Course on women's health - nervous about the sex/gender question

[RustBuck]

I have name changed and I'm being a bit vague for obvious reasons.

This semester I'll be teaching a course on women's health as part of a humanities degree. In the first workshop, I'll be saying that the words 'women' and 'men' will be used to denote sex class. I won't make a big deal of this because I don't want to invite debate. But I want to make sure that the language is clear from the start.

Today I've had a list of students on the course. There are a couple who have been involved in the SU's LGBT+ groups and trans-rights campaigns at the University.

I am getting nervous about how things are going to go.

Has anyone had any experiences of teaching courses about sex-based experiences, which have then generated some unhappiness from students? If so, how did you deal with it?

I don't think things will escalate hugely famous last words but I suspect there may be some murmurings among students about my essentialist approach to women/men. I'd appreciate any insights into how this might play out, and how I pay it if it does.

You will probably have to concede that when talking about “women” you are including trans men and female non binary people, but will be using women as shirt hand for that group, because in health care biological sex matters.

I had to cover similar ground last year in my teaching. I found the best way was to state "some people believe, whilst others consider..." Making it more abstract without giving weight or my support to either seemed to work.

I was asked what MY view was which was tricky! I think I wimped out with some old faff about being undecided, be kind etc

I teach women's history - making the standard (used to be uncontroversial) distinction between 'sex' and 'gender' seems to be OK in a historical context. Can you frame your introductory stuff in historical terms?

What's the support of your Department & your institution? It seems to me that if institutions actually SUPPORT their staff, you can have a good conversation about this.

I also think that we need to have a well-rehearsed stock answer about the difference between individual's choices, and broad theoretical and/or material ie data-based ideas.

We can discuss ideas, without it implying anything about individuals (in the room or otherwise).

Have you seen this paper OP?

It might be helpful to refer to.

www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2022.818856/full

And here is a YouTube link to a meeting last week in this topic, one of the speakers was one of the authors of the paper I linked.

twitter.com/votewithourfeet/status/1575915814808522752?s=21

Sorry. This is the YouTube link without going via Twitter.

I'm not an academic - NHS here, but I think if you set out your stall at the start and refuse to budge, being able to back up your reasons, you should be OK.

One other thing you might like to think about, which I have raised as a back up in work meetings where I am, is adult illiteracy. I believe about 15% of the population are functionally illiterate, I have a patient booked in this week who cannot read at all due to severe dyslexia and a family member sorts out all her appointments etc. we are a bit inclined to dish out leaflets, ask "Did you get your blood tests as requested in the appointment letter" etc and it's just not always appropriate. Clear, unambiguous language, especially as this is for a gynae related problem, is essential.

Thank you all so much for your comments.

That paper is absolutely amazing @ShamedBySiri I hadn't come across it, thank you. Your point about illiteracy is really important but wouldn't translate fully into my context. I'm teaching a humanities course where the aim often seems to be to complicate, rather than simplify, language. But I get your point about maternity care itself needing clear language.

@HermioneWeasley I'm happy to concede that. I'm teaching about women's health, women as a sex-class which includes those who may call themselves transmen or NBs.

@BirdinaHedge I'm a little unsure about how supportive my department will be. I think senior management, HoD and the like, will be quite supportive of me but there are some very nasty be kind colleagues in my department.

Glad to help OP. It looks like one of the authors is dong another talk in London in Thursday if that is any good for you.

Talk in London on sexed language www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4647384-talk-in-london-on-sexed-language

Thank you @FannyCann I wish I could go along but I'm not in London. I hope they record it so I can watch back.

I would discuss this with your HoD in advance and raise your concerns with them.

Be warned - the UCU won't support you if you get into trouble. That's not to say you shouldn't teach the realities of biological sex. You absolutely should! Just be aware that the unions won't be on your side.

Maybe take out income protection insurance! And make sure you have legal cover as an add on to your household insurance. It won't cost a lot more, and I have personal experience of great help from them albeit a different issue.
A Mumsnetter who ran into problems of being accused of homophobia because she questioned safeguarding (which was her actual role) was very grateful for the same advice. She arrived at the "meeting" lawyered up which the other side had not been expecting and they quickly backed down.

The thing is though, the experiences of transwoman in their life as transwomen isn’t the same as the experience of women or female sex class. It’s a different experience of its own, difficult in its own ways, but literally has absolutely nothing to do with the experiences of women. It’s surely acceptable to point out that the experience of transwomen is clearly different to that of women and the two experiences can’t be lumped together?

Thank you everyone 🤗

@ChagSameachDoreen I absolutely know UCU wouldn't support me. I left UCU a while ago over this exact issue. I haven't joined anoth Union yet.

Thanks for the heads-up on legal cover @FannyCann I'll have a look into it.

But the course is about women's health so why would I cover material which, in your words, 'has literally absolutely nothing to do with the experiences of women'?

I am not touching on male health at all in the course, just health which is rooted in the biologically female body.

Sorry if I have misunderstood your post.

Perhaps I misunderstood yours? I thought you were concerned about the expectation of conflating transwomen experiences with womens experiences

I thought it was just saying that you should say that women of course includes trans men and non binary women, as they all have the same biological bodies.

here is a useful article pointing out that accurate reporting of sex matters in medical research

jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2577142

Sorry - I wasn't clear in my original post. My concern is that I'll refer to 'women' throughout the course that I teach to mean adult, human females. I won't offer any other terms for this like 'cervix-havers', 'birth-givers', nor will I mediate my language to be more inclusive such as saying 'pregnant people' when we come to cover pregnancy.

My worry is that students will query my use of the term 'woman/women' as narrow and biologically essentialist and I'm after suggestions for how to deal with these queries from students.

I hope that makes more sense now.

In the first session, I'll say that the course talks about 'women' and by 'women' I mean the female sex-class. So, 'women' in my course does include females who call themselves 'non-binary' or 'transmen' or whatever they choose to.

So useful, thank you!

In the first session, I'll say that the course talks about 'women' and by 'women' I mean the female sex-class. So, 'women' in my course does include females who call themselves 'non-binary' or 'transmen' or whatever they choose to.

This is really clear, and inclusive.

But I think you need to think about whom you might approach in your line management. What I've seen is that academics who have their senior management support fare far better in the face of ignorant student protests than those whose universities don't push back against student complaints and stand by academic freedom.

The difference between Jo Phoenix, who moved to University of Reading & they have been very supportive vs Kathleen Sock, whose university threw her under a bus.

But I think you need to think about whom you might approach in your line management. What I've seen is that academics who have their senior management support fare far better in the face of ignorant student protests than those whose universities don't push back against student complaints and stand by academic freedom.

I'm not sure how one could gauge the likely support unless a similar case has already arisen. People may pay lip service to academic freedom until the student complaints come in and the easiest path for them is to give way to the students.

What happened, RustBuck?