Feminists Unite!

Since I teach my WMST class about the power of the Internet for resistance and feminist activity, I had them post their assignments this semester on a class blog. Today their media analysis projects are due and you can view them at the sites listed below. The students could either create a feminist text OR do a mini rhetorical criticism of a cultural text. I'm really proud of how much work went into the project.

If you'd like to check them out:

http://ugafeminism.blogspot.com/
http://wmst2010.blogspot.com/

I love a lot of the projects, but in particular I thought these videos were pretty powerful. I encouraged them to put their activism on Youtube as well. I hope you're as inspired as I am!

Barbie Culture: http://ugafeminism.blogspot.com/2008/04/clark-media-analysis.html

Tension between sex positive feminism and sexual exploitation:
http://ugafeminism.blogspot.com/2008/04/sexpos-expos.html

Taking on the Beauty Myth:
http://wmst2010.blogspot.com/2008/04/peyton-feminist-text.html

FEMINISTS UNITE!

The Professor as Open Book

The NYT has an interesting article about why professor's use the internet to disclose non-academic things about themselves. The article discusses how professors of all ranks use websites, blogs and social networking sites to reveal more personal information about themselves. The article interestingly asserts that it is part of a disturbing trend to treat professors not as teachers but as entertainers. While I agree with this basic statement, and it is a claim I've long used in the classroom, ("I'm not here to entertain you, I'm here to teach you and sometimes I may [unintentionally] do both." ), I don't think it gets at the reasons academics blog.

I am under no illusion that my students visit my blog and think "Kristen is SO funny. How have I not noticed this in class?" On the contrary. I suspect that any student who visits my blog who does not enjoy my class would quickly navigate away from it OR, worse, make fun of it. I do not blog for my students. I never encourage my students to "check out my blog" and am a tad creeped out by professors who attempt to connect with students via the internet. If I can't make a connection with one in the classroom, I certainly don't want to do it virtually. I don't use Facebook to reach out to students. Something that is missing from the NYT article is the idea that professors have friends, too! And we spend a tremendous amount of time on the computer and it helps (and hinders) our writing to have some recreational outlets on the net.

However, I do think my blog serves a pedagogical purpose. First and foremost, it keeps me connected to a more "popular" account of feminism.* What I mean, is that when I think about movies, books, television shows in an in depth way, I can bring in those thoughts to the classroom. Inevitably, my class responds more to a discussion about Juno than they do to a generic reproduction essay we've read for the day.

Blogging also has scholarly purposes. It helps to write. I know a lot of academics who blog daily. The daily blogging gets them started on their daily writing projects. It helps them organize their thoughts and/or try out new arguments that become part of scholarly essays. In short, it helps to write publicly. It also helps to belong to virtual networks. They are both heuristic and enjoyable.


* I use "popular" loosely. Obviously if feminism was popular, I wouldn't have near as much to critique.

An Apology

I've been a sucky blogger lately. I'm sorry. To make amends, I'm giving you two other blogs to read in order to get your Georgia feminist fix.

Because we've talked about the power of the internet for minority communities, my Women's Studies classes have made their own blogs. The sites are places for them to post their assignments for the class. The first assignment is up and running--an interview project. A media analysis project will follow later in the semester. The students are excited to see their work made public and are eager for readers outside the class. Feel free to post supportive comments if you're so inclined.

I hope you enjoy the blogs as much as I am.

http://ugafeminism.blogspot.com/
http://wmst2010.blogspot.com/

Students doing good work!

The environmental communication class here at UGA did an interesting project for their class final. In order to raise awareness about how wasteful (and unnecessary) bottled water is, they built an igloo out of non-recycled water bottles and used the igloo to attract a crowd of people to educate.

I love it.

They've put together a documentary about their campaign. Watch it! It is great!



Listen hard and you can hear the Modern Skirts!

Great video and great project! I'm proud of the SPCM students!

Oh to be free of gender norms

FAO Schwarz has a line of "Make My Own Monsters." I don't normally get down with monsters. But when I saw Oliver? I was in love. His creator is 4 year old, Niko, who writes:

“Oliver loves pink and really wants to grow his hair out long when he gets big and be a princess. Oliver has no arms and legs, but that's ok. Everyone is different.”

