Generative spaces: intimacy, activism and teaching feminist geographies

Abstract

In this article, we examine responses to the March on Washington from the vantage point of Durham University, Durham, UK. As members of a course titled ‘Feminist Geographies of Intimacy’, we viewed the March on Washington as a prudent and timely event with which to think ‘on’ and ‘with’ intimacy and also to consider on a more personal level the significance of the March to our own feminism/s, feminist geographies and everyday lives. This piece is a collaborative effort written together by two instructors and eight students. We reflected on how we encountered ‘the March’ in the classroom in order to consider the varied locations and forms of protest; the range of issues that were fought for or fought against; the role of humour and other emotions when expressing dissent and/or solidarity; and the exclusion and inclusion of bodies which did or did not protest. The March for us, therefore, became a ‘generative space’ in that it provided a pedagogic tool with which to explore geographies of intimacy.

Keywords:

• March on Washington
• feminist geographies
• intimacy
• pedagogy
• generative

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the students who created such a dynamic space for conversation and thinking within the ‘Feminist Geographies of Intimacy’ course, as well as to Pamela Moss and the anonymous reviewer for their encouragement and suggestions. Thanks to the many marchers around the world who continue to provide such an opportunity for critical conversation and sustained reflection.