Challenging Dominant Narratives Through Student Autobiographies and Testimonios

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The goal of this session is to share theoretical and pedagogical approaches in higher education. Contributing authors represent institutions from across the United States whose work is guided by Queer, Afrocentric Feminist, Chicana Feminist, and Critical Race perspectives. Each piece utilizes student narratives and counter-narratives as methods for addressing social issues, while challenging and disrupting systemic inequity and injustice. These narratives represent undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, to the doctoral level, and push each of the authors to reflect their own practices for engaging students as they explore issues of gender, sexuality, religion, race and racism, and language in education. This session will draw commonalities and differences between contributing studies and engage the audience on the pedagogical values of student narratives.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Critical Educators for Social Justice

Chair

• Mario I Suarez, Utah

Papers

• The Politics of Decolonizing Linguistic Hegemony - Michelle Soto-Pena; Patricia D. Lopez, California State University - Fresno

• Walking in Two Worlds: Queer Autobiography as a Space to Come Undone - Bethy Leonardi, University of Colorado - Boulder; Mary Quantz, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Enacting Social Justice and Culturally Responsive Practices in an Urban Educational Leadership Program - April L. Peters-Hawkins, University of Houston; Ruth María López, University of Houston

Discussant

• Melissa Ann Martinez, Texas State University