Right on, Niko! All semester I've been struggling to get my Women's Studies students to grasp that gender and sexuality is fluid. It isn't about being straight or gay. It isn't about who you have sex with. Rather, it is how you occupy your body. How you exist in the world. You may be female bodied but identify as male. You may be male bodied, identify as a male, yet choose to dress like a woman or aspire to be a princess. The notion of fluid sexuality and gender is incomprehensible to my college aged students. But, seemingly, a 4 year old can grasp it.

Oliver represents everything our imagination has to offer. If a child can imagine a world where we're okay with difference, shouldn't adults?

I read about Oliver here. Thanks, Lisa!

Happy/Sad

Yesterday the House passed the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) granting protection against workplace discrimination for sexual orientation. The bill amends the federal Civil Rights Act and makes it illegal for an employer “to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to the compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment of the individual, because of such individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.” This move is significant as only 19 states have laws banning such discrimination. So! This is happy news.

Even happier, for me, was that one of my Women's Studies students came into class today and informed everyone about the development. She said that she had been obsessively checking CNN for an update and upon passage talked about the significance with her roommate. HOORAH for engaged students.

But it isn't all good...to ensure bill passage, Democrats had to remove language protecting transsexual and transgendered individuals. Further proof that we (as a public) refuse to recognize gender diversity. If one identifies as a man and loves another man, we recognize you shouldn't be discriminated against. But what happens if you have male sex organs but identify as a female and love both men and women? Advocates need to work toward more gender identity protection.

To sign the ORIGINAL petition, go HERE

Dear Students,

Ever since I read this post by the Tenured Radical, I've been thinking about things I wish you knew. The pedagogical relationship between student and teacher is a complicated one--constantly ebbing and flowing, loving and hating, teaching and learning.

1. Students teach me things. They teach me about pop culture, university happenings, and new interpretations on old texts that I read a long time ago. Importantly, they also teach me about the barometer of our culture. Often when I leave class, I feel energized by the potential that my students show as activists and people. I don't think professors remind their students how much we learn from them. Further, many professors aren't open to learning from their students.

2. I like when you stay after class to tell me a funny story or further develop an idea you had in class. I really like it when you come early or stay late and show me an anti-feminist e-mail you've received or an empowering video on Youtube. It makes me feel like you're learning and it really makes me realize how much thinking you're doing. I love my job. I love coming to class. I love being with you. I love talking about my discipline. As such, I love when you do the same. Never hesitate to send me an e-mail or have a conversation with me!

3. I have a life outside of class and I like when students realize this--mainly because it makes me feel human. But also because it then means you don't e-mail me at 1 am and expect an immediate response.

4. When we happen to stumble across one another outside school, it is okay to say hi or give a friendly wave. It is not okay to buy me a drink. It is definitely not okay to gossip about me to fellow classmates.

5. I know that there are days you aren't reading. I know that you may fail a quiz or test. But I know that you are smart and capable. You don't have to explain yourself or beg for my forgiveness. Everyone has bad days at work. When good students do poorly on an assignment, I assume you're having a bad day.

6. I'm proud when you have a school related scholarship. I do not, however, see it as my responsibility to maintain that scholarship. I will provide you with every imaginable opportunity to learn, excel and achieve. If you do not take advantage of those opportunities, I will give you a bad grade. The default grade is not an A. I assume a certain amount of "average" in each student. When you prove you are above average, you will receive above average grades.

7. I have 80+ students this semester. I know ALL of your names. I expect you to know (and spell correctly) my last name. Consider it good practice for the workforce.

That's my list...I've been ruminating about it for the past couple weeks.

And then I watched THIS video and realized that sometimes pedagogical goals need to be larger than the semester at hand. This guy really gets me. I love me a good teacher! I love how he starts out talking about "enabling the dreams of others." Isn't that the heart of a good teacher?




And my question to my teacher blogging friends is--what lessons do you want your students to know? Feel free to post in the comments.....

Yes, I still talk about politics

I know many of you have been wondering. Here I go...

