These are not ‘regular places’: women and gender studies classrooms as heterotopias

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

AbstractThis article questions the transformative potential of women and gender studies classrooms through a discussion of student experiences of privilege and oppression in these spaces. Using in-depth interviews with 22 undergraduate students from two contrasting Canadian universities, this article explores how women and gender studies classrooms function as heterotopias or 'other places' – sites that challenge 'regular' places outside of the academy. Critically analyzing student experiences illustrates to how the intersections of space/location, power, and identities inform notions of privilege and oppression within these classrooms. Analysis of the participants' reflections points to how it is through these 'other places' that students are able to recognize identities that were once unknown to them, become conscious of their embodiments via feelings of worry and discomfort, and question their sense of place in the classroom. It is because of these findings that this research functions as a call to instructors regarding the need to prioritize student experiences, so as to be able to critically reflect upon the social and academic significance of women and gender studies classrooms.Estos no son "espacios regulares": las mujeres y las aulas donde se llevan a cabo los estudios de género como heterotopiasEste artículo cuestiona el potencial transformador de las mujeres y de las aulas donde se llevan a cabo los estudios de género a través de una discusión de las experiencias de privilegio y opresión de las estudiantes en estos espacios. Utilizando entrevistas en profundidad con 22 estudiantes universitarias de dos contrastantes universidades canadienses, este artículo estudia cómo las mujeres y las aulas de estudios de género funcionan como heterotopías o 'espacios otros' – sitios que desafían lugares 'regulares' fuera de la academia. Analizar críticamente las experiencias de las estudiantes señala cómo las intersecciones del espacio/ubicación, el poder, y las identidades dan forma a nociones de privilegio y opresión dentro de estas aulas. El análisis de las reflexiones de las participantes señala que es a través de estos 'lugares otros' que las estudiantes son capaces de reconocer identidades que alguna vez eran desconocidas para ellas; de volverse conscientes de sus encarnaciones a través de sus sentimientos de preocupación e incomodidad; y de cuestionar su sentido de lugar en el aula. Es debido a estos resultados que esta investigación funciona como un llamado a los y las docentes respecto de la necesidad de priorizar las experiencias de los y las estudiantes, de manera de que sean capaces de reflexionar críticamente sobre la significancia social y académica de las mujeres y de las aulas donde se llevan a cabo los estudios de género.此处并非"正规场所":女性与性别研究教室做为异质空间本文透过探讨学生在女性与性别研究课堂空间中所遭遇的特权及压迫经验,探究这些教室空间的转化潜能。本研究透过对加拿大两所截然不同的大学中的二十二位大学生进行深度访谈,探讨女性与性别研究教室如何做为异质空间或 '他方'—挑战学术之外的 '正规' 空间的场域。批判性地分析学生的经验,显示出空间/地方、权力与身分认同的互动,如何在这些教室中形成特权与压迫的概念。对于参与者反应的分析,指出学生如何得以透过这些'他方'指认他们过去并不熟悉的身分认同,并开始透过焦虑与不安的感受意识到这些体现,且进一步质疑教室中的空间感知。这些发现让本研究得以提醒授课者必须优先处理学生的经验,以便能够批判性地反思女性与性别研究教室在社会与学术方面的重要性。Keywords:: women and gender studiesFoucaultidentityheterotopiastudentsCanadaPalabras claves:: mujeres y estudios de géneroFoucaultidentidadheterotopíaestudiantesCanadá关键词:: 女性与性别研究傅柯身分认同异质空间学生加拿大 AcknowledgementsI would like to sincerely thank all of those who have contributed to this research, particularly the participants who gave their time and insight. I am eternally grateful to Sandra Acker for every discussion we have ever had. I thank the anonymous reviewers for their supportive and encouraging comments. I also thank my partner, Neil Shyminsky, for his editing, patience, and support.Notes1. The participants in this study were recruited for a larger study that also included interviews with instructors (Kannen Citation2011). A minority of students were recruited from classes other than women and gender studies, but the responses of these students are not included in this article.2. The reflection journals were offered as a way to enable interested students to further reflect on our conversation once they had left the interview environment. Reflection journals are a particularly useful outlet for students to continue engaging with the complexity of ideas that have been introduced to them in a critical identity dialogue. See Kannen (Citation2011) for further detail on the students' use of reflection journals.3. All participants have been assigned a pseudonym.Additional informationNotes on contributorsVictoria KannenVictoria Kannen recently earned her doctorate in the department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE). Her doctoral research focused on exploring the connections between privilege, embodiment, and social encounters in higher education. She has previously published her writing on identity in Pedagogy, Culture and Society; Culture, Theory and Critique; and the Journal of Gender Studies.