"Minor Injuries Were Reported": Sexualized Violence, Power, and Teaching

• In Event: Race and Gender Examinations in Higher Education

Abstract

Drawing on data from a narrative case study, the authors interrogate the frames of reasoning around sexualized violence on university campuses, and, specifically, how these play out in first-year composition (FYC) classrooms. Using a feminist/poststructuralist framework, we analyze institutional documents and policies in conjunction with individual interviews of university composition instructors. The research questions included: What is at stake when stories of sexualized violence enter the classroom? How can writing instructors bridge the institutional needs of developing academic voice with the social justice need of recognizing and honoring students’ experiences? What are the implications for both campus and classroom activism?

Authors

• Nikola Hobbel, Humboldt State University

• Tessa Pitre, Humboldt State University