I'm teaching a special topics class to about 32 undergraduates. The class is loosely based on my dissertation so it combines readings and discussions about citizenship, democracy and what we gain and lose in the system. The class is going pretty well and I'm having great and interesting discussions with my students. I don't often say this, but my undergraduates are actually giving me hope. Yes. Hope. From undergraduates.

I'm been pretty down on democracy lately. Even with the excitement of 08 and Obama, Edwards, and Pelosi. Even with all the discussions on blogs about the great material changes we are seeing despite our [pathetic excuse for] leaders. Even with all those things, I've been down. Sometimes I feel that maybe our problems are just too great. Too big. Too systemic. Those times? Those times make me want to move. Leave. Leave it all behind for someone else to deal with. Or for no one to deal with. Either way.

But this class. My class. My students are filled with so much hope. And it isn't blind hope. It isn't just 22 year old idealism. There is some of that. But there is more. There is reading of democratic theory and there is shock when we realize how far we've come from our ideals. But instead of defeat, they answer back with excitement. An almost giddy feeling of "the world is ours to fix." And they see potential in the greatest things. The things that I've been overlooking from my jaded, pessimistic ivory tower. I'm thankful for them.

And I'm thankful for Al Gore. Yes, I know I said I was giving him up. And I want to. I really do. Want to move on. Want to let him do his thing. But when I read articles like THIS in Time?! It is hard. And when I read THIS excerpt from his book, it is even harder. For me, Gore is the perfect blend of critical and optimistic. He is disappointed in the way America (and Americans) are going but he has faith that we'll turn it around.

Says one friend of 2000,

"He's not willing to be a victim--didn't want to call himself that, didn't want people to think of him that way. He didn't want Americans to doubt America."

And Gore writes of the decline of reason and discourse in Washington and beyond,

"It is too easy--and too partisan--to simply place the blame on the policies of President George W. Bush. We are all responsible for the decisions our country makes. We have a Congress. We have an independent judiciary. We have checks and balances. We are a nation of laws. We have free speech. We have free press. Have they all failed us? Why has America's public discourse become less focused and clear, less reasoned? Faith in the power of reason--the belief that free citizens can govern themselves wisely and fairly by resorting to logical debate on the basis of the best evidence available, instead of raw power--remains the central premise of American democracy. This premise is now under assault."

Gore places the blame on lots of different things--the shift away from print medium, the trend of senators to cater to sound bites and fundraising and Americans spending too much time watching t.v. and not enough thinking and acting. He's persuasive without chastising. Critical without being defeatist. Hopeful without ignoring the difficulty in getting back to a better public sphere. Is he idealist? Sure. Does he romanticize print and an era of old? Sure. And I love it.

Interestingly enough, he advocates the Internet as a medium that can help. He argues the Internet increases reflexive reading and deliberation in a way similar to print media. He also argues that the Internet gets lots of voices involved and helps people argue. As someone who has been touting the Internet as a way to change politics for the better (yet I haven't given up my attachment to print media and face-to-face interaction), Gore is right up my ally.

He gave voice to my concerns and my hope for the future.

Pedagogical inspirations

I am currently reviewing a book for one of our field's journals. The book is a wonderfully written piece about rhetorical listening. I am in love with it on so many levels. One particularly insightful chapter involves listening pedagogically. The author writes that teachers should articulate their own classroom assumptions before any course begins. She argues that such reflection is particularly important when teaching highly resistance-prone topics such as race and gender. And while reflection won't necessarily help forecast the outcomes of the class, they will make you more appreciative of any gains made in a classroom designed to make students more aware of privilege and status.

Her chapter made me acutely aware of my own lack of reflection about sensitive classroom topics. I often find myself frustrated with the lack of progress in the classroom--frustrated with students who struggle to grasp complicated notions of whiteness and male privilege. It is easier to come back to my office and complain rather than relish [and reflect upon] the educational opportunities the classroom provides to me—also a student. The author wrote something that is still ringing in my ears...."These goals may not be realized within a fifteen week course. Sometimes they are realized a few years later."

More info about the book forthcoming.