Chair and Director of her department, the Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Department. The SEEK Department which came out of the 1964 Civil Rights Legislation, is an access and opportunity program for youth who are under-represented, for reasons of income, race or academic experiences and who may not have had the opportunity to attend college. Dr. Son, who is trained as a developmental psychologist, studies how implementing contemplative pedagogies such as journaling, story –telling, meditation and embodied practices, develops a student’s ability to build capacity for discomfort; as well as their ability to build critical consciousness and social action, when teaching about Race, Power, Gender, Privilege and Oppression. Dr. Son is also interested in how engaging in contemplative and embodied practices lead to healing and transformation, particularly for marginalized groups who have suffered from internalized oppression. Her work is recognized by the community of scholars who study and incorporate contemplative/ introspective practices in social justice pedagogy.