Page 11 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 5-6: Teaching Feminism, ed. Valerija Vendramin
P. 11
v. vendramin ■ teaching and trending feminism in the 21st century
a feminist standpoint (i.e. as a feminist).10 Ideally, the two are joined in a
struggle towards social and personal transformation or, in a slightly dif-
ferent perspective,11 what is needed is the convergence of theory and prac-
tice (Pravadelli in Perger et al., this issue).
Nina Perger, Metka Mencin and Veronika Tašner in their con-
tribution Teaching Feminism: Between Marginalisation and Feminist
Persistence deal with feminist principles, content and practices in higher
education in times of neoliberal ideology, post-feminism and the intensi-
fication of extreme-right wing politics. They look into the state of feminist
topics in the context of Slovenian higher education via document analysis
of the curricula of Slovenian universities. Their research shows that gen-
der-related topics are marginalised and non-obligatory, and feminist top-
ics sporadic.
Biljana Kašić in her contribution Feminism as Epistemic Disobedience
and Transformative Knowledge: Exploration of an Alternative Educational
Centre argues that an alternative form of education (i.e. outside of aca-
demic institutions) can ensure a freeing up from hegemonic and misogy-
nist knowledge; thus, it creates a powerful shift towards feminism as an
epistemic disobedience and activist theory. She further elaborates on the
need to add new contents and to embed a gender perspective across the
curriculum.
Renata Šribar deals with current pandemic crisis and relates it to
feminist practice (i.e. pandemic-related feminist pedagogy) in her Study
in a Virtual Class: Doings of Feminist Pedagogy and the Covid-19 Crisis.
Her article concerns personal experiences of teaching in a virtual class and
reflects on the characteristics of feminist and critical pedagogy. She pre-
sents a conceptual reorganisation via the triangulation of students, the
“object”, (subject matter, related experience, and embodiment through
feelings), and the teacher.
Ana Mladenović also looks at feminist classrooms in her contribu-
tion Feminist Classrooms in Practice and highlights the importance of in-
tegrating feminist pedagogy throughout the entire education system. She
presents examples of feminist classrooms on different education levels
(preschool education, primary and secondary education). Not all of the
practices are presented in the literature review; practices on primary and
secondary levels are presented as reported in a semi-structured interview
with a teacher in training.
10 This is not entirely the same as a standpoint as an epistemological concept, see e.g. Ander-
son, 2020.
11 I include not only theory in a narrower sense of the word, but also instruction from a his-
torical perspective on the fights for women’s rights etc.
9
a feminist standpoint (i.e. as a feminist).10 Ideally, the two are joined in a
struggle towards social and personal transformation or, in a slightly dif-
ferent perspective,11 what is needed is the convergence of theory and prac-
tice (Pravadelli in Perger et al., this issue).
Nina Perger, Metka Mencin and Veronika Tašner in their con-
tribution Teaching Feminism: Between Marginalisation and Feminist
Persistence deal with feminist principles, content and practices in higher
education in times of neoliberal ideology, post-feminism and the intensi-
fication of extreme-right wing politics. They look into the state of feminist
topics in the context of Slovenian higher education via document analysis
of the curricula of Slovenian universities. Their research shows that gen-
der-related topics are marginalised and non-obligatory, and feminist top-
ics sporadic.
Biljana Kašić in her contribution Feminism as Epistemic Disobedience
and Transformative Knowledge: Exploration of an Alternative Educational
Centre argues that an alternative form of education (i.e. outside of aca-
demic institutions) can ensure a freeing up from hegemonic and misogy-
nist knowledge; thus, it creates a powerful shift towards feminism as an
epistemic disobedience and activist theory. She further elaborates on the
need to add new contents and to embed a gender perspective across the
curriculum.
Renata Šribar deals with current pandemic crisis and relates it to
feminist practice (i.e. pandemic-related feminist pedagogy) in her Study
in a Virtual Class: Doings of Feminist Pedagogy and the Covid-19 Crisis.
Her article concerns personal experiences of teaching in a virtual class and
reflects on the characteristics of feminist and critical pedagogy. She pre-
sents a conceptual reorganisation via the triangulation of students, the
“object”, (subject matter, related experience, and embodiment through
feelings), and the teacher.
Ana Mladenović also looks at feminist classrooms in her contribu-
tion Feminist Classrooms in Practice and highlights the importance of in-
tegrating feminist pedagogy throughout the entire education system. She
presents examples of feminist classrooms on different education levels
(preschool education, primary and secondary education). Not all of the
practices are presented in the literature review; practices on primary and
secondary levels are presented as reported in a semi-structured interview
with a teacher in training.
10 This is not entirely the same as a standpoint as an epistemological concept, see e.g. Ander-
son, 2020.
11 I include not only theory in a narrower sense of the word, but also instruction from a his-
torical perspective on the fights for women’s rights etc.
9
