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Précis by Carmen de Schryver with Paulina Barrios: 

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On October 18th-20th 2019, scholars and graduate students from Rutgers, Northwestern, and UNAM gathered to engage in a cross-disciplinary discussion about teaching Latin American and Latinx Feminisms, Cuir/Queer and Gender Theory.

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In anticipation of the meeting, the participants (i) developed or revised a syllabus; (ii) suggested one significant article or reading in the field; (iii) prepared a presentation on a keyword that they found particularly transformative in their research and/or teaching.

 

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Exchanging syllabi and core bibliographic materials in advance allowed workshop participants to focus on pedagogical maneuvers and methodologies that not only enliven the classroom, but align more closely with the radical and cutting-edge content of these courses and the aspirations of the critical, decolonial university.

The workshop involved collaborative discussions about how best to implement innovative teaching strategies such as pairing canonical with non-canonical texts; thematizing issues of translation and untranslatability; galvanizing orthodox texts that ought to be taught but require novel approaches; and foregrounding a critical interrogation of terms in the field that have become institutionalized (e.g. “Latin American”; “Latinx”; “Gender/Género”; “Queer/Cuir”).

In large and small groups, participants discussed the challenges, both experienced and anticipated, that accompany critical pedagogies, and they offered one another suggestions for how to devise syllabi so as to more effectively implement these critical teaching strategies.

 

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Additionally, participants had the opportunity to demonstrate how they themselves put these teaching strategies into action by teaching one another the significance of the key words that they found particularly important and transformative for their understanding of the field. This was not only helpful in closing the gap between pedagogical theory and practice, but it was a unique occasion for professors, graduate student lecturers, and teaching assistants to see one another in a pedagogical mode and learn from their colleagues as teachers in the field, as well researchers.

Tourism Recommendations: (All 15 minute walk away)

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•Wendella Lake & River Architectural boat tour

(USD 39) depts from river crossing on Michigan avenue

 

•Michigan Avenue Shops/dept stores are open till 7

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•The Signature Lounge in John Hancock Building

(free views from 96th floor with a cocktail)

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•Escape Room

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•Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) - $8 admission fee for students and teachers

Finally, each of the small groups collectively produced a thematic, three-week sequence that could be used as an essential segment of a syllabus.

As a whole, the workshop led to the production of a set of syllabi and a compilation of bibliographic materials for current and future scholars to implement in their courses.

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Moreover, it (i) provided professors and graduate students with the opportunity to reflect upon the process of syllabi construction in underrepresented areas of philosophy and gender studies in a manner that foregrounds critical pedagogy; (ii) generated three-week sequences that can be used in a range of courses; and (iii) disseminated knowledge regarding the best practices for implementing novel strategies for pedagogy informed by Latin American and Latinx critical theory, queer theory, and gender theory.

Workshop "Errant Syllabi":
Latin American and Latinx Feminist, Cuir/Queer, and Gender Theory

 


Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center (SQBRC)
303 E. Superior St., Chicago,IL 60611

3 pm - Hotel check-in, Club Quarters Hotel, 75 E. Wacker Drive,

Chicago IL 60601

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 

Group A: 

Carmen DeSchryver (NU)

Tania Gisel Tovar Cervantes (UNAM)

Cintia Martínez Velasco (NU/UNAM)

Zorimar Rivera Montes (NU)

Andy Parker (RU)

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Group B: 

Taylor Rogers (NU)

Rafael Vizcaino (RU) 

Andrés Mendieta (NU/UNTREF)

Marisa Belausteguigoitia

(UNAM)

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Group C: 

Penelope Deutscher (NU)

Alicia Nuñez (NU)

Paulina Barrios (RU) 

Alonso Alarcón Múgica (UNAM)

Rian Lozano (UNAM)

3:30 pm-5:30 pm - Conversation with Belausteguigoitia and Lozano

Plenary Room: SQBRC 2-200

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Light Refreshments

(coffee, tea, cake, fruit)

Topics of discussion:

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• Founding and running gender studies programs

• Aims and practices in devising syllabi for these programs

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This is not a formal presentation, rather a conversation that is open to questions from and engagement with workshop participants.

