Chapter 19: Positionality Stories As Acts Of Walking Away: A Critical Pedagogy in Academic Literacies

Academic literacy (AL) courses stand as a cornerstone of South African Higher Education, yet its persistent alignment with a white-centric framework has rendered it alienating for diverse student cohorts. Despite its pivotal role in facilitating academic achievement, AL courses have predominantly reflected Eurocentric perspectives, prioritizing linguistic, conceptual, and skill-based resources that conform to Western academic standards (Ballard & Clanchy, 1988; Flower, 1990; Gee, 1990; Lea & Street, 1998). This Eurocentric bias has marginalized students for whom AL should serve as a pathway to academic access and success in highereducation (HE). However, the discourse surrounding decolonization in South African universities has largely overlooked AL courses, perceiving them as neutral and peripheral to the broader decolonial agenda (Boughey & McKenna, 2016).