NCJ Number
143980
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes the author's experience in teaching an introductory women's studies course, with emphasis on the effects of such a course on survivors of violence against women and on the ways in which teachers might be able to be more effective in the classroom to help survivors heal themselves.
Abstract
The course took place during the 1988 winter term at Mankato State University in Minnesota. It consisted of a 10-week survey of the impact of sexist, heterosexist, ageist, classist, ableist, racist, and anti-Semitic social institutions on women's lives. Core topics included the content and impact of cultural messages, women's domestic and market work, art and creativity, women's history and social movements, the politics of interpersonal relationships, lesbianism, reproductive rights and women's health, and violence against women. The 21 students, all white women, included 6 traditional college students and 15 mothers ranging in age from the early 20s to late 40s. Much personal sharing occurred during the class session on misogyny and violence. More than two-thirds of the students wrote of surviving more than one form of abuse, including child sexual abuse, physical child abuse, physical or sexual abuse as an adult, verbal abuse, and harassment. All but one of the students reported feeling more powerful at the end of the class than at the beginning. The class affected the survivors of violence more than it did the other students. The experience suggested that feminist pedagogy can help facilitate a supportive atmosphere, in which students feel safe and validated by teachers and each other. Integrating community events into the curriculum may facilitate learning and the development of critical thinking on the issues covered. 7 references