The influence of curricula content on English sociology students' transformations: the case of feminist knowledge

• Published in: Teaching in higher education Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 442 - 456
• Main Authors: Abbas, Andrea, Ashwin, Paul, McLean, Monica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 18-05-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic disciplines; Case Studies; Classification; Course Content; Curricula; curriculum; Departments; England; Fairness; Feminism; Foreign Countries; Gender; Gender codes; Gender Differences; Gender inequality; Gender Issues; Higher education; Interviews; Knowledge; Knowledge Level; Mixed Methods Research; pedagogy; qualitative analysis; Sex Fairness; Social Justice; Sociological theory; Sociology; Sociology education; Student Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Transformative Learning; Undergraduate Students; United Kingdom (England)
• ISSN: 1356-2517; 1470-1294
• DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2016.1155551

Previous research identifies the importance of feminist knowledge for improving gender equity, economic prosperity and social justice for all. However, there are difficulties in embedding feminist knowledge in higher education curricula. Across England, undergraduate sociology is a key site for acquiring feminist knowledge. In a study of four English sociology departments, Basil Bernstein's theoretical concepts and Madeleine Arnot's notion of gender codes frame an analysis indicating that sociology curricula in which feminist knowledge is strongly classified in separate modules is associated with more women being personally transformed. Men's engagement with feminist knowledge is low and it does not become more transformative when knowledge is strongly classified. Curriculum, pedagogy and gender codes are all possible contributors to these different relationships with feminist knowledge across the sample of 98 students.