 

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5:30 pm-8 pm - Planning Meeting for graduate students

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Free time for Belausteguigoitia and Lozano. Deutscher at another academic event in Evanston 18:00-19:30

Planning meeting facilitated by Andrew Parker and Cintia Velasco for production of one or more collective syllabi over the weekend:

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• Small group discussion of protocols/practicalities

• Students’ selection of their own facilitators/group leaders (One faculty member will sit with each group)

• Each group will produce at least 1 syllabus or syllabus component (sequence of weeks as a product of their discussion - groups should look at the schedule and make plans in the unscheduled time according to group needs).

 

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8:30 pm - Downtown dinner: Indian Garden Restaurant

(247 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611)


Saturday, October 19
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9:30 am - Catered breakfast and coffee/tea

Plenary Room: SQBRC 2-200

10 am-11 am - Introductions

Presentations of current interests and projects.

Individual presentations: 5 minutes Group presentations: 20 minutes (for a group of 4)

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11 am-1 pm -Group breakout

“teach in” sessions

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Each participant teaches the core concept/keyword they have chosen and leads discussion of related excerpts from chosen texts.

1 pm-2:30 pm-Plenary session

Catered Lunch

Small groups summarize discussion, choice of concepts, issues that arose (discussion facilitated by small group graduate conveners).

2:30 pm-3 pm- Exercise led by Belausteguigoitia, Lozano, Tovar Cervantes, and Alarcón Múgica

An exercise to help make visible the Latin American, Latinx Feminist Cuir/Quir and Gender Theory texts.

3 pm -4 pm Group breakout

“syllabus” sessions

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Light Refreshments

(coffee, tea, cake, fruit)

4 pm - 8:30 pm - Free time

Critical discussion by each participant of the “Latin American and/or Latinx Feminist, Cuir/Queer, and Gender Theory” syllabus for examples each has chosen for the purposes of discussion (these can be real, hypothetical, their own, a section of their own, that of another professor or class taken, examples from the internet, our shared box of volunteered examples, etc.)

Guests check out from hotel, bring bags to venue

8:30 pm - Working dinner for all participants at 880 N Lake Shore Drive, apartment 21E (Host: Andrew Parker)

Plenary session: groups report back on small group syllabus discussion


Sunday, October 20 ​

9:30 am - 10:30 am Introductions

 

Catered breakfast and coffee/tea

• Introduction to the working day

• Quick group discussion re morning plans for small group syllabi cooperation

10:30 am - 1 pm-Break out,

 small group sessions

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1 laptop will be available for each group (3 total)

Formulation of suggested syllabus reflecting weekend discussion. Suggested aim, where possible, is to base either all or some of syllabus on a sequence “manoeuvres”. As per the discussion of this term (manoeuvres / movidas) by Marisa Belausteguigoitia and colleagues in “Introduction to Critical Terms in Caribbean and Latin American Thought," and by Rían Lozano and colleagues in “Decolonizing the Public University: A collaborative and decolonising approach towards (un )teaching and Unlearning“ (Marfa del Socorro (Coco) Gutierrez Magallanes, Nina Hoechtl and Rian Lozano).

13:00-14:00 Plenary session

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Catered Lunch

Summaries from small group discussion of syllabus principles, revisions, issues, ideas.

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Presentations

2:30 pm - 4 pm - A syllabus of up to 9 pedagogical manoeuvres

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Farewells.

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Light Refreshments

(coffee, tea, cake, fruit)

Final session led by Marisa Belausteguigoitia and Andy Parker.

 

Final production of a group syllabus based on sections and contributions from small group discussion.

 

Collection discussion/assembling of a syllabus of up to 9 pedagogical manoeuvres reflecting the weekend’s work.

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4 pm - Ubers/taxis from venue to the airport

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