Page 73 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 5-6: Teaching Feminism, ed. Valerija Vendramin
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a. mladenović ■ feminist classrooms in practice
- resisting hierarchical relations: Is resisting hierarchy even possible
in situations where one party is paid to be assessing another? How
can equality be achieved in the classroom and in student–teacher
relations?;
- using experiences as a learning source: Who has a voice and is able
to speak out? Are all voices equally present? Which aspects of ex-
perience are hushed by the dominant voices of the classroom? How
can students and teachers incorporate their private experiences into
their professional relationship? and;
- transformative learning: How can ways of thinking change in an in-
stitutionalised learning environment? What are the possibilities for
a change in the ways of thinking? Can this transformation be viewed
in negative terms? (ibid.)
Feminist Pedagogy in Practice
Before providing some examples of teaching and learning as conceptual-
ised by feminist pedagogy, let us turn our attention to the content that
fits into feminist pedagogy by meeting the broadest criteria of the follow-
ing basic feminist principles. Teaching feminism addresses issues like: sex-
ism, gender dynamics, power relations, structural inequalities, intersect-
ing differences, hierarchy, patriarchy, gender-based violence, homophobia,
transphobia, sex education, gender stereotypes, gender representations in
media and popular culture and many more. This list is incomplete and
intentionally broadly set to cover different social arenas. Just how much
feminism has to give in regard to a critical reflection of society as a whole
may be inferred from the extensive list of feminist interventions in a single
social institution, the school. Focusing on the educative process, feminism
reflects the issues of gender inequality in education such as gender stereo-
types, school-related gender-based violence, the feminisation of teaching,
the masculinisation of tertiary education, gender and achievement, gen-
der and dropout, gender segregation in educational choices, gender-specif-
ic learning styles, gendered curriculum, gender-specific disciplinary prac-
tices, gender-specific pedagogical approaches and methods of teaching
etc. Again, the list is not complete.
However, the purpose of feminist pedagogy is not to teach femi-
nism by focusing solely on issues regarding gender, but to incorporate
basic feminist principles and values (for example those of solidarity, em-
powerment, cooperation and justice) and feminist ethics, based on the im-
portance of personal experience, context and nurturing relationships (see
Kavka, 2007) in the teaching and learning process. Thus, feminist peda-
gogy can be used in different ways within and across many disciplines. For
71
- resisting hierarchical relations: Is resisting hierarchy even possible
in situations where one party is paid to be assessing another? How
can equality be achieved in the classroom and in student–teacher
relations?;
- using experiences as a learning source: Who has a voice and is able
to speak out? Are all voices equally present? Which aspects of ex-
perience are hushed by the dominant voices of the classroom? How
can students and teachers incorporate their private experiences into
their professional relationship? and;
- transformative learning: How can ways of thinking change in an in-
stitutionalised learning environment? What are the possibilities for
a change in the ways of thinking? Can this transformation be viewed
in negative terms? (ibid.)
Feminist Pedagogy in Practice
Before providing some examples of teaching and learning as conceptual-
ised by feminist pedagogy, let us turn our attention to the content that
fits into feminist pedagogy by meeting the broadest criteria of the follow-
ing basic feminist principles. Teaching feminism addresses issues like: sex-
ism, gender dynamics, power relations, structural inequalities, intersect-
ing differences, hierarchy, patriarchy, gender-based violence, homophobia,
transphobia, sex education, gender stereotypes, gender representations in
media and popular culture and many more. This list is incomplete and
intentionally broadly set to cover different social arenas. Just how much
feminism has to give in regard to a critical reflection of society as a whole
may be inferred from the extensive list of feminist interventions in a single
social institution, the school. Focusing on the educative process, feminism
reflects the issues of gender inequality in education such as gender stereo-
types, school-related gender-based violence, the feminisation of teaching,
the masculinisation of tertiary education, gender and achievement, gen-
der and dropout, gender segregation in educational choices, gender-specif-
ic learning styles, gendered curriculum, gender-specific disciplinary prac-
tices, gender-specific pedagogical approaches and methods of teaching
etc. Again, the list is not complete.
However, the purpose of feminist pedagogy is not to teach femi-
nism by focusing solely on issues regarding gender, but to incorporate
basic feminist principles and values (for example those of solidarity, em-
powerment, cooperation and justice) and feminist ethics, based on the im-
portance of personal experience, context and nurturing relationships (see
Kavka, 2007) in the teaching and learning process. Thus, feminist peda-
gogy can be used in different ways within and across many disciplines. For
71
