Managing Student Self-Disclosure in Class Settings: Lessons from Feminist Pedagogy

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Published: Mar 6, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/v17i1.20070
Keywords:
self-disclosure, feminist pedagogy

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Catherine Borshuk
Indiana University South Bend

Abstract

The present article describes difficulties and opportunities associated with students’ disclosure of their personal experiences in university class settings. In classes that deal with topics such as violence, racism, family dynamics, mental health or social justice, students with first-hand experience of these topics can bring valuable real-life experience to class discussion. However, bringing intimate information to class may also raise issues of appropriate boundaries and the role of the classroom setting for sharing potentially upsetting information. Drawing on principles of feminist pedagogy and using examples from classes I teach about women and psychology, I detail the challenges related to students’ personal biographies and beliefs about their experiences, and outline some strategies that may usefully find balance between respecting their experiences and providing a learning environment while teaching about the values and ethics of an academic discipline.

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How to Cite
Borshuk, C. (2017). Managing Student Self-Disclosure in Class Settings: Lessons from Feminist Pedagogy. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(1), 78–86. https://doi.org/10.14434/v17i1.20070
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Vol. 17 No. 1 (2017): Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
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Articles
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Author Biography

Catherine Borshuk, Indiana University South Bend

Associate Professor of Psychology, Interim Chair (2015) Criminal Justice Indiana University South Bend

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