Expanding the Classroom

It is one thing to teach about women; it is another to change the way students and teachers think—and an even larger step to change the way they shape their own lives and the life of the community. This collection brings together historical perspectives from the founding mothers of women's studies and voices of contemporary women's studies practitioners and activists, creating a rich dialogue about ways to foster consciousness and social change.

Reflective narratives and pedagogical essays advance the importance of promoting active learning, as well as restoring the accomplishments of activists and women's studies practitioners in moving modern mountains, within and outside of institutions, in the United States and beyond. The work goes beyond the classroom, looking at a variety of individual and community projects that help shape an activist consciousness: advocacy work for battered women, teaching grassroots microcredit strategies, lobbying for gay and lesbian rights, educational projects, and community organizing.

The volume offers critical insight into the impact of institutionalization, changing conceptions of activism, partnering with communities, and how all of this is shaped by the current conservative climate. Collectively, the pieces suggest strategies for renewing and strengthening the ties between activists and women's studies.