Intersectional feminism has been a prominent conversation blooming in rhet comp as of late. This is particularly prominent in the current race discussion and tensions that are happening at the national level, begging the question as to where rhetoric and composition researchers fit into this ongoing discussion of representation, inclusion, and recognition. Speaking in broad strokes, it appears that there are steps being taken in research and curriculum to be more cognizant of inclusivity, or at least on paper. However, is this true in practice within higher education?
Generally speaking, academia comes off (at least to me) as a bit performative: we all want to be practicing intersectional feminism and being inclusive for all communities, but at the end of the day, we are still operating within a system that was built upon and operates within problematic foundations and principles. As a field, researchers, faculty. and staff may be making efforts to counteract the problems within our system. There’s been more conversation about indigenous groups, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and how we as academics can be more respectful of other cultures and identities.
In spite of this effort, are we doing enough? In what ways are we still lacking in this area of inclusivity?
Hi Abbie,
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough, I sat in a curriculum meeting today where we talked about inclusion and diversity in our courses. Part of this stemmed from the idea that "world literature" often doesn't feel very "worldly." To me, I agree that we are, or at least seem to be, having more discussions about the subject matter, but what about actual change? I think that in the academic world, we run into the issue where the people involved are often aware already. The question is what about everybody else who isn't part of our field? How does this filter down to them?
It's definitely performative but I think that's really the place to start, right? It doesn't necessarily reflect the sweeping change that we want but we're essentially trying to change our culture here and that takes small steps. As Troy states, we have to remember to celebrate differing voices. We have to remember to celebrate and study forgotten scholars of color. And we have to fight, though slowly, our administrations for they hold the power for change. And by fight, I do most CERTAINLY mean getting active. Protesting, sitting in, etc.
ReplyDeleteTrump already banned critical race theory from federal institutions. Essentially, it stamps out efforts to train folks in antiracism. McCarthyism, as Postman discussed, is still alive and, now, doing quite well under Trump.
It's only a matter of time (unless he's voted the fuck out) before our institutions of higher learning are directly impacted (though one could argue they've always been under attack).