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Feminist education and feminist community psychology: experiences from an Irish context
Author(s) -
Moane Geraldine,
Quilty Aideen
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.20502
Subject(s) - dialogical self , sociology , community psychology , gender studies , lesbian , context (archaeology) , participatory action research , empowerment , feminism , feminist pedagogy , irish , feminist philosophy , sexual orientation , pedagogy , psychology , social psychology , political science , paleontology , anthropology , law , biology , linguistics , philosophy
This article describes experiences in an Irish context of education programs delivered in 2 communities, 1 based on class (a working class urban community) and 1 based on sexual orientation (an urban lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community). It aims to illustrate how feminist education can play an important role in feminist community psychology. Principles and practices of feminist education, or feminist pedagogy, have a great deal in common with feminist community psychology, but have been most often practiced in academic rather than in community settings. Feminist education in community settings provides a participatory and dialogical context in which knowledge can be cocreated from the bottom up. It allows for the exploration of diversity and the development of a political analysis that can further involvement in change at a number of different levels. Research on the feminist education programs described here indicates that participants were more likely to make changes in their lives, to obtain employment and/or further education, and to be more involved in community and other forms of action for change. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.