Feminist Pedagogy Literature Review - Michael Szajewski

Michael Szajewski

2/12/2017

EDAC 634

Feminist Pedagogy Literature Review

Name	Commented On
Michael Szajewski	Michelle Rose Hobby, Julie Furnish

Introduction

Feminist pedagogy describes a philosophy of teaching and education rooted in feminist theory and influenced by other forms of critical theory. Feminist pedagogy is a response to and critique of hegemonic masculinity that specifically seeks to empower women and other sexual and gender minorities to overcome the oppression of these historically marginalized groups.  This philosophy provides the groundwork to raise epistemological issues that question traditional assumptions about knowledge while also developing an educational space that facilitates resistance to sexism and other forms of cultural oppression in a learning environment. Feminist theory is highly intersectional, examining and considering the interrelatedness of many forms of oppression and many differing groups of oppressed people.  The feminist educator can use the influence of feminist pedagogy to shape educational programs in many ways, including the design of a course syllabus, the creation of course content, the facilitation of class discussion, and the development of class activities.

General Themes

Challenging the Construction of Knowledge

One of the core pillars of feminist pedagogy is the challenging of the construction of knowledge and the rejection of the notion that knowledge is neutral.  In a feminist educational space, the educator and the learner acknowledge that knowledge produced by a particular culture reflects, and can be biased by, power relationships that exist in that culture. The powerful have the capability to produce and disseminate knowledge that serves their own needs and sustains their own power.  The feminist learning space aims to challenge these forms of knowledge by understanding them in their context and realizing their biases, rather than perceiving them as neutral.

Tisdell (1998) describes the notion of seeing with a “third eye” as being aware of the biases that power relationships have on knowledge, writing “to see with a third eye is to recognize that the self (or the author) constructs knowledge in relation to others, and both the self and others are situated and positioned within social structures where they are multiply and simultaneously privileged and oppressed” (The Construction of Knowledge and Giving Voice section, para. 1). Gouthro (2000) describes feminist pedagogy as a positional pedagogy that is rooted in analysis of the cultural/social position of the knowledge creator and learner, explaining that such pedagogies “interrogate relationships of power in larger social and cultural contexts, and they investigate how the power-knowledge relationship affects the production, exchange, and distribution of knowledge at the macro-level in education and culture” (p. 136).  Such analysis can consider knowledge in the context of a widespread culture (macro level) or in the context of a specific learning institution or classroom (micro level).  Ludlow (2004) articulates this pillar of feminist pedagogy and argues that “in the contested classroom, knowledges are always marked by power and privilege” (p. 48) and that “in a contested space classroom, we know that no space is free from domination, so we examine the effects of power and privilege in our classroom environment” (p. 49). Rajani (2015) reflects Tisdell’s notion of the “third eye”, writing that “another thing to consider about a feminist classroom is that it looks at issues of race, class and gender, especially from the lens of the oppressed” (p. 5).

Role of Emotion in Knowledge

One way in which the construction of knowledge can be challenged in the framework of feminist pedagogy is through embracing emotion and personal experience as legitimate and valuable sources of knowledge en lieu of a more traditionally male-centric focus solely on non-personal and rational forms of knowledge.  Many feminist educators emphasizes the dual, interrelated importance of emotional experience and rational reflection.  Weiler (1991) writes, of knowledge-seeking through emotion, that “this kind of knowing through an exploration of feeling and emotion requires collective inquiry and constant reevaluation. It is a contingent and positioned claim to truth” (p. 465). Webb (2002) expands upon this notion, expressing that “feminist theory privileges personal lived experiences as a basis for analysis, theory generation, activism, and research. Thus, a feminist pedagogy involves an emphasis on personal experience and validation” (p. 70). This emphasis empowers women to reject traditional constructions of knowledge and provides a counterspace for women and gender minorities to create knowledge through the lens of their own lives experience.

