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"Maybe You Disagree—Most Boys Don't": Teaching Gender in the Age of "Not All Men!"

Sat, April 18, 2:45 to 4:15pm, Hyatt, Floor: East Tower - Purple Level, Riverside West

Abstract

How is it possible for people to engage in good faith in discussions about misogyny and privilege while simultaneously enacting sexist discursive tactics? Queer and trans* theory offer one answer: It is not enough to learn about gender, misogyny, and transphobia; we must also interrogate our own behaviors. Too often, curricular efforts to address gender-related issues stop short of the reflective self-critique necessary for social transformation.
This paper describes one effort to support learners in precisely this reflective self-critique. Drawing on dissertation research in an elementary school classroom, I describe my effort to target three problematic discursive positions, evident in the classroom and reflective of broader culture, through a transmedia-focused curriculum emphasizing a queer/trans*theoretical approach to gender and identity.

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