Methodologies for identifying and preventing gender-based violence in high school: an approach from Mexican feminist geography

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on sharing methodologies implemented in the classroom setting to identify gender-based violence (GBV). Rooted in Feminist Geography, these methodologies include focus groups and counter-cartographies that centre the concept of cuerpo-territorio as a scale of analysis in order to understand structural violence in our spaces of production and reproduction, how it is embodied and how we can collectively transform violent spatialities. We argue that collective knowledge as a means of preventing GBV can be produced through concepts taught within the subject of Geography. The locations of the high schools involved include Mexico City, San Luis Potosi and Oaxaca.

Se comparte la experiencia de implementar metodologías para identificar violencias de género a través de la enseñanza de la materia de Geografía a nivel bachillerato en la Ciudad de Mexico, San Luis Potosí y Oaxaca. Estas metodologías incluyen grupos focales y contra-cartografías que centran el concepto de cuerpo-territorio como escala de análisis para entender la violencia estructural en nuestros espacios de producción y reproducción, cómo se vive en el cuerpo y cómo podemos transformar espacialidades violentas. Argumentamos que el conocimiento colectivo como herramienta para prevenir la violencia de género se puede producir con conceptos que se enseñan en la Geografía.

KEYWORDS:

• Feminist geography
• cuerpo-territorio
• gender-based violence
• high school
• Mexico

Disclosure statement

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

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Culture For Sustainable AND Inclusive Peace (CUSP) Network Plus under the AHRC award number AH/T007931/1.

Notes on contributors

Violeta Torres Carroll

Violeta Torres Carroll holds a bachelor's degree in Geography from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Her research is focused on identifying spaces of vulnerability and gender-based violence informed by embodied geographies and feminist theories and methods. Currently a member of the research project “Geographic Scales: Local spaces for processes of change, prevention, and attention of gender-based violence against women” in the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature, UNAM.

Maria Veronica Ibarra Garcia

Maria Veronica Ibarra Garcia holds a doctorate in Geography from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She is a full time professor in the SUAYED program in Geography in the faculty of Philosophy and Literature of the UNAM as well as a member of the National Sistem of Researchers (SNI, Mexico). Her lines of research are Feminist Geography and Political Geography. Coordinator of three books Geografias Feministas de Diversas Latitudes (2016), Megaproyectos en Mexico una Mirada Critica (2016) and Mexico visto desde una Geografia Politica (2020).

Angelica Lucia Damian Bernal

Angelica Lucia Damian Bernal holds a doctorate in Geography from the the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She is a professor in the undergraduate and graduate Geography programs at the UNAM. She is a member of the researchers for Mexico program (CONACYT) with her project tiled: Production of spaces free of violence for and with women with disabilities: Intersectional cartography for social inclusion. Her lines of research are feminist geography, access for women to spaces free of violence, feminist cartography, political participation of women with disabilities in legislative spaces.

Eva Citlali Rodriguez

Eva Citlali Jimenez Rodriguez is currently a candidate for the Geography PhD at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She is a pedagogic strategies consultant for distance learning in high school. She has also worked on study guides for admissions to the ENP (National Preparatory School System). She participated in various commissions to update the ENP curriculum and program. She is currently a professor at the ENP and teaches Geography, Economic Geography, Political Geography, Geography of Mexico in middle school, high school and undergraduate levels.

Paola Cueto Jimenez

Paola Cueto Jimenez Geographer with master studies in Digital Technologies for Education. Professor in the ENP (National Preparatory School System) with 29 years of teaching experience, she has complimented her education with numerous courses, seminars, certificates, and congresses regarding new pedagogic strategies. She is currently the chair of the Geography program at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria (UNAM). She was a coordinator for the revision and updates done to the Geography curriculum during the 2015-2018 Curricular Modification Project in the ENP high school. She has coordinated several academic development activities for geography high school students from the ENP and has headed two INFOCAB projects in the same institution.