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Toward an Action-Oriented Feminist Pedagogy in Women’S Studies

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Toward an Action-Oriented Feminist Pedagogy in Women’S Studies TEACHING TO TRANSFORM: TOWARD AN ACTION-ORIENTED FEMINIST PEDAGOGY IN WOMEN’S STUDIES by Shereen Siddiqui A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida May 2015 Copyright 2015 by Shereen Siddiqui ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While working on the Ph.D., I trained for and completed several distance races. I am struck by the similarities between the daunting endeavors of academic research and distance running. Standing at the start line of a marathon is not unlike sitting in front of a blank document. Thousands of words to write. Miles of road to traverse. With both, there are most certainly moments of self doubt, hitting the wall, asking why you ever dared attempt something so big, wondering how you could have ever possibly thought this was a good idea, wishing you could quit, yet knowing you’ve gone too far to stop now. Both are largely solitary, and oftentimes lonely, endeavors. Yet both are greatly facilitated by the presence of others. My completion of distance races would have been difficult, at best, without the shared wisdom of more experienced runners, the camaraderie of fellow runners with whom I trained, the cheers and high-fives from fans along the race route, and the dedication and unwavering support of those real diehard fans waiting for me at the finish line. Knowing they were there pushed me to keep going when I wanted to quit. Likewise, my journey to the dissertation finish line would not have been possible without many important “coaches” and “fans.” My chair, Dr. Susan Love Brown, was a tremendous help from the beginning of my process to find a dissertation topic. Her understanding of how my interest in and experience with action-oriented pedagogy fit into the Public Intellectuals Program encouraged me to pursue this project. Her patience with me as I stopped and started was greatly appreciated, as was her unwavering faith in me that I would eventually reach the iv end. I am grateful to Dr. Mary Cameron for her insistence on a solid proposal, which facilitated the writing of this dissertation. The project itself is an outgrowth of interviews I conducted for one of her courses. Likewise, Dr. Heather Frazer’s course on Oral History was instrumental in helping me to see myself as a capable qualitative researcher. I appreciate her thorough reading and helpful comments, and am also grateful for her willingness to stick with me and this project, even in her retirement. Thank you to Dr. Becky Mulvaney, a passionate educator, for joining my team and believing in this work. I am grateful to so many wonderful teachers I have encountered during the journey from undergraduate to Ph.D. Here I would like to thank Dr. Sharon Welch, Dr. Andrew Twaddle, and Dr. Fran Hoffmann for believing in me when I did not believe in myself. There are a few people who came into my life at critical moments in the dissertation process. Lorraine Cross played a pivotal role when she selected me, a lowly adjunct instructor, to be part of a faculty learning community on academic service- learning, giving me a whole new language and lens. Dr. Debbie Layton-Tholl helped me put things in perspective and pushed me in the right direction. Dr. Valentina Kloosterman coached me when I hit the wall at one particular critical juncture. John Pennington, a tremendous cheerleader, came back into my life at just the right moment; I must thank him for the gift of Adam Hurst’s motivational music, for painstakingly reading each word of this dissertation and giving thoughtful feedback, and, to use his perfect words, for “patiently holding out cups of refreshing affection and adoration” as I approached the finish line. v In many ways, my students inspired this work. The projects we created and engaged in together impelled this research, and the relationships we began in the classroom and continue today have given me so much joy. I am especially grateful to Mindi Fetterman, Christie Mayer, and Zach Scalzo. Thanks goes to the women’s studies faculty and alumnae I interviewed for taking time out of their busy lives to speak so openly with me. Our conversations energized me and made me excited to continue the work. And thank you also to my women’s studies/service-learning colleagues across the country who graciously served as advisors and sounding boards as I made sense of my research; Dr. Milton Wendland, Dr. Susan Iverson, and Dr. Leandra Preston-Sidler, you are wonderful role models. I am fortunate to have extraordinary friends who have stuck with me and continued to cheer me along this very long journey. Richie Delewsky nourished me, literally, with coffee and lunch breaks, but also with love and cheers, just when