Feminism in Social Studies: A Tale of Two Spaces

• In Event: Critical Issues of Race, Class, and Gender

Abstract

There has been limited attention to gender equity in social studies. In this paper, we examine two social studies spaces- lesson plans written for practitioners and teacher education– in order to consider the discourses about women, gender inequity and feminism that are present. A poststructural feminist orientation toward language is used for a textual analysis of social studies lesson plans and life history interviews with six preservice teachers. There is a conspicuous absence of a critical orientation toward gender inequity in the lesson plans. Additionally, preservice teachers’ negative perceptions of feminism and their rejection of the feminist label is troubling. We consider what these findings tell us about the discourses available to and acceptable within the social studies community.

Authors

• Mardi Schmeichel, University of Georgia

• Meg M. Monaghan, University of Saint Joseph