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Doing Critical Pedagogy in an Ironically Sexist World

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Teaching Gender and Sex in Contemporary America

Abstract

In this chapter we examine the development and proliferation of a new type of sexism in the media, which has sometimes been characterized as ironic sexism. We describe the characteristics of ironic sexism and locate its emergence as part of a larger backlash that has been leveled against feminist critiques of sexist media. For instructors who teach about gender equality and movements for change, this era of ironic sexism presents new challenges, with an especially insidious one being the ability to help students recognize the severity of this seemingly more playful and less obvious brand of sexism. We consider some of the implications of these challenges, and we identify three pedagogical strategies for helping students identify ironic sexism and formulate their own critiques of it.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hamline University, St Paul, MN, USA

    Valerie Chepp

  2. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Lester Andrist

Authors
  1. Valerie Chepp
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  2. Lester Andrist
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Correspondence to Valerie Chepp .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Anthrop, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA

    Kristin Haltinner

  2. Department of Sociology and Anthrop, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA

    Ryanne Pilgeram

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Chepp, V., Andrist, L. (2016). Doing Critical Pedagogy in an Ironically Sexist World. In: Haltinner, K., Pilgeram, R. (eds) Teaching Gender and Sex in Contemporary America. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30364-2_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30364-2_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30362-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30364-2

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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