A variety of journals and papers explore teaching and learning topics in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS). Topics include sensitive classroom conversations, anthropological study in the classroom, and impact of WS teaching in learning and campus climate.
Journals and Websites
Articles and Papers
Abstract: “Women’s and gender studies (WGS) classes and programmes have been developed on many university and college campuses around the world. Despite some success in the establishment of WGS in higher education, WGS has been the target of significant criticism. Detractors of WGS have charged that WGS is intellectually frivolous and that WGS teachers focus excessively on students’ personal thoughts and experiences, are intolerant of differing opinions, present a narrow political ideology and, in many cases, cause distress to students. In contrast, WGS pedagogists have emphasized the importance of allowing students to express their thoughts and opinions and of developing open‐mindedness and scholarly, critical thinking. Further, they have asserted that WGS courses promote important educational goals, including increased awareness of sexism and other social inequities, more egalitarian attitudes toward women and other traditionally oppressed groups, and active community involvement to promote social equality. This review considers the empirical evidence for these competing opinions of the value and impact of WGS.”
Abstract: “Critics of women’s studies (WS) have charged that WS teaching overemphasizes students’ personal experience and is overly politicized. They claim further that WS classes discourage critical, independent thinking and stifle open, participatory learning, causing student dissatisfaction. This study provides empirical evidence of the process of WS teaching from the perspective of 111 teachers and 789 of their students from 32 campuses in the United States. Contrary to WS critics, WS faculty and students reported strong emphases on critical thinking/open-mindedness and participatory learning and relatively weaker emphases on personal experience and political understanding/activism. In addition, student ratings of positive class impact were higher for WS than non-WS classes. The results support the pedagogic distinctiveness of women’s studies.”
Excerpt (Page 47): “This article examines one way institutionalized sexism operates in the university setting by examining the gender roles and gender hierarchies implicit in (allegedly gender-neutral) university tenure and promotion policies. Current working assumptions regarding (1) what constitutes good research, teaching, and service and (2) the relative importance of each of these endeavors reflect and perpetuate masculine values and practices, thus preventing the professional advancement of female faculty both individually and collectively A gendered division of labor exists within (as outside) the contemporary academy wherein research is implicitly deemed ‘men’s work’ and is explicitly valued, whereas teaching and service are characterized as ‘women’s work’ and explicitly devalued.”
Abstract: “Despite the fact that Women’s Studies (WS) calls itself ‘an educational movement for change’, until recently, there has been a remarkable dearth of reflective writings on the theories and practices of the WS classroom dynamics. In this brief overview I first provide some suggestions as to why this gap exists in the literature on WS and then introduce some ‘themes’ that surface frequently in the existing articles on WS ‘gynagogy’, e.g. consciousness raising; interactive learning and teaching; being ‘other’ in the classroom; power and the hidden curriculum. Next I summarise a unique article on feminist values as guidelines for the WS teaching practice and two models on the dynamics of the WS classroom. I end this overview with the idea of ‘passionate teaching’ and suggest that in order to remain true to its origins in the Women’s Liberation Movement, which is to empower women intellectually, personally and politically, WS needs to develop a body of both practical and theoretical knowledge on the dynamics of the learning climate in WS classrooms.”
