Teaching Spaces of Possibility: Queering Pedagogy, One Step at a Time

• In Event: 547 - Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology Paper Session. Addressing Contentious Issues in the Classroom

Abstract

As a seasoned professor, it is not uncommon for students to return to me a semester or more after the conclusion of my courses to say “what you covered and how you covered the material was so different from my other classes. It was definitely something to look forward to.” Given the fairly recent events at UC Santa Barbara and CU Boulder, productive teachable moments, especially as they connect to sex, sexuality and gender topics, are certainly and, many would argue, urgently worth sharing. In this paper, I offer some creative and challenging teaching topics and methods from my gender and sexuality courses. I begin by outlining teaching spaces of possibility or moments where a seemingly constraining interaction (such as students resisting a discussion about homophobia) can become teachable moments in which students actually learn something about their own biases and belief systems whilst in a moment of resistance. Further, I offer some methods for navigating difficult discussions, reminding students how to think sociologically, and keeping the classroom discussion space safe, relaxed, and challenging.

Author

• Danielle Antoinette Hidalgo, Montana State University