trig warnings

[joshg]

I decided to go looking for what research is actually out there. Google Scholar’s top hits are a lot of opinion-heavy pieces from Higher Ed magazines, so I skipped those as I was looking for actual research.

I didn’t find a lot? But I did find this amazing journal article.

Teaching with Trauma: Trigger Warnings, Feminism, and Disability Pedagogy

Abstract:

Recently, a heated debate has risen in Academia following numerous student initiatives petitioning for the formal incorporation of trigger warnings in course syllabi. When contextualized within the intersecting politics of disability and feminist pedagogies, a number of fundamental contentions within this debate become apparent. First, grave misunderstandings remain regarding practices of accommodation and the possibility of establishing the classroom as a “safe space.” Second, resistance within the academy toward understanding trauma as a pedagogical issue illustrates a failure to consider experiences of, and responses to trauma as issues of disability (in)justice. Through an exploration of these contentions, it becomes evident that the conflicting approaches to trauma in the classroom demand the praxis of a more integrated, collaborative “Feminist Disability Studies Pedagogy” (FDSP). When approached through this hybrid pedagogy, the conversation shifts from whether we should use trigger warnings, to why trauma itself is an imperative social justice issue within our classrooms.

I’m tired and it’s late so for now I’m just going to say, I think this is the best take I could possibly imagine on the issue. It’s in the context of TWs in higher ed, but I think we can pretty easily extend it here. It emphasizes the real need to accommodate non-neurotypical people in the classroom, and that for some TWs are a very real necessity. It also acknowledges the danger of replacing “trauma” with “injury / insult” - but then reminds us that the institutions of power being found “offensive” are sources of real trauma, both direct and generational. Therefore the overlap between the two issues makes it necessary to consider both systems of power and oppression (misogyny, racism, class discrimination, etc) as well as issues of access for those with PTSD, as well as the effects of ableist attitudes as a whole.

So, yeah, I think TWs for things that might be triggering are fine, and content warnings for everything else offensive are fine. And I think before anyone takes statements from the Association of University Profs as ‘research’ they should give this article a slow, thoughtful read.