Addressing the Lgbtq-Religious Junction in English Studies

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Addressing the Lgbtq-Religious Junction in English Studies ABSTRACT DOING JUSTICE: ADDRESSING THE LGBTQ-RELIGIOUS JUNCTION IN ENGLISH STUDIES by Gina Rebekah Joan Patterson This dissertation addresses a relative silence in the English Studies pedagogical archive around lgbtq issues and religious discourse. Specifically, this research limits its focus to (conservative) Christian responses to lgbtq issues in the context of the United States. As indicated by its title, this dissertation aims to assist teachers (and administrators) in addressing the lgbtq-religious junction in critical, ethical, and socially just ways. To accomplish this task, I designed a two-phase, person-based research project. In the first phase, I conducted a nationally circulated, online survey that asked English Studies teachers to reflect upon their experiences at the lgbtq-religious junction. In the second phase, I engaged in follow-up interviews with a number of these survey respondents. My results indicate that the difficulty of addressing this intersection has little to do with a lack of socially just responses to anti-lgbtq, (conservative) Christian arguments. Rather, participants indicated three pressures of navigating the lgbtq-religious junction: First, survey and interview data reveal that participants' experiences of institutional violence contributed to a climate of fear, where teachers feel they must steer away from the lgbtq-religious junction (if not lgbtq issues in general) altogether for fear of jeopardizing their career, if not their physical and/or emotional safety. Second, participants' responses indicate that another difficulty of addressing this intersection in the classroom hinges upon having to simultaneously cope with their previous emotional experiences at the lgbtq-religious junction. Finally, my data indicates that, in an attempt to address the lgbtq- religious junction in socially just ways, participants must also contend with the neoliberal expectation (from students, parents, colleagues, administrators, and politicians) that pedagogy ought to be neutral. In the conclusion, I provide readers with suggestions for thinking about the lgbtq-religious junction in socially just ways. I also call on readers to leverage their institutional and/or social privilege to transform oppressive institutional cultures that hinder critical, ethical, and socially just pedagogies at the lgbtq-religious junction (among other similarly volatile intersections) in the first place. DOING JUSTICE: ADDRESSING THE LGBTQ-RELIGIOUS JUNCTION IN ENGLISH STUDIES A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy English Department by Gina Rebekah Joan Patterson Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2013 Dissertation Director: Dr. Madelyn Detloff Dissertation Director: Dr. Heidi McKee Reader: Dr. John Tassoni Reader: Dr. Lisa Weems © Gina Rebekah Joan Patterson 2013 Table of Contents Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Getting Schooled: Teaching at the Intersection of LGBTQ Issues and Religious Discourse .......... 1 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 Interrogating Pedagogical Narratives at the LGBTQ-Religious Junction .......................................... 20 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................................................... 50 Toward a Methodology of Risk: Bodies, Emotions, and Methods ..................................................... 50 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................................................... 72 Surveying Teachers' Experiences at the LGBTQ-RD ........................................................................... 72 Interchapter ....................................................................................................................................................... 90 Participant Introductions ........................................................................................................................... 90 Chapter 5 ........................................................................................................................................................... 94 The Teacher's Body in Institutional Space .............................................................................................. 94 Chapter 6 ......................................................................................................................................................... 122 Intimate Encounters at the LGBTQ-Religious Junction .................................................................... 122 Chapter 7 ......................................................................................................................................................... 160 The Unbearable Weight of Pedagogical Neutrality at the LGBTQ-Religious Junction ................. 160 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................................... 197 Getting Schooled Again: Notes on "Doing Justice" at the LGBTQ-RD ......................................... 197 Works Cited .................................................................................................................................................... 229 Appendix A ..................................................................................................................................................... 237 Appendix B ..................................................................................................................................................... 239 Appendix C ..................................................................................................................................................... 241 Endnotes ......................................................................................................................................................... 243 iii Table of Figures Figure 1. Survey Questions ............................................................................................................................. 