Feminist Anthropology and Critical Pedagogy: The Anthropology of Classrooms’ Excluded Voices

Critical pedagogy challenges the exclusionary practices of racism, sexism, ablism, and heterosexism in the dominant society. The exponents of critical pedagogy have rejected the traditional view of classroom instruction in favour of ap- proaches that challenge the status quo. In this paper, by reviewing some of my teaching experiences as a woman of colour, I demonstrate that not all teachers teach pedagogy in the same way. Based on my observations, I argue that debates on critical pedagogy should include voices from outside the dominant social groups and ethnicities, be they teachers’ or students’ voices. Furthermore, the success of teaching for social change depends on our ability to incorporate these critical approaches in conventional courses and subject matters where, in my experience, not all students would welcome unconventional classroom relations. La pédagogie critique conteste les pratiques d’exclusion que sont, dans les groupes sociaux dominants, le racisme, le sexisme, l’hétérosexisme et la discrimi- nation fondée sur les déficiences. Les chefs de file de la pédagogie critique rejettent l’enseignement traditionnel au profit d’approches qui mettent en question le statu quo. Dans cet article, l’auteure démontre, tout en analysant certaines de ses expériences pédagogiques en tant que Noire, que tous les enseignants n’ensei- gnent pas la pédagogie de la même manière. Se fondant sur ses observations, l’auteure soutient que les débats sur la pédagogie critique devraient inclure des points de vue provenant d’ethnies ou de groupes sociaux non dominants, qu’il s’agisse des points de vue des enseignants ou des élèves. Le succès de la pédagogie eu égard aux changements sociaux dépend de notre aptitude à incorpo- rer ces approches critiques dans les matières et les cours traditionnels où, d’après l’expérience de l’auteure, tous les élèves ne sont pas disposés à accueillir favorablement des méthodes d’enseignement non traditionnelles.

Feminist Anthropology and Critical Pedagogy: The Anthropology of Classrooms’ Excluded Voices

Critical pedagogy challenges the exclusionary practices of racism, sexism, ablism, and heterosexism in the dominant society. The exponents of critical pedagogy have rejected the traditional view of classroom instruction in favour of ap- proaches that challenge the status quo. In this paper, by reviewing some of my teaching experiences as a woman of colour, I demonstrate that not all teachers teach pedagogy in the same way. Based on my observations, I argue that debates on critical pedagogy should include voices from outside the dominant social groups and ethnicities, be they teachers’ or students’ voices. Furthermore, the success of teaching for social change depends on our ability to incorporate these critical approaches in conventional courses and subject matters where, in my experience, not all students would welcome unconventional classroom relations. La pédagogie critique conteste les pratiques d’exclusion que sont, dans les groupes sociaux dominants, le racisme, le sexisme, l’hétérosexisme et la discrimi- nation fondée sur les déficiences. Les chefs de file de la pédagogie critique rejettent l’enseignement traditionnel au profit d’approches qui mettent en question le statu quo. Dans cet article, l’auteure démontre, tout en analysant certaines de ses expériences pédagogiques en tant que Noire, que tous les enseignants n’ensei- gnent pas la pédagogie de la même manière. Se fondant sur ses observations, l’auteure soutient que les débats sur la pédagogie critique devraient inclure des points de vue provenant d’ethnies ou de groupes sociaux non dominants, qu’il s’agisse des points de vue des enseignants ou des élèves. Le succès de la pédagogie eu égard aux changements sociaux dépend de notre aptitude à incorpo- rer ces approches critiques dans les matières et les cours traditionnels où, d’après l’expérience de l’auteure, tous les élèves ne sont pas disposés à accueillir favorablement des méthodes d’enseignement non traditionnelles.

