Abstract
This critical commentary considers in what ways as well as where humanists and feminist pedagogues can professionally exist when facing ideological and existential threats to higher education institutions. The passage of Florida’s SB 266 (and similar legislation) has ushered in ideological threats to academic freedom and afforded policy makers increasing levels of control in the academy. This commentary positions legislative assaults at higher education institutions – predominantly launched at non-STEM disciplines – as extensions of the 100-year-long humanities “crisis" and recommends that humanists and feminist pedagogues use this moment of continued crisis to re-define and re-locate the humanities. Looking at the history of the humanities crisis, this commentary evidences that the public humanities have been a steadily growing and funded space supported by a multitude of stakeholders that could better cultivate and make accessible the academic humanities, especially when considering their historically exploitative relationship with the academy. This commentary argues that, at minimum, the humanities need to re-position their disciplines with the public or affix themselves to the work of the public humanities. Lastly, the shared values of social justice and grassroots activism between the public humanities and feminist pedagogy present a far greater optimistic future for the humanities than the gatekept irrelevance that seems to beleaguer humanities disciplines.
Recommended Citation
Morse, Danielle
(2024)
"The Abusive Relationship between the Humanities and Universities: How Feminist Pedagogy Can Heal Humanist Work in the Public Forum,"
Feminist Pedagogy: Vol. 5:
Iss.
3, Article 9.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/feministpedagogy/vol5/iss3/9