61 Figure 2. Participants' Willingness to Address the LGBTQ-RD .............................................................. 62 Figure 3. LGBTQ Participants' Assessment of Risk .................................................................................. 62 Figure 4. Post-Survey Interview Questions ................................................................................................. 64 Figure 5. Codes and Themes for Chapters 4-6 ........................................................................................... 70 Figure 6. Frequency of Religious Discourse in LGBTQ Contexts .......................................................... 74 Figure 7. Factors that Influence Students' Responses to LGBTQ Issues ............................................... 75 Figure 8. Frequency of Students' Use of Religious/Values Discourse in LGBTQ Contexts .............. 77 Figure 9. Characterization of Class Discussions at the LGBTQ-RD ...................................................... 78 Figure 10. Assessment of Disciplinary Resources for Navigating the LGBTQ-RD ............................. 79 Figure 11. Participants' Attitudes Toward Addressing the LGBTQ-RD ................................................ 81 Figure 12. LGBTQ Participants' Assessment of Risk ................................................................................ 86 iv Dedication For Ben Stokes, the Chef of Love —and for all of our queer saints v Acknowledgments This has been an intellectually and emotionally challenging project for me, and I am so thankful for the folks who have taken this journey with me. I'd like to send a big thank you out to my co-chairs, Madelyn Detloff and Heidi McKee, who "adopted" me later on in the research process. I really couldn't have finished without their direction and encouragement. I'm also thankful to John Tassoni, also a member of my committee, who encouraged me (many years back) to reflect on how the students in my Literature and Sexuality class helped me to prepare for my comprehensive exam. Had he not offered me the opportunity to reflect on this question, I might not have written this dissertation. I'm also indebted to my outside reader, Lisa Weems, for talking to me about feminist and queer methodologies and for introducing me to important contacts along the way. It seems only fair to thank all of the people who participated in my research. Had folks not taken my online survey, I would have been in a real mess. I'd also like to thank those of my participants who agreed to do follow-up interviews with me. While I couldn't include all of these interviews in my dissertation, I truly enjoyed talking pedagogy with all of my interview participants. I am especially grateful to the nine participants whose stories I included in my project: José de la Garza, Aiden Gliesberg, Michelle Gibson, Kami Day, Will Banks, Trixie Smith, TJ Geiger, and finally "Lynn" and "Jo." Though it is true that my project wouldn't have been nearly as successful without their generosity, I am most grateful for the friendships
Recommended publications
  • Science-In-Transition-Position-Paper-Final.Pdf
    Science in Transition POSITION PAPER – October 17, 2013 Why Science Does Not Work as It Should And What To Do about It Huub Dijstelbloem Frank Huisman Scientific Council for Government Policy University Medical Center Utrecht University of Amsterdam Descartes Centre, Utrecht University Frank Miedema Wijnand Mijnhardt University Medical Center Utrecht Descartes Centre, Utrecht University To the reader: The views in this position paper are the product of lively discussions in four workshops, organized by the initiators of Science in Transition in the spring of 2013. The participants of these workhops are listed on the website. However, the responsibility for this position paper rests solely with the Science in Transition initiators. Also, this position paper is not an end product, but a starting point for debate. This is the second version and after the November conference a revision will follow. Translation: Han van der Vegt. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Images of Science .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Trust ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Quality .................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • AAO Position Papers July 2014
    AAO Position Papers July 2014 Definition A position paper is a living document put forward by members of a Section or a Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Academy. The purpose of these documents is to educate the lay public and press on timely issues. On occasion the American Academy of Optometry may deviate from these stated audiences under special circumstances. Who May Generate a Position Paper? Sections and SIGs may originate a position paper or the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Academy may request that a Section or SIG author a position paper. In all cases the BOD shall be the final approving body of any and all position papers. Who Are Considered the Authors of Position Papers? Section and SIG’s will be considered the authors of position papers representing the American Academy of Optometry’s position on the topic to the lay public and press. Authorship information will be placed at the end of the paper and will include: Section Name Lead author(s) Writing Committee members It is at the authoring Section or SIG’s discretion whether to list all authors under the heading of the “writing committee” or to delineate “lead authors” separately from the writing committee. Although not typically included, if applicable, these can be used: Committee on ____________, 20xx – 20xx Consultants or liaisons Acknowledgments Position Paper Approval & Posting Date All position papers must be approved by the BOD; other organizations may also give approval. When other organizations are involved, they will be named and their approval dates (month & year) documented. Where Do Position Papers Reside After Final Approval by the Board of Directors? All position papers will reside on the Academy’s website.