Tisdell (1996) defines poststructural feminism as grounds for a feminist pedagogy that provides for rationality and emotion as both significant in knowledge creation.  Tisdell acknowledges that a rational perspective is needed to develop a form of feminism that is aware of systems of cultural oppression as opposed to simply focusing on isolated self-empowerment. However, emotionless knowledge production can perpetuate the dominance of traditional male-central knowledge.  Tisdell writes that “poststructural feminist pedagogies would take into account both the intellectual and emotional components to learning, the individual's capacity for agency, as well as the psychological and social and political factors that affect learning” (p. 311). Tisdell (1998) furthers the case for the value of emotion and rationality, writing that “it is important to consider a feminist poststructuralist deconstruction of the "rational-affective" dichotomy. Such a deconstruction bears in mind both the rational or cognitive aspects of affectivity, and the affective components of rationality” (Theoretical Underpinnings section, para. 4).

Contested Spaces, Not Safe Spaces

Many feminist educators have also rejected the “safe space” notion of the ideal classroom space. Since feminist pedagogy deals with rejecting and opposing traditional and normative beliefs and forms of knowledge, a feminist classroom is inherently a space of conflict and contesting.  A safe space, however, connotes a sense of nurturing and neutrality which can prevent this sort of discourse from taking place.  Ludlow (2004) argues that “the problem with ‘safety’ in the feminist classroom is that it is often proclaimed from a position of innocence regarding the ways cultural spaces are inflected by power and privilege” (p. 44). In essence, while the oppressed should feel free and empowered to express themselves in an educational setting, those who possess and wield privilege should not be “safe from” or above criticism in the feminist classroom.  The contested educational space allows room for conflict without being defined by such conflict, and also includes encourages collaboration and coalition building (Ludlow, 47).  Similarly, Tisdell (1996) provides support for the argument that previously-oppressed minorities will be better served in the classroom by coming to voice under circumstances of risk rather than circumstances of safety (p. 310).

Role of the Teacher in the Classroom

Understanding the role of the teacher in the classroom is critical in establishing the sort of contested space described through a feminist pedagogy framework.  Feminist scholars articulate the importance of democratic educational space in which the instructor maintains authority and grants shares that authority with students in the classroom to challenge traditional forms of knowledge.  In many situations, for female educators, the act of claiming and asserting authority in an educational space is critical for demonstrating feminism in action to students. Weiler (1991) writes that “the question of asserting authority and power is a central concern to feminists precisely because as women they have been taught that taking power is inappropriate. From this perspective, the feminist teacher's acceptance of authority becomes in itself liberating to her and to her students” (p. 461).  

Once this power is asserted, the feminist educator should then share such authority to embolden students to participate in a contested classroom space.  As Rajani (2015) states, “feminist pedagogy is practiced within the authoritarian, power structure and freedom is given to students in the dichotomy of slavery that is ingrained in their mind since they were in elementary school” (p. 21).  Traditional hierarchy-based classroom orientation should be avoided as a means of signifying the authority of the instructor, though.  Tessier (2009) explains that “feminist teachers disrupt hierarchical classrooms, in which the instructor stands at the front of the room and students sit at desks or tables in rows in front of the instructor, by physically changing the classroom, whether by re-arranging the desks from rows into circles or semi-circles or by refusing to stand behind a podium” (p. 11).  Webb (2002) summarizes the implications of such classroom constructs, writing that “feminist pedagogy offers both the professor and student new relational roles. Power becomes shared as students assume more responsibility for teaching and teachers for learning” (p. 68).

