Caring about the elephants in feminist classrooms: Affective pedagogies in an intersectional gender studies program

TY - JOUR

T1 - Caring about the elephants in feminist classrooms

T2 - Affective pedagogies in an intersectional gender studies program

AU - Vertelyté, Manté

AU - Gjørding, Merethe Riggelsen

AU - Khawaja, Iram

AU - Plotnikof, Mie

AU - Staunæs, Dorthe

AU - Sandager, Jette

PY - 2024/9

Y1 - 2024/9

N2 - This article explores how feminist teachers can engage with affectivepedagogies when teaching intersectional gender studies. In the contextof global corporate universities that emphasise action plans on diversity,equality, and inclusion, and alongside a rise in anti-gender and anti-diversity politics both within society and on campuses, feminist scholars encounterchallenges in navigating affective contestations and tensions whenteaching intersectional gender studies. These tensions can both evokeuncomfortable atmospheres and offer hopeful glimpses of societal changesand solidarities. In addressing this, we employ the idiom of ‘the elephant inthe room’ to exploring how affective tensions emerge in the classroom andhow feminist teachers may respond to and care about them. Drawing onliterature on affective pedagogies, we conceptualise affects as intensitiesthat move within and infuse feminist classrooms and analytically unpacktwo experiences of elephants emerging when teaching an intersectionalgender studies programme at a Danish university. Specifically, we offertwo takes on affective pedagogies that we name ‘swaying the elephant’ and‘holding the elephant’ and discuss the ways in which feminist teachers cannurture ethico-political and affirmative practices in education.

AB - This article explores how feminist teachers can engage with affectivepedagogies when teaching intersectional gender studies. In the contextof global corporate universities that emphasise action plans on diversity,equality, and inclusion, and alongside a rise in anti-gender and anti-diversity politics both within society and on campuses, feminist scholars encounterchallenges in navigating affective contestations and tensions whenteaching intersectional gender studies. These tensions can both evokeuncomfortable atmospheres and offer hopeful glimpses of societal changesand solidarities. In addressing this, we employ the idiom of ‘the elephant inthe room’ to exploring how affective tensions emerge in the classroom andhow feminist teachers may respond to and care about them. Drawing onliterature on affective pedagogies, we conceptualise affects as intensitiesthat move within and infuse feminist classrooms and analytically unpacktwo experiences of elephants emerging when teaching an intersectionalgender studies programme at a Danish university. Specifically, we offertwo takes on affective pedagogies that we name ‘swaying the elephant’ and‘holding the elephant’ and discuss the ways in which feminist teachers cannurture ethico-political and affirmative practices in education.

U2 - 10.5117/TVGN2024.2-3.011.VERT

DO - 10.5117/TVGN2024.2-3.011.VERT

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2352-2437

VL - 27

SP - 265

EP - 285

JO - Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies

JF - Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies

IS - 2/3

ER -