    [Show full text]
  • The Epistemology of Racism and Community-Based
    THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF RACISM AND COMMUNITY-BASED ASSESSMENT PRACTICE By ASAO B. INOUE A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Department of English May 2005 © Copyright by ASAO B. INOUE, 2005 All Rights Reserved © Copyright by ASAO B. INOUE, 2005 All Rights Reserved To the Faculty of Washington State University: The members of the Committee appointed to examine the dissertation of ASAO B. INOUE find it satisfactory and recommend that it be accepted. ___________________________________ Chair ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Victor Villanueva, Dr. Rory Ong, and Dr. William Condon for their careful reading of earlier drafts of this dissertation. Additionally, I appreciate Dr. Peter Elbow’s gracious help and copious suggestions on an earlier version of chapter five, a version of which appeared in the journal Assessing Writing 10.1 (2005). Most of all, I thank kelly Inoue for supporting me, keeping my life in order, and making it possible for me to do the work required for this dissertation. iii iv THE EPISTEMOLGY OF RACISM AND COMMUNITY-BASED ASSESSMENT PRACTICE Abstract by Asao B. Inoue, Ph.D. Washington State University May 2005 Chair: Victor Villanueva, Jr. This is a discussion that theorizes the epistemology of racism and incorporates it into a critical writing pedagogy. It uses primarily a critical sophistic pedagogy, a set of community- based assessment practices, and a rhetoric of hard agreements, all theorized. This discussion draws primarily from three areas: (1) sophistic rhetorical and pedagogical theory, primarily discussions around nomos-physis, Protagoras’ man-measure doctrine and his antilogical heuristics for rhetorical invention; (2) cultural theory and theories surrounding the ideological and rhetorical construction of race, class, and power; and (3) composition theory, primarily assessment theory and critical pedagogical theory.
    [Show full text]
  • Publish & Perish
    Publish & Perish Research on research and researchers Joeri K. Tijdink Publish & Perish Research on research and researchers colofon ISBN: 978-90-825123-4-2 ©Joeri Tijdink, 2016 opmaak: proefschrift-aio.nl druk: dpp.nl VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Publish & Perish Research on research and researchers ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Geneeskunde op donderdag 30 juni 2016 om 9.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Joeri Kees Tijdink geboren te Tiel promotoren: prof.dr. Y.M. Smulders prof.dr. L.M. Bouter CONTENT Chapter 1 General Introduction 7 Chapter 2 The assessment of publication pressure in medical science: validity and reliability of a Publication Pressure Questionnaire (PPQ) 19 Chapter 3 Emotional exhaustion and burnout among medical professors: a nationwide survey 39 Chapter 4 Publication pressure and burnout among Dutch medical professors: a nationwide survey 61 Chapter 5 Publication Pressure and Scientific Misconduct in Medical Scientists 81 Chapter 6 Medical scientists’ view on publication culture. Results from 12 focus groups among Dutch medical researchers 97 Chapter 7 How does industry funding disclosure influence psychiatrists? A randomized trial among Dutch psychiatrists 121 Chapter 8 Machiavellianism is associated with research misbehavior in Dutch biomedical scientists 137 Chapter 9 Publiphilia Impactfactorius:
    [Show full text]
  • Offspring MAGAZINE
    ISSUE 2018 The Offspring MAGAZINE A publication of the Max Planck PhDnet Who We Are & What We Stand For What’s in a Name? Mental Health at Top Performance WELCOME Letter from the Editorial Team In this world, there are things you can do alone, and things you can only do with some- body else. It is important to combine the two in just the right amount. – After Dark by Haruki Murakami or all of us, especially those involved with the Max Planck PhDnet, an exciting year has passed – filled with a F lot of science, challenges within our PhD, good and bad results, thrilling new adventures and new companions we met along the way. In this year`s print version we try to cover all of those topics in various sections. Who we are and what we stand for? One highlight since last year`s print version is the release of the 2017 PhDnet Survey report – a survey that gives us important insight about who the doctoral researchers of the Max Planck So- ciety are and how they feel – about general working conditions, supervision, mental health, discrimination, par- enting and so on. This survey serves as a basis for future surveys to come and we are already looking forward to the results of the 2018 PhDnet survey. One of the challenges this year was the recent media coverage about power abuse within the Max Planck Society. Because of the importance of this topic, the Offspring decided to include the PhDnet position paper by the PhDnet Steering Group 2018 about Power Abuse and Conflict Resolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Preprint
    Book chapter submitted on 15 July 2021 Preprint not peer-reviewed Title: Research assessments should recognize responsible research practices Narrative review of a lively debate and promising developments Noémie AUBERT BONN1 and Lex BOUTER2 1 Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium Email: [email protected] 2 Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Submitted as chapter for the book: Handbook of Bioethical Decisions – Vol. II Scientific Integrity and Institutional Ethics Edited by Erick Valdés and Juan Alberto Lecaros 1 Book chapter submitted on 15 July 2021 Preprint not peer-reviewed Table of content Abstract 3 1. Brief introduction to research assessments 4 2. Problems and innovative actions 6 2.1 Content 7 2.1.1 An exaggerated focus on research outputs 7 2.1.2 Quantity over quality 10 2.1.3 Inappropriate use of metrics 11 2.1.4 Narrow views of impact 14 2.1.5 Obstacle to diversity 15 2.3 Procedure 17 2.4 Assessors 18 2.5 Research environments 19 2.6 Coordination 21 3. Way forward 22 Acknowledgements 23 Declaration of interests 23 Abbreviations 23 References 25 2 Book chapter submitted on 15 July 2021 Preprint not peer-reviewed Abstract Research assessments have been under growing scrutiny in the past few years. Te way in which researchers are assessed has a tangible impact on decisions and practices in research. Yet, there is an emerging understanding that research assessments as they currently stand might hamper the quality and the integrity of research. In this chapter, we provide a narrative review of the shortcomings of current research assessments and showcase innovative actions that aim to address these.
