Feminist Theories and Education Primer

This book, which introduces the underscoring plural perspectives in feminist theories, covers a chronology of over five centuries (from the 1600s to 2000s) in feminist work and theorizing, while introducing contemporary discourses that challenge monolithic representations of feminism. It engages the major critiques of mainstream feminism, including its exclusionary practices and limitations. The Feminist Theories and Education Primer also discusses the importance of feminist research analysis, specifically the need to genuinely comprehend the influence of ideology and subjectivity in the process of research. The author questions commonly understood binaries in understanding gender, identity, sexuality, and education in order to forge new areas of theorizing the politics of self and other while destabilizing established power hierarchies. The book concludes with a discussion of feminist pedagogy and activism, stressing the significance of analyzing pedagogy and working to create more open feminist and democratic spaces for learning. The Feminist Theories and Education Primer is ideal for courses in feminist theory, feminism, women’s studies, gender studies, feminist research, feminist pedagogy, and cultural foundations. Appropriate for either an advanced undergraduate or graduate audience, the book is replete with resources and references that are extremely instructive and useful in pursuing other areas of research, organizations, media, and current sites for feminist work. Overall, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the progressive discussions in feminist theory over the last several decades.

The Author: Leila E. Villaverde, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Cultural Foundations in the Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is also the Director of Graduate Studies for the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and teaches courses in curriculum studies, gender studies, and visual literacy and aesthetics. Dr. Villaverde has written books on white privilege and secondary education, and has written articles on identity politics, art education, aesthetics, and critical pedagogy.