[Vwoolf] Trigger warnings

[Mark Hussey]

I had a vet (Iraq and Afghanistan) in my modernism class this past semester.
He was quite impressed at Woolf’s ability to capture in Septimus Warren
Smith the experience of postwar trauma.  I’ve frequently taught classes on
cultural response to 9/11, and as my university is ¼ mile from the Trade
Center site I assume that at least some of my students are going to have
fairly direct connections to the events of 9.11.01.  Beginning the semester
with an acknowledgment that it is possible course material will trigger
difficult memories and inviting any student with concerns to discuss them
right away seems a reasonable precaution to take.  I would not change my
syllabus, however, as it seems to me that the possibilities for “triggers”
exist everywhere: online, in tv shows, movies, conversations with
acquaintances, billboards, etc. It may be that the classroom is a far safer
environment within which to encounter such triggers but that such safety
requires aware teachers.  And, of course, it is not only students who may be
dealing with such issues.

 

 

 

From: vwoolf-bounces+mhussey=verizon.net at lists.service.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:vwoolf-bounces+mhussey=verizon.net at lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On
Behalf Of Diana Swanson
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2014 10:32 AM
To: vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] Trigger warnings

 

I agree with Vara and Lorena. I have had similar experiences with students
but such literature can be an occasion for learning and enlightenment
regarding personal, cultural, and historical phenomena. How the teacher
handles the situation can make all the difference.

Diana 

 

Diana L. Swanson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Women's Studies & English
Faculty Associate of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Studies

Faculty Associate of Institute for the Study of the Environment,
Sustainability, and Energy 

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-6611
 <mailto:dswanson at niu.edu> dswanson at niu.edu 



>>> "Neverow, Vara S." < <mailto:neverowv1 at southernct.edu>
neverowv1 at southernct.edu> 5/19/2014 9:23 AM >>>

Thank you, Lorena, for weighing in. I think it is reasonable to alert one's
students when difficult topics will be under scrutiny in a course, even if
the topics are merely unsettling, not outright traumatic. Doing so is not a
form of coddling delicate minds that somehow should be immune to disturbing
material. Instead, it is an appropriate pedagogical strategy that informs
students about the texts and their content. 

 

I think of it a  "Mind the Gap" type of warning-take care, be aware, be
cautious. In my experience, such guidance generally makes the class
discussion more productive.

 

All best,

 

Vara

 

Vara Neverow

Professor, English and Women's Studies 

Southern Connecticut State University

501 Crescent Street

New Haven, CT 06515

Phone: 203-392-6717

Fax:    203-392-6731

email:   <mailto:neverowv1 at southernct.edu> neverowv1 at southernct.edu

 

 

 

From: Lorena Russell <lrussell at unca.edu>
Date: Monday, May 19, 2014 10:03 AM
To: VWOOLF listserv <vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: [Vwoolf] Trigger warnings

 

Hi Jim et al.,

I actually had a student triggered in my class last semester while teaching
Mrs. Dalloway. He was an Afghanistan war veteran with PTSD and became
distressed during a discussion of "Shell Shock" and WW I. He became agitated
had to leave the class abruptly and I made the mistake of asking him to
return and stay. It was only later in conversation I came to understand the
depth of his distress and the context of his actions. I will of course
continue to teach the text, but will (as I have done in the past with
literature that contains potentially disturbing sexual violence) make a
point of including a reminder for students of the potential for triggering
events on my syllabus, and work to find ways of minimizing trauma and
maximizing engagement. With a recent study noting 1 in 4 female college
students experiences sexual violence and an increasing number of veterans, I
think the issue of triggers in the classroom needs to be taken seriously
here in the US. I don't think it calls for a drastic change in curriculum or
pedagogy, though.

Best,

Lorena

 

=======================================

Lorena Russell, Ph.D.

Director of UNC Asheville's QEP, the Inquiry ARC

Associate Professor, Dept. Literature & Language

CPO #2130, Karpen Hall

University of North Carolina

One University Heights

Asheville, NC 28804

828-251-6594 | lrussell at unca.edu

========================================

 

 

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