This is such a thoughtful and thought-provoking prompt!
When I reflect on how I embody and perform feminism in digital and material spaces I specifically think about language and presence. In both spaces, I try to be conscientious about my language choices—in my interactions with my face-to-face students and online with our bloggers, using gender neutral language, in my Twitter and Facebook updates, and the like. Many more times than I would like I am conflicted about language—my language and other people’s language because I usually have a knee-jerk reaction to try to make a joke.
My digital-feminist-self tries to be aware of the multitude of interpretations and contexts that my presence can have. Whereas my material-feminist-self usually doesn’t second-guess language choices or self-disclosures. If anything my material-feminist self suffers from some severe diarrhea-of-the-mouth sometimes. Just the simple act of retweeting pertinent feminist stories or articles about feminist issues, I think is a way of being present and pushing my political alignment out there via association. Also, being present at meetings as a feminist voice at the proverbial table. For instance, AJ Morey asked me to help her design an Environmental Humanities minor, and at the first meeting we had the obligatory go-around-and-introduce-yourself exercise and I knew soon after that I was the “eco-feminist.”
My digital-feminist identity intersects with my pedagogy via Canvas. I tried something new this semester by setting up a discussion board just for assignment questions. I stress the importance of posing class questions publicly—either in class or on our discussion board. It has been my hope that folks will see that other people have similar questions, struggles with the material, my expectations, their expectations, etc. This got tricky for me around the midterm in my social movements class. Many students were writing about second wave feminism/women’s liberation and in their questions there was an assumption that I represent Feminism or that I could speak on behalf of Feminists. I had a hard time addressing this assumption because pedagogically, I needed to answer their questions about the midterm…and I also felt like I needed to use it as a teaching moment but I definitely didn’t want to publicly correct them when I didn’t know if they were aware of the way their questions sounded. Plus, I didn’t want them to NOT engage (or discourage other students to not ask questions consequently because of my tone/answer/corrections) on this discussion board when I have been touting it all semester! I froze and I totally chickened out of the teaching moment that I was presented with—I answered their questions about their respective writing approaches for the midterm and left it at that. Then the day they turned in the midterms in class, I discussed it. I really wish I would have done things differently and written on the discussion board—focusing on answering the questions they posed and then just gently pointing out that some of the wording in the questions made me believe that there is an assumption that I represent all Feminists and Feminist Issues….(maybe a joke about self-aggrandizement)…and the key strategy behind women’s liberation as a social movement was consciousness-raising because there was no singular existence that all women shared, but a multitude of experiences that if shared, resonated with other women’s experiences and feelings…
In retrospect, I think this moment highlights a performance-of-self tension I feel about my own feminism. In material/face-to-face interactions I feel comfortable asking for clarification—especially when it comes to language choices. Online, however, I second guess myself (as my most recent example shows). I would love to know if you two have dealt with this, and if so, how you negotiated the transactional exchange/conversation.
Great reflection! I would agree that perhaps I spend a little more time thinking about wording when I communicate feminist ideas online (via socmed or blackboard). But, I find that I sensor general content way less online. For example, I am way more likely to start or engage in feminist topics online than I am in a class or in talking with students. It’s unlikely I’ll just bring up a feminist issue off the cuff. Usually feminist content in my F2F life is premeditated and planned so that I know what I’m going to say, what my position is, and how I will defend it.
I really empathize with your reflection on engaging in feminist discussion on Canvas. I know what you mean about being a bit more worried about how your comments will be perceived and who you are inadvertently speaking for (or assumed to be speaking for). I have often found myself bowing out of FB comments when I’m worried I won’t really be able to communicate the complexity of my thoughts.
In the situation you describe, I think I would have made a similar move. I would have been too worried about the negative ramifications of “correcting” or “calling out” students in the discussion board. But, I think I would have been more inclined to write a post that did share MY thoughts and ideas about the topic. Then, talked about the implications of some of the comments in person – maybe split the difference.
The semester I created a private class blog for student reflection and dialog I often would respond to a post with comments like “This part of what you said made me uncomfortable because…” I found it really worked because we all engaged in that way – not just me. It also modeled how to communicate how a message specifically affected me while still honoring the person’s comments and experiences.
One interesting thing I keep thinking about after your post is the power dynamic that might be adding complexity to this material/digital feminist engagement. I think that the power differential between your professor voice & a student’s in a discussion board on Canvas is more heightened than in a conversation where there are questions and discussion. Do you think Canvas as the formal teaching digital space might be part of this picture?
Yes, I think the formality/official university-sanctioned digital space of Canvas contributes to my heightened awareness and self-censorship because of it. Your mention of the “power differential” is spot on–as in, I like the low-power distance/conversational and invitational rapport I try to maintain in F2F and I am wary of assuming the same kind of conversational power distance tone online.
From your experience with the private class blog and your engagement to clarify/dialog (e.g.,statements like, “This part of what you said made me uncomfortable because…”) was productive? Did students respond to your post–online or in conversation?
Regarding my communication on the class blog, students responded to my reaction statements both on the blog and in class. On the blog they might say something like, “thanks, I hadn’t thought of it that way” or they might clarify their position a bit more. At the beginning of class we always had time set aside for discussion of anything that had come up on the blog so there was some discussion there as well – but less. I did find it really productive in having a space for more feedback and reflection than we normally get during class time and with a lower face-threat. Again, I think it helped that they were often doing this with each other and it wasn’t just me offering reactions.
Also, I just realized that there was a lot I said on the blog that I would not have via Blackboard/Canvas. I think the blog feels more like I’m wearing my “conversation hat” than my “grader hat”.
Your likening the blackboard and canvas forums to teacher role and blog forum to conversation-based/the hats–is so spot on! I definitely feel that unconscious but noticeable shift in my engagement–and I think about using Facebook for online discussions last year and how much easier it was to engage…the “like” button became a discussion facilitator–seeing 12 likes on a clarification post id make made me feel more competent!