Political Contention in the Classroom

Even faculty with years of teaching experience encounter challenges in the classroom. Difficult encounters and dynamics can be stressful and anxiety-inducing for both faculty and students. These situations are made even more difficult when considering the wider political debates that can frame these encounters, including the rise of right-wing, far-right, white nationalist, trans-exclusionary feminist (TERF), and men’s rights activism; backlash against critical race studies, gender studies, Marxism, and postmodern theory; reactions to social movements such as #BLM and #MeToo; the repudiation of “woke” culture and labelling people as “snowflakes;” anti-intellectualism; and debates around call-out culture. The following section aims to provide some background and tools for navigating difficult topics, discussions, and encounters in the classroom, with resources for further reading and support.