FemPeC kicked-off in September 2022, after two teachers at Radboud University, Annelies Kleinherenbrink and Katrine Smiet, noticed that there is no official local network for teaching staff interested in feminist theories, methods, and pedagogical approaches. To change this they initiated the Feminist Pedagogies Circle – FemPeC.
Bringing together colleagues from across the Radboud University, FemPeC is now a network of lecturers at Radboud University who (want to) teach on topics that fall within, or are closely related to, feminist and critical studies, e.g. gender, sexuality, race, post/decolonialism, intersectionality, and/or who are interested in feminist pedagogy.
Feminist pedagogy aligns closely with critical approaches to theory, method, and learning, such as anti-racist pedagogy and the decolonisation of the curriculum. Critical pedagogy has an emancipatory potential, as it fosters a deep awareness of inequalities and injustices, points to different ways of relating to each other and producing academic knowledge, and strives towards positive social transformation.
What?
FemPeC is a space for teaching staff to exchange their knowledge of, and experiences with teaching feminist or otherwise critical theory or subjects.
Throughout the academic year FemPeC organises meetings to discuss what we teach and how we teach, structured around specific themes. We’ve had sessions about topics like accessibility, safe/brave spaces, creative assignments, affect in the classroom, and more. FemPeC also regularly invites students of all levels and from all faculties who are interested in feminism, anti-racism, and/or other critical approaches to share their perspectives and to engage in a dialogue with fellow students and teacher-members of FemPec.
Organisers Annelies Kleinherenbrink, Katrine Smiet, Robyn Ausmeier and Garjan Sterk welcome suggestions for topics that can be discussed in FemPeC sessions. Please reach out to us.
If you are a member, you can also start a conversation in the FemPeC environment in Teams. We ask you to be mindful of the Code of Contact that is conditional for participation in FemPeC.
Special issue Tijdschrift for Gender Studies
Gender Studies, as one of the critical studies, is always a contested field. In 2023, due to a conflict at the University of Amsterdam, Dutch academia was confronted with particularly intense and ugly debates on academic freedom, freedom of speech and a general climate of ‘anti-wokeness’. Progressive politics and critical theory were under threat. So when colleague and gender & diversity scholar Ea Utoft proposed to co-edit a special issue on this topic for the Tijdschrift voor Gender Studies (the Dutch/Flemish Journal for Gender Studies), we wholeheartedly decided to work together. The conversations that were held in FemPeC meetings needed to be moved outside of Radboud University and expanded with the ideas and experiences of other critical teachers.
Our call for papers asked: what does it mean, and how do we manage to teach feminist theories/methods and to practice feminist pedagogy (as well as related critical theories and pedagogies) under the current conditions?'
The call generated so many responses that the special issue became a double issue filled with research articles, essays, and poetry. This collection, titled "The Feminist Classroom: Pedagogies, Contestations, and Horizons", is an open-access publication and can be read online at Volume 27, Issue 2/3 | Amsterdam University Press Journals Online.
On October 28th, 2024, the issue was presented to an audience of over 60 people from various universities in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Want to participate?
FemPeC is open to teaching staff from all Radboud University faculties who are interested in a practice-based, interdisciplinary exchange about feminist studies and feminist teaching. Whether you have many years of teaching experience or are at the beginning of your teaching career, this circle is for you.
Currently, FemPeC has a mailing list of over 120 members. On average, the meetings are attended by 15-20 people. If you are interested in joining the FemPeC team, please send an email to Annelies or Garjan.