| Author(s): | Crawley, S. L. Willman, R. K. Clark, L. & Walsh, C. |
| Date: | 2009 |
| Publication: | Feminist Teacher |
| Citation: | Crawley, S. L., Willman, R. K., Clark, L., & Walsh, C. (2009). Making women the subjects of the abortion debate: A class exercise that moves beyond “pro-choice” and “pro-life.” Feminist Teacher, 19(3), 227–240. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40546102 |
| Section on webpage: | Reproductive Rights and Justice Literature |
| Tenets: | Considering alternative histories and narratives. Examining how gender, intersecting with other social categories, structures our lives, learning, and knowledge production, access to resources and information. Honoring diversity and lived experiences through intersectional approaches. |
| Annotation: | (Excerpt from article) In this article, we describe a classroom exercise designed to put women (and children and men) back at the center of the abortion debate, avoiding the standard rhetoric and engaging reflection on how we might find common political goals among the so-called pro-life and pro-choice sides. As feminists, we can avoid losing students who are accepting of feminists ideals on many issues but feel unable to participate in feminist movements because they ideologically disagree with legalized abortion. We also provide a brief history of the current public debate and a discussion abotu some problems that arise from a binary, polarizing debate. As we work toward creating a safe space, students and the instructor can take the vitriol out of the abortion debate and have a constructive conversation. The challenge is to direct the students to a certain degree, to facilitate intellectual debate without silencing any student altogether. With careful planning and active facilitation, we think this exercise allows just that. |