Normative violence and the terms of recognizability as ‘woman’ in Chilean Catholic schools

ABSTRACT

In this article, we analyze our individually written testimonios and group conversations about our experience as ‘woman’ in Catholic schools in Chile, using Butler’s concept of performativity and Braidotti’s concept of nomadic subjectivity. We argue that some Catholic schools in Chile reproduce the category ‘woman’ as a pure, selfless, sexy, heterosexual mother who is an inferior and erasable being that is frequently discounted. This reproduction is done via different procedures of shaming, silencing, and even sexual violence. We experienced the telling of these testimonios as troubling but productive. First, this paper addresses the ideologies, values, and practices that Catholic schools construct around gender. Second, it suggests that the telling of and engagement with stories of embodied experiences is a beneficial strategy to battle gender oppression and work through productive discomfort and affects. Finally, the article considers the importance of dismantling subjectivity formation processes that consider some bodies as disposable.

KEYTERMS:

• Catholic schools
• testimonios
• gender education
• Chile
• collective self-study

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by ANID through Becas Chile for Doctoral Studies Dissertation and has been supported by ANID PIA-CIE grant number 160007.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica de Chile [Grant Number ANID PIA CIE160007, Becas Chile].

Notes on contributors

Valentina Errázuriz

Valentina Errázuriz is a Chilean feminist researcher and works as an Associated Researcher at the Center for Educational Justice at Universidad Católica de Chile. She holds an MA in Teaching Social Studies and a PhD in social studies education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Camila Lami

Camila Lami has a bachelor degree in education and is studying History at Barcelona University. She is a Chilean activist for social justice. email: [email protected]

Camila Rodríguez

Camila Rodríguez, Chilean, has a bachelor degree in History in Universidad Católica de Chile and is currently studying in the History Magister at the same institution. Her research interest is women's history. email: [email protected]