ERIC Number: EJ1076969
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Nov
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0039-3746
EISSN: N/A
Sonorous Voice and Feminist Teaching: Lessons from Cavarero
Forrest, Michelle
Studies in Philosophy and Education, v34 n6 p587-602 Nov 2015
I claim that Adriana Cavarero's concept of sonorous voice is significant in feminist teaching because, as she argues, dominant concepts of voice refer to voice in semantic terms thereby discounting voice in sonorous terms. This process of "devocalization", spanning the history of Western philosophy, devalues the uniqueness embodied in each sonorous voice effecting a bias against female-sounding voices. In light of women's history and experience of being silenced, this devaluing of sonorous voice has distinct implications for feminist teaching. A person's actual sounding voice, which constitutes her or his uniqueness, is missing from prior considerations of "voice" in professional ethics. Because establishing a voice of authority is a central challenge starting off as a teacher, devocalization makes this challenge greater for those with female-sounding voices who take on and try out the dispositions and attitudes of an authoritative professional. Using the example of a voice workshop I designed for pre-service teachers, I re-consider it in light of "devocalization" and the frankness needed to practice feminism, asking if it is possible to be frank and sonorous using irony (Cavarero's way of writing with "bad intentions"). I conclude that it is, that Cavarero's philosophical practice is a model for feminist teaching, and I re-write the workshop with "bad intentions"; for and in more than one voice.
Descriptors: Feminism, Teaching Methods, Educational Philosophy, Gender Bias, Social Attitudes, Workshops, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Social Bias, Social History, Teacher Characteristics, Women Faculty
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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