    [Show full text]
  • Anita De Waard, [email protected]
    The Mendeley Data Management Platform: Research Data Management From A Publisher’s Perspective Anita de Waard, [email protected] Introduction In its roles as both a publisher and an information analytics company, Elsevier is committed to contributing to ecosystems that support rigorous and reproducible research data creation throughout the research workflow, making data accessible, discoverable and reusable. Moving beyond content delivery, the overall goal of our Research Data1 Management efforts is to develop knowledge management tools and solutions to support researchers, librarians, universities and government agencies in managing, sharing and measuring a rich variety of research outputs. Throughout our publishing and analytics tools and workflows, we aim to support researchers with tools and practices to improve exposure and access to their full research cycle, to augment the quality, transparency and impact of research and scholarship. This position paper describes some research underlying our current research and development efforts, and touches on the principles and practice of our tool suite. 1. Elsevier Research Data Principles Elsevier actively participates in a number of community efforts, industry initiatives and standards and policy bodies to support more effective discovery, use and reuse of research data, including: • Co-authorship of the Brussels Declaration1, in collaboration with the STM Association2; • Cofounding, codevelopment and full implementation of3 the ORCID4 researcher ID System; • Strong support for and
    [Show full text]
  • Library Instruction Round Table News
    School Public Special Academic LIBRARY INSTRUCTION ROUND TABLE NEWS The purpose of LIRT is to advocate library instruction as a means for developing competent library and information use as a part of life-long learning. LIRT June 2004, volume 26, no.4 issn 0270-6792 From The President by Stephanie Michel, [email protected] Changing Times Spring is blooming gloriously just outside my window, Similarly, LIRT is in a state of transition. After 25 years of beckoning me to go outside and explore the world of new advocacy for library instruction, LIRT is exploring how to growth. Yet, through the magic of time and publishing, by best serve our members in today’s information-heavy, the time you read this you may already be engulfed by the budget-thin world. At the Midwinter conference, LIRT hosted warm days of summer. Many of you may be wrapping up a a retreat that challenged attendees to think creatively about few loose ends before venturing off to sunny, humid the future direction of LIRT. As a result of this outpouring of Orlando to attend the ALA Annual conference and to catch ideas, LIRT is exploring our options and making plans that up with old friends. will shape the next 25 years of our organization. I’d like to challenge all LIRT members to tell us how LIRT can The themes of time and change have been resonating for become more relevant to you as instruction librarians. me lately. My colleagues and I are preparing a program for Are there new projects you’d like to see LIRT pursue? Are our regional library association conference about our new there issues, themes, or goals that LIRT should explore? classroom.
    [Show full text]
  • Publication Pressure and Scientific Misconduct in Medical Scientists 81
    VU Research Portal Publish & Perish Tijdink, J.K. 2016 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Tijdink, J. K. (2016). Publish & Perish: Research on research and researchers. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 07. Oct. 2021 Publish & Perish Research on research and researchers Joeri K. Tijdink Publish & Perish Research on research and researchers colofon ISBN: 978-90-825123-4-2 ©Joeri Tijdink, 2016 opmaak: proefschrift-aio.nl druk: dpp.nl VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Publish & Perish Research on research and researchers ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Geneeskunde op donderdag 30 juni 2016 om 9.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Joeri Kees Tijdink geboren te Tiel promotoren: prof.dr.
