Interrupting Heteronormativity

Aims to make visible the everyday, seemingly inconsequential ways in which classrooms become sites for the reinforcement of heteronormative ideologies and practices that inhibit student learning and student-teacher interactions; and to aid educators in identifying, and working with students to avoid marginalizaton in the classroom.

This book examines how heteronormativity in higher education can be interrupted and resisted. Located within the theoretical framework of queer and critical pedagogy and based on extensive empirical research, the author explores the dynamics of heteronormativity and its interruption on professional courses in a range of higher education institutions. Reactions to attempt to interrupt it were nuanced: while strategies of contested engagement, avoidance and retreat were expressed, heterosexualities were largely un-examined and un-articulated. ‘Coming out’ needs to be a pedagogical act, carried out concurrently with the interruptions of other social constructions and binary oppositions. The author calls for co-created and co-held meta-reflexive and liminal spaces that emphasise inter-subjectivity, encounters, and working in the moment. These spaces must de-construct and reconstruct pedagogical power and knowledge to promote collective intersubjective consciousnesses, and widen the vision of the reflective practitioner to that of the pedagogical practitioner. This pioneering book is a call to action to all those concerned with interrupting and problematising presumed binary categories of sexuality within the heterosexual matrix.

Choice Award 2022: Outstanding Academic Title Queer studies is an extensive field that spans a range of disciplines. This volume focuses on education and educational research and examines and expounds upon queer studies particular to education fields. It works to examine concepts, theories, and methods related to queer studies across PK-12, higher education, adult education, and informal learning. The volume takes an intentionally intersectional approach, with particular attention to the intersections of white supremacist cisheteropatriachy. It includes well-established concepts with accessible and entry-level explanations, as well as emerging and cutting-edge concepts in the field. It is designed to be used by those new to queer studies as well as those with established expertise in the field.

The field of English language arts teacher education has experienced change over the past two decades. Changes in the discipline have produced a much more expansive understanding of literacy and of what teachers of English language arts do. This volume will focus on innovations in English language arts teacher education.

In this two-volume work, hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries survey contemporary lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer American literature and its social contexts. Comprehensive in scope and accessible to students and general readers, Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States explores contemporary American LGBTQ literature and its social, political, cultural, and historical contexts. Included are several hundred alphabetically arranged entries written by expert contributors. Students of literature and popular culture will appreciate the encyclopedia's insightful survey and discussion of LGBTQ authors and their works, while students of history and social issues will value the encyclopedia's use of literature to explore LGBTQ American society. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and lists additional sources of information. To further enhance study and understanding, the encyclopedia closes with a selected general bibliography of print and electronic resources for student research.

Should we stay or should we go? Millions of parents with children in public schools can't believe they're asking this question. But they are. And you should be asking it too. Almost overnight, America's public schools have become morally toxic. And they are especially poisonous for the hearts and minds of children from religious families of every faith—ordinary families who value traditional morality and plain old common sense. Parents' first duty is to their children—to their intellect, their character, their souls. The facts on the ground point to one conclusion: get out now.

Queer Inclusion in Teacher Education explores the challenges and promises of building queer inclusive pedagogy and curriculum into teacher education. Weaving together theory, research findings, and practical "how-to" strategies and materials, it fills an important gap by offering a clear roadmap and resources for influencing the knowledge, beliefs, and actions of faculty working with pre-service teachers. While the book has implications for policy change, most immediately, readers will feel empowered with ideas for faculty development they can implement in their own teacher education programs. Looking at both the politics and practices of teacher education and the ways in which queer issues manifest in schools, it is hopeful in suggesting that if teachers and pre-service teachers can critically reflect on homophobia and heteronormativity, they can begin to think about and relate to queer youth in a different, more positive and inclusive way. A Companion Website [http://queerinclusion.com] with additional activities and materials for teacher educators and faculty development and a practical guide enhances the usefulness of the book.

Today’s institutions of higher education must continuously adapt to meet the evolving needs and expectations of each new generation of students. A significant and growing presence within academia is the LGBTQIA community. LGBTQIA individuals are now four times more likely to attend higher education institutions away from home. However, a substantial proportion of these students remain unseen, with more than half avoiding exposure of their identity to faculty and staff, and in some cases even to their peers. Perspectives on Transforming Higher Education and the LGBTQIA Student Experience is a comprehensive academic exploration of the intricate world of LGBTQIA students in higher education. This book sheds light on the multifaceted challenges and complexities that LGBTQIA students face, transcending the boundaries of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability, and socio-economic class. This book is a seminal work designed to enlighten and inform students, faculty, student affairs practitioners, higher education administrators, and policymakers, and is structured to provide a holistic understanding, this book encompasses critical themes, including LGBTQIA student identity development, the intersectionality of identity, LGBTQIA student experiences within the campus climate, and the impact of laws and policies on their lives. This book also explores a diverse range of topics, spotlighting often under-researched and underrepresented communities and experiences.

Cinematic Sociology is a one-of-a-kind resource that helps students to view films sociologically while also providing much-needed pedagogy for teaching sociology through film. In this engaging text, the authors take readers beyond watching movies and help them "see" films sociologically while also developing critical thinking and analytical skills that will be useful in college coursework and beyond. The book's essays from expert scholars in sociology and cultural studies explore the ways social life is presented--distorted, magnified, or politicized--in popular film. Contributor to the SAGE Teaching Innovations and Professional Development Award

In Queer Multicultural Social Justice Education: Curriculum (and Identity) Development Through Performance, I take a pragmatic approach sharing my intimate journey, my stories, and myself with you—the reader—as I actively perform and model the development of queer explorations (i.e., lessons) and curriculum. I begin this journey with three accessible histories of multicultural education, queer perspectives, and autoethnography, respectively. These easy-to-navigate stories provide you with important background knowledge, highlighting the evolution of, commonalities between, and need for each discipline, along with their connection to identity and identity awareness as a form of social justice practice and advancement. Next, I share and perform the nine explorations developed for this project, collectively titled Queer Explorations of Identity Awareness. Modeling for you in practical terms how to queer curriculum and its development, I openly examine my raw performances, discuss my personal and analytical reflections, and embrace my own personal experiences and revelations that occurred throughout this project. Finally, I close with a creative, reflective, and story-like analysis of the process that includes a call to action from you to share your stories as a way of knowing yourself—and others—as a form of social justice education and advancement. This book is intended for all formal and informal educators interested in performing and developing queer multicultural social justice curriculum and practices. Inspired by Ayers (2006), I invite you on this “voyage” with “hope and urgency” (p. 83). It is time we share our stories as a form of curriculum, activism, and coming together.