Feminist approaches to teaching about VAW

Facilitating empowerment through a critique of dominant knowledges

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6058882
AutoresTara Samantha Styles-Lightowlers (0000-0003-2754-799X, University of Lancashire, autor correspondente)
Ano2019
Volume38
Fascículo4
Páginas430-446
Data de publicação2019-05-20
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoEqual Opportunities International (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1758-7093 • E-ISSN: 2040-7149
EditoraEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/edi-10-2017-0221
OpenAlexW2913196471
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas28

Purpose Feminism has provided a sustained challenge to the widespread occurrence of violence against women (VAW). Yet despite the tremendous efforts of feminist activists and academics, it continues to be one of the most tolerated crimes in the world. This paper offers an account of the author’s experiences teaching about VAW in higher education (HE) and an overview of how specific approaches to teaching this subject can provide an empowering space for students who have experienced such violence. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the works of feminists committed to ending VAW, transformative education as envisioned by Paulo Freire and Foucault’s work on knowledge and power, the author proposes a feminist informed teaching practice that facilitates empowerment through: giving voice to women who have experienced violence; exploring and promoting the transformative potential of education and; challenging traditional and dominant forms of knowing. Findings A recognition of the social, historical and political context in which violence occurs, and how traditional knowledge about it is accepted, is vital in empowering women who have experienced violence to challenge dominant discourses that do not fit with their own perceived reality. Originality/value Whilst there is currently a growing interest in the barriers to HE participation, the author seeks to explore the ways in which some of the barriers can be addressed that students may face whilst on HE courses, particularly in relation to self-awareness, empowerment and healing

Empowerment · Engineering ethics · Feminism · Feminist pedagogy · Originality · Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Transformative learning · Critical and Liberation Pedagogy · Engineering · Feminist Theory and Gender Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law