Sexuality and gender topics have become central to some courses at UNM.
The Feminist Resource Institute is sponsoring a panel lecture today that will allow scholars from different departments to present their ideas on teaching sexuality and gender topics in their courses.
"It (the classroom) is a really useful place, and in some ways a supporting and encouraging environment, to discuss sexuality and to start to break down stereotypes and misunderstandings," said Kate Lehman, the panelist who organized the discussion.
Each of the speakers have either taught or have forthcoming classes about gender or sexuality.
Donna Knaff, UNM graduate student, will speak about boundaries between instructors and students when the classroom topic has to do with sexuality.
"This is especially important in situations where the student is just coming out, or when talking about one's sexuality or orientation is actually risky or even threatening" she said in an e-mail.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Often, the student turns toward the instructor in a personal manner, rather than something that is course-subject related, she said. Though it can be easily dealt with through referrals to campus organizations, she said there are ethical issues involved for the instructor.
Lehman has taught a gender studies course and also a course in gender and popular culture. She said the students are very enthusiastic and interested in the topics, but that it is new to a lot of them.
She said she tries "to teach this in a way that is meaningful and challenging for them, but also respects where they are coming from."
Lehman said it is a continual challenge in UNM courses, and it is important to have forums like these to address the issues.
"They are helping students to think through sexuality critically, while working with students from various backgrounds," she said.
Jesse Alem†n, one of the panelists, said he will not talk about sexuality as much as he will address gender. He said there are different ways historical and literary events can be understood through gender.
Part of his focus will be on how Mexico became feminized and the United States became masculinized after the U.S.-Mexican War.
"That is how the terms of gender and their power relations play themselves out in national identities," Alem†n said.
Other topics for the discussion include theoretical approaches to address sexuality, representations of sexuality in popular culture, queer theory and freshman learning communities focusing on human sexuality. Addressing those topics will be faculty and graduate students, including Laura Andre, Alem†n, Les Field, Knaff, Betsy Erbaugh and Melanie Cattrell.
"I am envisioning this as a time for resource and vision sharing for UNM," Lehman said. "I hope it is going to go well and hope it is just the beginning of dialogue between instructors, including faculty and graduate students."
The discussion will start at 2 p.m. in the History Commons Room in Mesa Vista Hall.
