Eric,
Thanks for sharing this assignment. I am doing a session on Feminism
at one of our dorms later this month and I'll try it out! Anyone else
have ideas about how to teach about the F-word? ;-)
Andi
--------------
Every object, every being,
Is a jar of delight.
Be a connoisseur.
~Rumi~
Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence
into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our
hands.
~Cathy Better~
Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which
matter least.
~Johann von Goethe~
Dr. Andi Stepnick
Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology
300-C Wheeler Humanities Building
Belmont University
Nashville TN 37212-3757
Direct Line: (615) 460-6249
Office Manager: (615) 460-5505
Sociology Fax: (615) 460-6997
----- Original Message -----
From: Erin Steuter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thursday, October 13, 2005 6:41 am
Subject: TEACHSOC: Teaching Feminism through a Coffee House
> This week my Gender Relations course was examining Feminist
> Theory. We have
> been covering alot of heavy topics lately such as Patriarchy and
> Misogyny
> so I wanted to lighten the mood up a little. It is mid-term for us
> with
> lots of exams and assignments due. I also wanted to counter the
> negative
> stereotypes about feminism that are often perpetuated and replace
> them with
> the positive associations that I personally feel towards feminism.
>
> So I kept the 50 students out of the classroom for a few minutes
> and
> re-arranged the tables and chairs into small groups, set the
> tables with a
> cloth, lit candle, plate of muffins, and an assignment sheet. I
> brought my
> tape deck to class and played feminist music (such as Ani DeFranco
> and
> India Arie). Then I invited them in to my Feminist Coffee House.
>
> The assignment I gave them is attached. It basically introduced
> them to the
> concept of "consciousness raising" and "the personal is political"
> by
> providing a list of topics for them to discuss in the coffee
> house. It also
> presented several definitions of feminism for them to discuss.
>
> They ooed and aahed when they came into the class and all really
> enjoyed
> the activity. I circulated and joined various groups to hear their
> discussion. I heard from several students who hadn't spoken in the
> class
> before and I was pleased with the high level of debate.
>
> Erin Steuter
> Mount Allison University
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
