Social Justice Pedagogies

Feminist Pedagogy arose from the expansion of Women’s Studies programs in the 1970s and began gaining traction as a pedagogical framework throughout the 1980s. It is a framework based upon a vision of what education could become but often is not. In her influential 1987 article, "What Is Feminist Pedagogy?," Carolyn M. Shrewsbury describes feminist pedagogy as “engaged teaching/learning - engaged with self in a continuing reflective process; engaged actively with the material being studied; engaged with others in a struggle to get beyond our sexism and racism and classism and homophobia and other destructive hatreds and to work together to enhance our knowledge; engaged with the community, with traditional organizations, and with movements for social change” (p. 6). Drawing from feminist theory, feminist pedagogy rethinks the hierarchal structure in the classroom by redistributing power. Classic examples of feminist pedagogy in action include shifts from lectures to discussions or reimagining the instructor as a facilitator or co-learner rather than as the expert.

Below, we have included foundational feminist texts such as M. Jacqui Alexander's Pedagogies of Crossing and bell hooks' Teaching to Transgress, but we have also included readings that address specific yet now common classroom situations such as teaching as a guest lecturer (Henderson, 2019) or teaching in the time of COVID-19 (Rifino and Sugarman, 2022). 

Reflective Practices 

As you explore feminist pedagogy, ask yourself these questions:

1. How do my teaching practices create a classroom hierarchy of power, and what can I do to deconstruct this hierarchy? Am I comfortable giving up some of my power as an instructor? Why or why not? What fears do I have, and how might these fears be getting in the way of my students' learning? 
2. Consider your style of teaching. Are your classes composed mostly of lecture? Of class discussions? Of hands-on activities? How might you replace passive learning (i.e. long lectures) with active learning strategies that allow for pleasure/enjoyment while maintaining seriousness within the classroom? 
3. In what ways am I comfortable being vulnerable in my classroom? How would sharing my own positionality help my students see me as a person? 

Teaching Practices

After you work through some of the feminist pedagogy reflective practices, here are some starting teaching practices you might adopt:

1. Remind yourself and your students that you are not just minds but also bodies in the classroom. Instructors might move around if it’s feasible or comfortable, walk back and forth, go behind their desk and then out again, sit amongst the students, etc. Instructors might also invite students to stretch, take a moment for deep breaths, stand up, etc.
2. Rather than focus on memorization or the repetition of information, design your courses around inquiry. Remind students that you as an instructor are also a learner and that you and your students can teach each other. 
   • Setting up a class lexicon on the first day of class or having students build a class lexicon throughout the duration of the semester gives them the ability to take control of their learning. This is one way they can become co-teachers alongside the instructor.
3. Recognize that students have diverse and full lives outside of your classroom and make an effort to be upfront about grading deadlines, grading schedules, and if there is any flexibility. Additionally, make an effort to check-in with students and ask how they are genuinely doing.