"It Opened My Eyes": Using Student Journal Writing to Make Visible Race, Class, and Gender in Everyday Life

• Published in: Teaching sociology Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 82 - 93
• Main Authors: Picca, Leslie H., Starks, Brian, Gunderson, Justine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-01-2013; American Sociological Association
• Subjects: Assignment; Behavioral Objectives; Best practice; Catholics; College instruction; College Students; Colleges & universities; Consciousness; Descriptive Writing; Everyday Life; Field notes; Gender; History and organization of sociology; History, theory and methodology; Journal Writing; Learning; Methodology; Organization of profession, research and teaching. Deontology. Sociology of sociology. Epistemology; Pedagogy; Posttests; Qualitative research; Race; Racism; Reflexivity; Research Methodology; Sex; Social Class; Social classes; Sociology; State universities; Student Experience; Students; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Universities; Writing; Writing as Pedagogical Practice; Writing assignments; United States > US; student writing; inequalities; qualitative methods; Qualitative method; Social Inequality; Bias; Awareness; Sociology teaching; Gender; Student; Diary; Social Class; Newspaper; University; Race; Writing; Sociological imagination
• ISSN: 0092-055X; 1939-862X
• DOI: 10.1177/0092055X12460029

Journal writing is pedagogically appropriate for increasing reflexivity and conscious awareness of one's environment. The journal assignment discussed in this article promotes recognition of the impact of race, gender, and social class on students' everyday lives. In pre-and posttest surveys of students engaged in this assignment, students report statistically significant increases in awareness after journaling. These increases in awareness are found for students enrolled in introductory courses at two very different universities (one a private Catholic midsized university in the Midwest and the other a large state university in the Southeast). Students' qualitative responses further substantiate the effectiveness of this assignment in meeting course objectives. To facilitate use of this assignment by others, we identify a set of best practices to help ensure high-quality journals and discuss challenges and benefits of this assignment, including getting to know one's students.