I needed them most. Jill Edwards stuck with me through it all, listened to all my moans and groans, and made me laugh along the way. Buffy Tucker provided encouragement, the perfect writing retreats, and occasionally, much-needed kicks in the butt. Agatha Falso’s wisdom and insistence that I finish were greatly appreciated. I am grateful to Jamie Johnson and Andrea Canora for giving me opportunities to laugh and recharge my batteries, and to Loren Niemi and Jim Gilbert for their friendship and loyalty over the years. Thanks also to my friend and P.I. peer, Jacqui May, for commiserating and for the “interventions.” Finally, none of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family whose patience and belief in me has been constant. My father, Dr. K. Ali vi Siddiqui’s, remarkable educational journey and insistence that his daughters travel far beyond the illiteracy of his sisters in Afghanistan has been a constant motivational force in pursuing the doctorate and completing this dissertation. Knowing how much this degree meant to him and to our family and the sacrifices he made for me to have every advantage were huge factors in my pursuit of this goal. My mother, Doris Siddiqui, is like the ultimate fan—wearing my name across her chest, cheering at every point along the race route, ready with words of encouragement, a snack, a break—whatever I needed. She never wavered in her support of my pursuit, or in her belief that I could do it. Her love and guidance were like a blanket that enveloped me, comforting and nurturing when I wanted to quit. I am also grateful to my siblings, Rona Siddiqui and David Siddiqui. Their love, encouragement, and brilliance in their respective fields and pursuit of their own dreams pushed me to go the distance. My aunt, Anita Troccoli, could have cared less about my mastery of any subject, with the exception of Italian cooking, but her generous assistance allowed me the time to focus on my dissertation at the end. I wish she could be here for the “post-race” party. There will be carbs! Great thanks go to those who had to live with me on a daily basis. My furriest and most loyal of fans, Mooshy El Choo Ché Siddiqui, kept me company for countless hours as I toiled, forfeiting long walks, and asking for nothing more than the occasional rub and treat. I must thank Jeff Young, not only for his support of my goal, but mostly, for enduring; I realize that living with a procrastinating perfectionist is no small feat. I imagine it was nothing less than excruciatingly painful and frustrating for him to watch me jog in place, run into roadblocks, stop, restart, and repeat this process for so many years. My partner in all things, he started this race with me, and his own sprint to the vii dissertation finish line, while juggling work and family responsibilities, was an inspiration. Finally, I must thank my littlest fan, my beautiful son Harris, who without knowing it, gave me the final push across the finish line when he came into this world and taught me what years of formal education never could: what is most important. viii ABSTRACT Author: Shereen Siddiqui Title: Teaching to Transform: Toward an Action-oriented Feminist Pedagogy in Women’s Studies Institution: Florida Atlantic University Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Susan Love Brown Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Year: 2015 This qualitative study was conducted to develop a better understanding of the place of praxis in higher education women’s studies programs in the U.S. Built upon theories of feminist pedagogy, feminist praxis, activism, experiential education, and academic service-learning, the research explores how praxis is reflected and taught in women’s studies programs, how these programs impact students’ understanding of feminist theory and practice, and what factors affect the implementation of action- oriented pedagogy. Examples of several action-oriented projects that have successfully been implemented in women’s studies courses are offered, and a case study demonstrates the impact of these projects. The methods used include document review of women’s studies mission statements and syllabi, and interviews with women’s studies faculty and alumnae. The interview data were coded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. ix The study found that women’s studies program have the goal of empowering students to engage in social change work, but this mission is not taking place through action-oriented projects. Students desire and benefit from this type of learning experience, but the opportunities to put theory into practice in the context of the college classroom are scarce. Women’s studies programs point to internships as an opportunity for students to connect theory with practice, but these programs are often poorly organized or are not required.
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