Presentation:

Over the past several decades, scholars have become increasingly aware of the biased nature of our fields of study with regard to the views and information that we generally examine.  This is particularly true of the issues of race and gender, which have long been overlooked in both general and specialized courses, and have been largely relegated to courses in which they are the main focus.  Given that many academics recognize that these issues have played an integral role in their fields of study, and given that these issues have also mostly been ignored or studied in a rather basic manner, it is necessary to construct a framework for developing our courses so that we can include this material in a manner that will help our students to employ critical thinking skills that will encourage them to break free of the traditional modes of study and analysis.

Dr. McClain stated that the most effective way to address issues of race and gender in our teaching is to broadly incorporate the appropriate information and data seamlessly, rather than merely attach a separate section or module to a course.  Furthermore, this incorporation must be natural and not appear to be forced.  As such, this material should be folded into the broader discussions regarding the course topics.  This will send cues to the students that these are relevant and important topics in higher education, rather than politically correct add-ons that have little merit.  Dr. McClain acknowledged that this approach requires most of us to reach beyond our “comfort zones” in terms of the courses we teach. 

In addition to offering this framework of incorporation, Dr. McClain also presented an example of the use of this method by way of exploring ways to integrate race and gender into a basic American Government course.  She demonstrated that these topics are not only found in areas that are specific to them (e.g. Civil Rights and issues of equality), but also in areas where they often have been omitted (such as in discussions of the philosophical underpinnings of the political system, the development of the Constitution, and representation in Congress).  It is essential to work toward gathering as much information on these topics as possible, given that we generally find that issues of gender and race, with regard to the material our courses address, are not well-known.  An examination of the syllabi of colleagues at various institutions and textbooks that directly address gender and race within a particular field of study can provide a useful starting point for gathering relevant material.  Once this research has been conducted, the job of obtaining new material will prove less difficult.  Moreover, once an instructor becomes familiar with this data, it will become easier and more manageable to weave it into the course in a comfortable and clear manner.

Discussion:

Much of the discussion revolved around issues of the compartmentalization of diversity and the implementation of diversity requirements at colleges and universities, student hostility toward the teaching of matters of race and gender, and other classroom dynamics.  With regards to institutional commitments to incorporate issues of diversity into the curriculum, although some of these movements have been initiated by students, these efforts are not always well-received by students who feel they are being forced to complete diversity requirements; many may focus more on the need to “check off a box” than on engaging in the material.  One possible solution is placing a certain level of responsibility on both the students and the professors.  This involves requiring the students to tag courses they have taken that have in some way address issues of diversity and having the professors ensure that they are incorporating these topics into their courses in a meaningful way.  This may include some degree of institutional structure in terms of the compilation of the courses that integrate diverse and non-traditional topics and narratives.

There are several sources of student hostility toward particular topics and ideas, all of which must be managed in a variety of ways.  Some of the causes for this hostility that were noted in the discussion were personal positions held by individual students, the presence of an institutional ethos that is resistant to narratives regarding racial and gender diversity, and generation gaps between professors and students.  During the session, the participants discussed several strategies for dealing with these situations:

• Take the lead: Given the unpredictable nature of institutional reactions to the incorporation of this material, it may be necessary for professors that have a more secure role in the college or university to take a leading role in the commitment to teaching gender and race.
• Encourage discussion: In order to work around generational differences, it may help to encourage the students to talk about their varying viewpoints in connection with your presentation of the material.
• Gather and introduce empirical information as to decrease any appearance of the presentation of personal, biased opinions.
• Establish your expectations for the course, as well as for the students, at the beginning of the semester.
• Have the students interview one another so that they can find points of commonality.  This helps to create an open dynamic amongst the students and they find ways to discuss the issues and their own views in the course.
• Set assignments that push the students to address the hot button issues in a balanced and thoughtful manner.

Finally, the discussants raised two main questions regarding other classroom dynamics, which were “How do we deal with a lack of diversity within the classroom?” and “How do we engage students that are not minorities and/or not women in these discussions?”  The dialogue about these questions focused on several ideas and strategies that should be considered and employed.  It is imperative to remember that there is no single definition of what it means to be a member of a particular race or what it means to be a woman. However, not all students and professors proactively consider this fact during courses, and the dynamic of the classroom may turn toward viewing the few women and/or minority students as representatives and experts for their groups.  This can create an environment in which those few students feel uncomfortable.  Consequently, it is necessary for instructors to model the behavior they desire from their students by not drawing attention to the aforementioned subset of students during these particular discussions (and by allowing them to contribute just as any other student might choose to in these situations).  In terms of the issues of 1) acknowledging diversity amongst women and minorities, and 2) engaging students that are not minorities and/or women, the discussion focused on several useful strategies, including the following:

• Utilize a variety of technology (such as videos, etc) that can allow students to observe a wide range of perspectives of the topics or populations that they are studying.
• Invite guest lecturers who can speak to the issues at hand.
• Allow your research and preparation to help you convey the material with ease and confidence, which will encourage the students to view the information as significant and valuable.
• Recognize that (as with all topics of study) there may always be some resistance to this material in your courses, and focus more on presenting the information and encouraging critical thought and discussion regarding the subject matter.

Recommendations:

• Work to seamlessly incorporate material regarding race and gender into your courses, as opposed to solely addressing this material as a separate unit.
• Find resources (particularly in terms of syllabi and textbooks) regarding gender and race that provide a broad range of examination of these topics for ideas of how these issues are tied into your field of study.

References/Resources:

Websites

1. Willis, Gary.  Hoover Institution at Stanford University:  http://www.hoover.org/multimedia/uk/2993311.html
2. The Women’s Sports Foundation, “Title IX and Race in Intercollegiate Sport.”  June 23, 2003: http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Research-Reports/Title-IX-and-Race-in-Intercollegiate-Sport.aspx

Publications

1. Grinde, Donald A. Jr.  The Iroquois and the Founding of the American Nation. San Francisco: The Indian Historian Press, 1977, p. 7.
2. Johansen, Bruce E.  Forgotten Founders: How the American Indian Helped Shape Democracy. (Boston: Harvard Common Press, 1982), p. 22.
3. Kerber, Linda K.  Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America.  Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1980, p. 283-284.
4. Robb, Sharon. “Title IX Helped Increase Ranks of Women in Sports.” in Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL, February 6, 2002, C16.