How gender conscious pedagogy in higher education can stimulate actions for social justice in society

Abstract

In order to reflect upon methods that can generate social justice and democratization, this article emphasises practical implementations connected to gender conscious pedagogy. Gender conscious pedagogy aims at overcoming the myth of objectivity by questioning, through teaching, what is considered as “common sense” and “normal”. This endeavour entails acting and reflecting upon such breakthroughs as developing understanding of how gender codes influence everyday activities as well as working life. The starting point of the article initiates a norm-critic perspective for considering the effects of implementing a feminist perspective for teaching in both theory and practice. Our data was collected from alumni students who were asked to remember and reflect upon their gender studies classes and particularly upon the usefulness of this type of knowledge in connection with everyday and working life whether as a politician, lecturer, IT-manager, doctoral student, The study is grounded in a “critical hermeneutic” method. That is, the data is mirrored in and interpreted in light of the context in which the material was gathered. This article focuses on how teachers enable students to be gender confident and, as a consequence, to be gender actors outside the university in their working life. Some of the central questions asked in the study are: How are gender issues represented and integrated in the different areas of studies? What can teachers do in order to promote equality in the classroom? Are students given opportunities for understanding, internalizing and discussing gender issues and for describing and reflecting upon their experiences from gender studies courses?.