Crafting Pedagogical Intimacies: The Potential of Feminist Zines in Sex Education

Presenter Information

Lotte Brewer, Oberlin CollegeFollow

Location

King Building 123

Document Type

Presentation

Start Date

4-27-2019 1:00 PM

End Date

4-27-2019 2:20 PM

Abstract

Drawing on work of social justice education scholars and grassroots political movements, this paper develops tangible ways to address systemic problems of sexual education in the United States by turning to zines, self made and self published booklets that emphasize DIY aesthetics, as a new frontier for comprehensive, inclusive, and engaged learning. Publically funded sexual education programs in the United States have historically been a site of controversy, launching national debates over what “respectable” sexuality should look like in America’s youth. These programs are infamous for using religiously charged abstinence-only curriculums, failing to inform students about sexually transmitted infections, and avoiding the topic of consent entirely. Opponents of current government-sponsored sexual education curriculums--including politicians, public health organizations, feminist scholars, and activists--have argued that sex education classrooms across the country are sites in which science-based research is disregarded and white, cis, heteropatriarchy is reproduced. Based on interviews with zinemakers and comparative analyses of zines related to sexual identity and sexual practices alongside “traditional” sexual education textbook material, my research suggests that zines, through their intimacy, carefully curated aesthetics, and accessible presentation of information, have the power to destigmatize sexually marginalized groups and transform classrooms where student’s education and health are put at risk.

Keywords:

Sex education, social justice education, material culture, zines, alternative media, public health

Notes

Session III, Panel 6 - Feminist | Readings

Moderator: Patrick O'Connor, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature

Major

Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies; History

Advisor(s)

Pablo Mitchell, History

Project Mentor(s)

Emilia Bachrach, Religion and Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies

KJ Cerankoswki, Comparative American Studies and Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies

Greggor Mattson, Sociology and Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies

April 2019

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Apr 27th, 1:00 PM Apr 27th, 2:20 PM

Crafting Pedagogical Intimacies: The Potential of Feminist Zines in Sex Education

King Building 123

Drawing on work of social justice education scholars and grassroots political movements, this paper develops tangible ways to address systemic problems of sexual education in the United States by turning to zines, self made and self published booklets that emphasize DIY aesthetics, as a new frontier for comprehensive, inclusive, and engaged learning. Publically funded sexual education programs in the United States have historically been a site of controversy, launching national debates over what “respectable” sexuality should look like in America’s youth. These programs are infamous for using religiously charged abstinence-only curriculums, failing to inform students about sexually transmitted infections, and avoiding the topic of consent entirely. Opponents of current government-sponsored sexual education curriculums--including politicians, public health organizations, feminist scholars, and activists--have argued that sex education classrooms across the country are sites in which science-based research is disregarded and white, cis, heteropatriarchy is reproduced. Based on interviews with zinemakers and comparative analyses of zines related to sexual identity and sexual practices alongside “traditional” sexual education textbook material, my research suggests that zines, through their intimacy, carefully curated aesthetics, and accessible presentation of information, have the power to destigmatize sexually marginalized groups and transform classrooms where student’s education and health are put at risk.