Importance of Positionality

Feminist pedagogy however recognizes that the positionality of the teacher (ie, the teacher’s race, gender, class background, etc.) in relation to the society in which the educational space is situated can affect acceptance of an instructor’s authority. Students from traditionally privileged groups often struggle to accept, or even openly reject, the authority of an instructor from a background that has been traditionally oppressed or disenfranchised.  Brown (2000) studied the obstacles that African-American female mathematics teachers faced in classroom rooted in the presence of racist and sexist societal beliefs about teacher qualifications that were brought from the outside world into a learning space. Acknowledging these obstacles, Brown writes that “these African American women actively set out to prove that they are reputable mathematics teachers. The fact that they have to establish credibility as opposed to it being assumed is a burden that these women carry because of their race and gender” (A Teaching Philosophy Born Out of Marginalization section, para. 8).

Also, as Tisdell (1998) points out, students are often more likely to be accepting of more radical course content when the instructor is from a traditionally privileged population group than when a traditionally disenfranchised population group. She argues that “a white tenured male professor who is married can quite 'safely' problemetize his identity; he probably can also champion women's fights, or affirmative action, or gay and lesbian fights and in so doing will often be seen as a hero. If an African-American woman brings up her own identity or champions women's rights or race fights, she may be seen as 'pushing her own agenda'" (Foregrounding Positionality section, para. 2).  Feminist pedagogy addresses and understands these inequities as a byproduct of societal power relationships and acknowledges that social hierarchies outside the classroom greatly affect power relationships inside the classroom.  The feminist educator seeks to develop strategies and best practices such that all voices in the classroom (those of the educator and those of the students) are empowered and emboldened.

Intersectionality

The complexities of positionality in the context of feminist pedagogy speak to the significance of developing feminism that is intersectional.  Intersectional feminism rejects the notion of one unified female experience and acknowledges the women of different races, class backgrounds, sexual orientation, and gender identity all face unique and distinct forms of oppression. This notion challenges the idea of the existence of a unified and universal group of the oppressed who face oppression in a similar way. As Weiler (1991) writes, “in settings in which students come from differing positions of privilege or oppression, the sharing of experience raises conflicts rather than building solidarity. In these circumstances, the collective exploration of experience leads not to a common knowledge and solidarity based on sameness, but to the tensions of an articulation of difference” (p. 469). A feminist educator is cognizant of the diverse experiences and forms of oppression that women face and creates a space for all these forms of feminist to be expressed.  A feminist educator seeks to build an inclusive notion of feminism that empowers women of all backgrounds.

Collaboration and ego-checking are important factors in developing cross-cultural, intersectional feminism. As Kamaara (2012) writes, “ego involves othernization and exclusion, as it works to define others in comparison to the self so that others are understood to be what the self is not.” Furthermore, “the struggle for justice rests upon the breaking of ego in order to facilitate the creation of a genuinely collaborative space; a space in which learning ‘about one another’ and ‘from another’ is transformed into “learning with one another” (64).

Empowerment of Women

The above-discussed factors all work together to help develop an educational space that is designed to empower women to overcome repressive forces.  As Webb (2002) writes, “the primary goal of feminist pedagogy...involves the principles of democracy and shared power” (p. 68).  Tessier (2009) emphasizes that “feminist pedagogy addresses sexism and heterosexism in society” and that “feminist pedagogy is concerned for women students inside and outside of the classroom and “is committed to improving the lives of women” (p. 9). Women’s empowerment and the empowerment of other oppressed minorities can be emboldened by theoretical approaches that challenge traditional male-centric sources of knowledge. Such empowerment can also be rooted in a nuanced understanding of the complexities of various systems of cultural oppression. The aims of feminist pedagogy can be supported by a diverse set of practical applications that can be explored broadly in educational settings.

Implications

These theoretical components of feminist pedagogy have many practical applications and can be used to influence the development of educational programs, curriculum planning, and classroom teaching in vast and numerous ways.  For example, employing narrative learning activities in the classroom can provide for a learning environment in which first-hand experiences and emotions are interpreted as valid and insightful sources of knowledge. Tessier (2009) describes the use of journaling as a means of self-reflection in women’s studies college-level courses as a way to facilitate students’ understanding of reaction to and expression of emotion and direct experience as a source of knowledge. Tisdell supports this notion, expressing the value of “‘engaged pedagogy,’ which takes into account people's emotions as well as critical thinking in learning and working for social change” to support a feminist educational space. Ludlow (2004) similarly describes the value of narrative learning in expressing emotional knowledge when discussing the encouraging of oppressed students to discuss incidents of oppression and cultural unsafeness in a classroom setting.

