Abstract
In this critical commentary, I present feminist pedagogies developed over ten years of teaching “Cultural Politics of Reproduction” that scaffold students away from approaching reproductive experiences and politics through this register of polarization. This approach centers collaborative inquiry and critical reflection and uses ethnographic case studies to cultivate empathy. Such stance encourages students toward not only understanding that another person might make a decision that they fundamentally disagree with, but also the broader contexts shaping these decisions. Drawing on feminist scholarship focused on a range of cultural contexts, students learn to destabilize existing expectations and contrast how seemingly familiar politics take shape in unfamiliar communities. By identifying how racism, misogyny, and national politics etc. interact to shape the everyday politics of reproduction and examine how people make complicated decisions amidst stratified access, they become attuned to intersectionality in practice.
Recommended Citation
Howes-Mischel, Rebecca
(2023)
"Teaching Reproductive Politics and Intersectional Empathy through Ethnographic Case Studies,"
Feminist Pedagogy: Vol. 3:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/feministpedagogy/vol3/iss2/3