Professor

For the past decade, I have been developing the field of integral feminist education and feminist spiritual activism, working alongside sister scholars to offer a transdisciplinary and socially-engaged approach to the study of gender, spirituality, and religion. 

I am a full-time core faculty member in the Women’s Spirituality program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), where I helped to develop the master’s program in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice.

Click to see a 19-min video, "Women's Spirituality in Higher Education," produced by Deborah Santana. This video was filmed at CIIS.

Scholarship 

My research and teaching encompass four interrelated areas of scholarship:

  1. The first area is feminist spiritual activism, where I examine the influence of women’s religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences on their work for women’s liberation. I also look at how a feminist lens is necessary to challenge abuse within spiritual communities.

  2. My second area of scholarship relates to animal ethics from a decolonial and ecofeminist perspective. You can read more about this on my animal advocate page.

  3. Transformative feminist leadership is my third area, and I focus on how women and members of non-dominant groups can more deeply connect to their sovereignty.

  4. My fourth area is liberatory education that brings together radical social analysis, inner wisdom, and sacred teachings; I call this paradigm an integral feminist pedagogy

Courses Include

Educational Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is centered on liberating minds and hearts from patriarchal conditioning, culture, and religion while co-creating a sacred space of healing, growth, and connection. I developed a unique educational paradigm called integral feminist pedagogy, which weaves together feminist social justice education with spiritual and embodied wisdom. You can read more about this here.

You can also read more about integral feminist pedagogy in my upcoming blog - stay tuned!

Student Testimonials

  • “Alka, you are as skillful online as you are in person. Both of your classes have been some of my favorite so far in my Masters program because of the amazing readings, your skillful lectures and facilitation, and your presence and attentiveness!”

    Student, Cultivating Conscious Leadership Among Women

  • “I am a community educator and interested in liberatory and integral pedagogy in social justice education. This course was invaluable in informing my work.”

    Student, Teaching to Transform: Liberatory Feminist Education

  • “The instructor [Alka] demonstrated compassion, wisdom, and true leadership through vulnerability and an open heart”

    Student, Spiritual Activism and Transformative Social Change

 Publications

  • “Pedagogy of the Consumed: An Integral Feminist Lens on Veganism in Higher Education.” In Feminist Animal and Multispecies Studies: Critical Perspecives on Food and Eating, edited by Kadri Aavik, Kuura Irni and Milla-Maria Joki. Brill Publishers. [in press]

  • “Feminism and Spiritual Citizenship.” Tarka: Journal of Embodied Philosophy, Issue #6. 

  • With Sherri Taylor, Sara Salazar, May Elawar, and Joanne Gozawa. 2021. “Pandemic Pedagogy: Narratives of Vulnerability, Grace, and Rebellion.” In Lessons from the Pandemic: Trauma-Informed Approaches to College, Crisis, Change, edited by Janice Carello and Phyllis Thompson. New York, NY: Palgrave.

  • With May Elawar, and Serena Cheng. 2019. “Socially Conscious Leadership: An Integrated Model.” Journal of Leadership Studies, 13: 38-43. doi:10.1002/jls.21662.

  • 2018. “Re-Enchanting Feminism: Challenging Religious and Secular Patriarchies.” In Postsecular Feminisms: Religion and Gender in Transnational Context, edited by Nandini Deo, 32-51. Oxford: Bloomsbury Press.

  • 2017. “Women’s Spirituality at CIIS: Uniting Integral and Feminist Pedagogies.”  Integral Review, Vol. 13. No. 1 July.

  • 2016. "Justice for Just Us?" Tikkun 31, no. 1: 30-35.

  • With May Elawar. 2015. "Questioning God: A Spiritual Feminist Dialogue." CrossCurrents 65, no. 4: 457-68.

  • “Aligning in Socially Transformative Courses.” 2005. In Aligning for Learning: Strategies for Teaching Effectiveness, edited by Donald Wulff, 147-161. Bolton, MA: Anker Books.