Assembling panels of guests speakers and encouraging service-oriented learning are other ways in which students can be taught to experience the value of direct experience as a valued source of knowledge. As Tessier (2009) writes “although many instructors push students to go out in the community to perform service to the advantage of women or participate in campus events, many of the instructors bring the community into the classroom in the form of guest speakers and guest panels, such as sexual orientation panels“ (p. 37).

Proactively selecting educational texts for students to read that challenge privileged narratives and constructs of knowledge rooted in privilege is a useful strategy for developing a feminist classroom in which students feel encouraged and motivated to challenge the construct of knowledge. Gouthro (2000) supports the notion that challenging and evaluating course texts to avoid further privileging already-privileged knowledge is a critical component of developing course curriculum to foster feminist pedagogical spaces.  Ludlow (2004) links this concept to the creation of the contested classroom space, writing that about the value in “decentering privileged perspectives, which can feel quite unsafe to students who occupy those privileged subjectivities” (p. 41). Selection of course texts that articulate silenced and disenfranchised perspectives can achieve this aim.  

Many scholars and educators also describe tactics that allow the teacher the assert authority and grant authority in the classroom to those who may otherwise feel disenfranchised. Rajani argues that it is first critical to empower the entire body of students to ask for help or clarity at any point during an educational program, writing that “in a feminist classroom students are entrusted with the responsibility to ask for help and ask questions in order to understand” (p. 15). Furthermore, the instruction must actively combat imbalances in the classroom that may discourage females and members of other traditionally-disadvantaged groups from speaking. Rajani (2015) writes that “the teacher’s role best suited for situations where one male student takes over the class, because he is the loudest and maybe most confident, would be to ensure that other students including females and minorities get a chance to speak” (p. 16). Tessier provides examples of instructors who developed routine classroom practices that encourage a democratic environment in which all were encouraged to speak, reporting that “one instructor included in the syllabus directions for a closing ritual, which was to occur in the last fifteen minutes of each class period. This closing ritual was a space for each student to speak in class” (p. 28). Brown (2000) also suggested the value of instructors calling on women over men more often to correct imbalances in male-dominated learning spaces.

Other scholars report on strategies to deflect rejection of instructor authority rooted in matters of instructor positionality. In a study about challenges to authority faced by African American women math teachers, Brown (2000) described a teacher who, when faced with such rejection of authority “did not enter into verbal matches with her students; she tried instead to alleviate heated situations by backing off or trying to use humor. Addie, who has a quiet nature, realized that teachers possess power and stated that she did not feel it was necessary to exhibit an I-must-win attitude” (Positionality Affects Classroom Interactions and Teaching Strategies section, para. 4) Other instructors in the same study suggested that value of using humor to deflect to defuse situations in which instructor authority is rejected and the opportunities to allow other students to identify and call out disrespectful behavior by students of traditionally-empowered demographic groups against instructors of traditionally-disenfranchised groups (Brown 2000).

Other in-class activities can also allow students to understand the intersectionality of feminism and the multiple and varying nature of systems of oppression potentially affecting learners. Ludlow (2004) developed a classroom activity described as “an exercise in self-location, which students have nicknamed ‘the pinwheel’...I require students to locate themselves in terms of class, ethnicity, gender, and race and then allow them to choose four other categories to include” (p. 50).