    [Show full text]
  • ARL Bimonthly Report 223 August 2002 the Case for Institutional Repositories: a SPARC Position Paper by Raym Crow, SPARC Senior Consultant
    ARL Bimonthly Report 223 August 2002 The Case for Institutional Repositories: A SPARC Position Paper by Raym Crow, SPARC Senior Consultant Editor's Note: In July, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) released a major position paper that examines the strategic roles institutional repositories serve for colleges and universities. What follows are excerpts from the paper (footnotes omitted) that introduce the concept and describe the essential elements of an institutional repository. The full paper is available on the SPARC Web site <http://www.arl.org/sparc/>. Institutional repositories--digital collections capturing and preserving the intellectual output of a single or multi-university community--provide a compelling response to two strategic issues facing academic institutions. Such repositories: z Provide a critical component in reforming the system of scholarly communication--a component that expands access to research, reasserts control over scholarship by the academy, increases competition and reduces the monopoly power of journals, and brings economic relief and heightened relevance to the institutions and libraries that support them; and z Have the potential to serve as tangible indicators of a university's quality and to demonstrate the scientific, societal, and economic relevance of its research activities, thus increasing the institution's visibility, status, and public value. Institutional repositories represent the logical convergence of faculty-driven self-archiving initiatives, library dissatisfaction with the monopolistic effects of the traditional and still- pervasive journal publishing system, and the availability of digital networks and publishing technologies. This convergence manifests itself in several ways: z Attitudinally--Institutional repositories build on a growing grassroots faculty practice of posting research online, most often on personal web sites, but also on departmental sites or in disciplinary repositories.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rhetoric of Religion in American University
    NEGOTIATING THE SACRED IN SECULAR WRITING SPACES: THE RHETORIC OF RELIGION IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY COMPOSITION TEXTBOOKS by MYRA LEE SALCEDO Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Arlington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON May 2014 Acknowledgements I thank my family for their perseverance and many sacrifices made during the six years that I lived away from them during this enlightening journey. I am especially grateful to my husband, Andre (Andy), for his reading and editing as well as moving several times to accommodate my on-campus residency. In a role reversal, my daughter, Amanda Salcedo has modeled teaching for me. I regret that my son, Daniel Ramon Salcedo, did not live to see me complete this work as he was a great supporter during some of my more challenging moments, especially during the last few months of his life. Dr. Tim Richardson, Dr. Jim Warren and Dr. Cedrick May fearlessly asked the provocative questions. At the University of Texas at Arlington I am indebted to Piper Davis, Jackie Gill, Lucinda Channon, Barbara Noyes, Joy Sterrantino and Gretchen Trkay for remaining steadfast way-showers. At UTPB, Dr. Sophia Andres is ever an inspiration and mentor. Dr. Sean Watson is an incredible educator who can make theory wondrous. Dr. Tom Deans threw me a lifeline of research that I built upon and Lynn Z. Bloom contacted me to provide that research. Russell T. McCutcheon, and other scholars, were kind enough to respond to my queries.
    [Show full text]
  • 6-4. Balancing Author and Publisher Rights
    Knowledge Unbound • Knowledge Unbound 6-4. Balancing Author and Publisher Rights Peter Suber Published on: Mar 14, 2019 Knowledge Unbound • Knowledge Unbound 6-4. Balancing Author and Publisher Rights From “Balancing author and publisher rights,” SPARC Open Access Newsletter, June 2, 2007. http://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/4391158 In order for authors to provide OA to their own work, they don't need to retain full copyright, and in order for publishers to publish, they don't need to acquire full copyright. This raises the hope that we might find a balance giving each side all it needs. But even with good will on both sides, this win-win compromise may be out of reach; each side might give and receive significant concessions and still not have all it needs. There were two developments in May [2007] that could affect the balance between author and publisher rights. First, a group of universities adopted an “author addendum” to modify standard publisher copyright contracts and a pair of non-profits enhanced their own author addenda. Second, a group of publishers adopted a position statement on where the balance lies. Not surprisingly, the two groups strike the balance in different places. I'll look at them in order. (1) Author addenda […] (2) Publishers describe how they'd balance author/publisher rights Meantime on May 9 [2007], three publisher associations released a position paper titled, “Author and Publisher Rights For Academic Use: An Appropriate Balance.” The three groups were the ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers), AAP/PSP (Association of American Publishers / Professional/Scholarly Publishing), and STM (International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers).
    [Show full text]