Women for the Win
The social justice article I chose to study was "Expanding Perspectives of Feminism in the Composition Classroom" by Kelly Masterson. In it she discusses the danger of "tokenizing" writers of color in college classes (117). Most colleges teach authors who are not white (and especially female authors who are not white) in a multicultural literature or composition class as opposed to incorporating them in the curriculum of required classes. Masterson says that by separating authors of color, we are making it more difficult for students to discuss topics such as race, gender, and sexuality. They become topics that are reserved for specific classes where that content is highlighted instead of staple discussion pieces.
In an effort to address the lack of female representation in English classes, Masterson started a class called English 3060J: Women and Writing which is a "junior-level composition course designed for majors and non-majors" (116). It handles works written "about, written, or read by women." She started the class as a way to spark conversation about feminism's roots and its future. I really respect the fact that Masterson saw a need for more gender representation and took action. I could see myself wanting to do the same thing on a smaller scale for my high school students. I think that students would benefit from more diverse literature that illuminates what underrepresented individuals' experiences look like. When I was in high school (in Idaho), we read one novel by a woman. One novel. That to me is completely unacceptable. We, as teachers, need to be honoring others' experiences (especially those in minority groups).
The frustrating part for me is that there is so much good literature written by women (and even feminist literature) that could be used for educational purposes. It is a complete oversight to not be using these texts in the classroom. What this article showed me is that not only is literature written by women hard to find being used in the classroom, but if it used, it is typically its own class, as if women authors cannot be compared to their male counterparts.
In an effort to address the lack of female representation in English classes, Masterson started a class called English 3060J: Women and Writing which is a "junior-level composition course designed for majors and non-majors" (116). It handles works written "about, written, or read by women." She started the class as a way to spark conversation about feminism's roots and its future. I really respect the fact that Masterson saw a need for more gender representation and took action. I could see myself wanting to do the same thing on a smaller scale for my high school students. I think that students would benefit from more diverse literature that illuminates what underrepresented individuals' experiences look like. When I was in high school (in Idaho), we read one novel by a woman. One novel. That to me is completely unacceptable. We, as teachers, need to be honoring others' experiences (especially those in minority groups).
The frustrating part for me is that there is so much good literature written by women (and even feminist literature) that could be used for educational purposes. It is a complete oversight to not be using these texts in the classroom. What this article showed me is that not only is literature written by women hard to find being used in the classroom, but if it used, it is typically its own class, as if women authors cannot be compared to their male counterparts.
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