Reflection

I found this assignment to be unique and interesting as my research led me to a diverse group of sources.  Some sources were highly theoretical, some reported on findings from very focused studies, some rooted more in educational theory, and others rooted more in feminist theory.  Despite this variety, I felt that the sources all provided information that developed a unified and complete, though varying and diverse, conceptualization of feminist pedagogy. Similarly, I appreciated how the different authors used different language and methods of argumentation to make arguments the complemented each other.  Each unique perspective added depth and diversity to my literature review.

I enjoyed the research process and found several valuable search strategies for identifying relevant articles.  The textbook was useful in identifying several critical texts on the subject of feminist pedagogy.  These texts provided invaluable framework and background information on the topic and its theoretical influences.  Searching for cited sources in these texts also helped me identify other useful literature.  Searching through Ball State’s OneSearch database and using Google Scholar also helped me find other articles, theses, and dissertations on the topic, including case studies.

Summary Table

Main ideas/themes from the literature	Application of main ideas in practice
Emotional and experience are both valuable sources of knowledge and should be acknowledged, valued, and given privilege as such.	Narrative learning and other experiential activities allow learners to gain knowledge from emotion and experience.
Challenging the construction of knowledge brings to light the effect of power on assumed knowledge and examines biases in knowledge.	Critical text selection can present ideas to learners that challenge traditionally-privileged knowledge and knowledge creation.
A democratic educational space in which the instructor maintains authority and grants shares that authority with students in the classroom to challenge traditional forms of knowledge facilitates feminist learning space.	Activities to empower students to seek authority in the classroom can facilitate such a democratic space.
Students from traditionally privileged groups often struggle to accept, or even openly reject, the authority of an instructor from a background that has been traditionally oppressed or disenfranchised. The feminist educator seeks to develop strategies and best practices such that all voices in the classroom (those of the educator and those of the students) are empowered and emboldened.	Strategies to deflect criticism of teacher authority can help instructors and educators overcome challenges rooted in rejections of authority of this nature.

Works Cited

Brown, A.H., Cervero, R.M., & Johnson-Bailey, J. (2000). Making the invisible visible: Race, gender, and teaching in adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 50(4), 273-288

Gouthro, P.A. & Grace, A.P. (2000). Feminist pedagogies and graduate adult and higher education for women students: Matters of connection and possibility. In T.J. Sork, V. Chapman, & R. St. Clair (Eds.). Proceedings of the 41st Annual Adult Education Research Conference (pp. 134-138). Vancouver: University of British Columbia.

Kamaara, E.K., Vasko, E.T. and Viau, J.E. (2012). Listening and Speaking as Two Sides of the Same Coin: Negotiating Dualisms in Intercultural Feminist Collaboration. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. 28(2), 49-67.

Ludlow, J. (2004). From Safe Space to Contested Space in the Feminist Classroom. Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy 15(1), 40-56.

Rajani, L. (2015). Proceedings from 2015 Hawaii University International Conferences. January 3-6, 2015. Feminist Pedgogy in the University Classroom: Understanding the Classroom as a Place Where Knowledge is Created as Opposed to Knowledge Being Delivered to Students. http://www.huichawaii.org/assets/lata,-rajani---2015-ahse-huic.pdf

Tessier, S (2009). Developing Feminist Activist Pedagogy: A Case Study Approach in the Women's Studies Department at the University of South Florida. (Master’s thesis) http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4989&context=etd

Tisdell, E.J. (1996). Proceedings of the 37th Annual Adult Education Research Conference. Feminist Pedagogy and adult learning: Underlying theory and emancipatory practice. (pp. 307-312). Tampa: University of South Florida.

Tisdell, E.J. (1998). Poststructural feminist pedagogies: The possibilities and limitations of a feminist emancipatory adult learning theory and practice. Adult Education Quarterly, 48(3). 139-156.

Webb, L.M., Allen,M.W., and Walker, K.L. (2002). Feminist Pedagogy: Identifying Basic Principles. Academic Exchange. 6(Spring) 67-72.

Weiler, K. (1991). Freire and a feminist pedagogy of difference. Harvard Education Review. 61(4). 449-474.