Electoral Politics: Making Quotas Work for Women

The goal of reducing gender inequalities in political representation has been elusive in many different kinds of political systems, even though women have made substantial progress in other areas, such as education, employment and healthcare. This wonderfully accessible book argues that gender quotas are an important strategy to improve women’s political representation in legislatures and political parties and it lays out the history of this approach across the globe. It suggests however, that gender quotas are themselves not an ‘easy fix’ to gender discrimination since similarly designed quotas have had different outcomes across cases. The book’s comparative approach untangles the various factors which need to be considered in designing, lobbying for, and implementing gender quotas so that they can be effective. This volume is tremendously useful and informative for activists and scholars across the globe and does a masterful job explaining divergent outcomes both within regions and across them. While teasing out some shared experiences, it encourages coalitions of activists to develop context-appropriate strategies to craft effective campaigns to end women’s exclusion from political decision-making. Hoodfar and Tajali argue that although increasing countries are successfully and creatively using gender quotas, some of the wealthiest long-standing democracies still continue to experience greater legislative gender inequalities

Irã: políticas islâmicas e mulheres em busca de igualdade

No Irã, a fusão de um Estado forte com leis e instituições religiosas após a revolução iraniana de 1979, gerou uma estrutura estatal dual. As instâncias não eleitas exercem ali o controle sobre os órgãos eleitos e, na maioria das vezes, não aceitam o primado da democracia nem tampouco o princípio de igualdade entre os sexos (ou entre muçulmanos e não muçulmanos). A questão central que se coloca aqui é a de saber se um Estado religioso é capaz de se adequar a tais normas. O exame das políticas implementadas mostra que, no caso do Irã e do xiismo, o principal obstáculo deve-se mais  às relações não democráticas entre Estado e Sociedade do que à compatibilidade (ou falta de) real ou potencial das tradições e práticas religiosas com os princípios democráticos

Breadwinners and Homemakers: Migration and Changing Conjugal Expectations in Rural Bangladesh

The literature on marriage norms and aspirations across societies largely sees the institution as static – a tool for the assertion of masculinities and subordination of women. The changing meanings of marriage and conjugality in the contemporary context of globalisation have received scant attention. Based on research in rural Bangladesh, this article questions the usefulness of notions of autonomy and dependence in understanding conjugal relations and expectations in a context of widespread migration for extended periods, especially to overseas destinations, where mutuality is crucial for social reproduction, though in clearly genderdemarcated domains

Attitudes towards the ‘stranger’: negotiating encounters with difference in the UK and Poland

Due to recent intensification in international mobility in Europe, its citizens are exposed to a much wider range of lifestyles and competing attitudes towards difference. Individuals are, therefore, increasingly likely to encounter ‘strangers’ and are, therefore, required to negotiate discontinuities and contradictions between the values that are transmitted through different sites. In response, the article explores the concept of the ‘stranger’ through original data collected in the UK and Poland. The article highlights that the construction of who is a stranger depends on national historical contexts, core values and related visions of the society. The UK and Poland have very different histories and experiences with social diversity, impacting on the ways in which individuals negotiate strange encounters. In both countries, the ‘stranger’ is often seen in a negative way and in relation to the minority groups that are perceived to be visibly different, distinct or ‘unknown’ in contemporary times. In Poland, this is now largely articulated through sexual prejudice (homophobia), whilst in the UK, attitudes towards the ‘stranger’ are largely conveyed through religious prejudice (Islamophobia). As such, the article offers a means of understanding how encounters with difference ‘produce’ strangers in different contexts

Hurler disease (mucopolysaccharidosis type IH): clinical features and consanguinity in Tunisian population

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) was a group of rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme, alpha -L -iduronidase, and the resulting accumulation of undergraded dematan sulfate and heparan sulfate. MPS I patients have a wide range of clinical presentations, that makes it difficult to predict patient phenotype which is needed for genetic counseling and also impedes the selection and evaluation of patients undergoing therapy bone marrow transplantation

The terrain of health policy analysis in low and middle income countries: a review of published literature 1994–2007

This article provides the first ever review of literature analysing the health policy processes of low and middle income countries (LMICs). Based on a systematic search of published literature using two leading international databases, the article maps the terrain of work published between 1994 and 2007, in terms of policy topics, lines of inquiry and geographical base, as well as critically evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. The overall objective of the review is to provide a platform for the further development of this field of work