Charles Karcher

In the wake of the Occupied UC Berkeley protests of 2011, American universities have experienced a wave of resistance that mirrors the vigor and orientation of the global student movements that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While the University of Florida has been the site of a number of protests during both eras, there is a deficit in scholarly analysis of the success of these moments of resistance , as well as their relationship to each other, the university administration, and the outside world. With 2020 marking 50 years since the major student protests of the last century, it is timely to investigate such facets of and relationships between each era. To accomplish this, I will use theoretical perspectives from theorists from the Frankfurt School and postmodern canons. My research will use historic resources from the University Archives and local media outlets, as well as interviews with historians and university officials, to ultimately analyze the efficacy and relevance of resistance within the walls of the neoliberal academy.