Communities of mutation: becoming feminist pedagogical monstrosities

ABSTRACT

We are feminist scholars who research and teach at a university in the United States situated within histories of sociopolitical conservativism and oppressions. In the present, looming over our classrooms, are mandates to eliminate ‘divisive concepts’ such as race and gender. These political monsters gnash their teeth and foam at the mouth as they swallow up equity and intersectionality from education. Here, we draw on posthuman feminisms to specifically consider what monstrous mutant feminist pedagogies are, what they might do, and how they have healed/emboldened us in these politically ruined places. We contextualize the mutant pedagogies that are kinned through the composts we inhabit/create, then, we situate ourselves within these monstrous landscapes and tell the stories of our Communities/Pedagogies of Mutation. We conclude by looking forward and, drawing inspiration from post feminisms, speculate generative, hopeful, and affirmative futures that are made possible through our agentively monstrous mutations.

KEYWORDS:

• Feminist pedagogy
• pedagogies of mutation
• community
• politics
• narrative

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephanie Anne Shelton

Stephanie Anne Shelton is Associate Professor of Qualitative Research at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. In addition to 7 books, her work has appeared in journals such as Qualitative Inquiry, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, International Review of Qualitative Research, Qualitative Research Journal, GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, English Education, and Teaching and Teacher Education. She is the 2020 recipient of the AERA Division D Early Career Award in Measurement and Research Methodology, 2021 NCTE LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Leadership Award, 2022 American Library Association's Choice Book Award, and 2023 Divergent Award for Excellence in Literacy Advocacy.

Kelly W. Guyotte

Kelly W. Guyotte is Associate Professor of Qualitative Research at The University of Alabama, USA where she also serves as Director of Faculty Development for the College of Education. Her research interests include issues of gender and equity in higher education, artful inquiry practices, qualitative pedagogy and mentoring, and STEAM (STEM + art) education. She has published in journals such as Qualitative Inquiry and International Review of Qualitative Research, and is co-editor of three books including Expanding Approaches to Thematic Analysis Creative Engagements with Qualitative Data (Routledge) and Philosophical Mentoring in Qualitative Research: Collaborating and Inquiring Together (Routledge).