Motivation to Teach Social Action:
Gender Studies and social activism are deeply intertwined in a variety of ways. Many of our students enter our program because they are passionate about social justice and want to understand their own experiences with discrimination and injustice on an intellectual level. The classes I teach on a regular basis emphasize critical thinking and give students the tools to analyze power structures and systemic inequalities. However, many of our students are not simply interested in academic knowledge about gender, sexuality, race and class, but they are committed to making our community a better place (and the majority of our graduates do indeed stay in our community).
I am particularly interested in giving students the opportunity to take the information that they learn in my classes, apply them to real world issues and develop a social action plan that could tackle a specific injustice in their own community. Whether I teach about immigration, reproductive justice or global health, two of the most common remarks I get from students are “I can’t believe we didn't learn about this in high school” and “this needs to change.” While I make a point to share information about ways to get involved, I would like to develop a more concrete way for students to develop their own initiative to bring about positive change.
Course Description:
This course examines how immigrants have shaped America and how the immigration experience alters their own gender, racial, and class identity. Much of the recent debate about immigrants and asylum seekers has perpetuated negative stereotypes and portrayed immigration as an “unprecedented problem.” This course provides historical context and analyzes how our current rhetoric is deeply rooted in 19th and 20th century conversations about what it means to be American and who should be allowed to immigrate.
Taught By:
Christina Gerken
Professor of Women's and Gender Studies
Women's and Gender Studies
Indiana University South Bend
Read profile here.