Black Feminist Theory and Pedagogy

Introduction
The social justice approach to technical communication deals with how privilege, disenfranchisement, subordination, otherization, and marginalization—what could broadly be labelled “oppression”—operates in the context of technical communication [1]. Being cognizant of how power and positionality function in technical communication gives technical communicators the ability to “facilitate action and redress inequities” as well as “identify how certain groups of people entertain privilege and others are pushed to the margins” [3]. The social justice approach to technical communication proposes that technical communication “is not simply the means to an end, but [also] the characteristics of accelerating new opportunities to enhance social justice and human rights” [2].

Black Feminist Theory
Patricia Hill Collin’s Black feminist theory of power divides it into 4 categories, which can aid technical communicators in understanding how power functions within this particular field [3]. The categories are as follows:

This is not a comprehensive list, but it is useful in identifying and naming systems of power that influence and are influenced by technical communication. [3]
 * Structural: systems of power set up and organized through social institutions or organization.
 * Disciplinary: systems of power organized through bureaucracies (e.g., rules and regulations of everyday life).
 * Hegemonic: systems of power that deal with ideology and culture produced through school curricula and textbooks, social media, and journalism.
 * Interpersonal: systems of power that function through the routine, day to day practices of how people treat one another.
 * Hegemonic: systems of power that deal with ideology and culture produced through school curricula and textbooks, social media, and journalism.
 * Interpersonal: systems of power that function through the routine, day to day practices of how people treat one another.
 * Interpersonal: systems of power that function through the routine, day to day practices of how people treat one another.

Black Feminist Pedagogy
Pedagogy, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, refers to "the study of teaching methods, including the aims of education and the ways in which such goals may be achieved. The field...which considers the aims and value of education from a philosophical perspective" [14]. Pedagogy in the context of technical communication deals with multiple "socially based pedagogies rather than a single paradigm for writing instruction" [14]. Patricia Hill Collins Black Feminist Pedagogy describes traditional pedagogical approaches as “Eurocentric” and “masculinist.” She identifies the criteria of these particular epistemological frameworks in the following ways: Challenging these pedagogical frameworks is central to the social justice approach to technical communication. Because traditional pedagogy engages in the aforementioned practices, “the study of specialized communication practices and ethics, social responsibility, and social justice come off as ‘special topi[cs’ rather than central themes in the framework of [the] field’s history, theory, practice, and pedagogy” [5].
 * distance yourself from the “object” of study (affording the researcher the role of“subject” with full human subjectivity and objectifying the “object”)
 * detach your emotions from the research process
 * ignore your personal ethics and values, which are deemed inappropriate in the research process
 * withstand adversarial debates as a method of proving the “truth” of your argument. [5]
 * ignore your personal ethics and values, which are deemed inappropriate in the research process
 * withstand adversarial debates as a method of proving the “truth” of your argument. [5]
 * withstand adversarial debates as a method of proving the “truth” of your argument. [5]

Praxis
Praxis in the context of technical communication, refers to the "practical application of a theory" [16]. Praxis is a vital aspect of the social justice approach to technical communication. Black feminist pedagogy challenges traditional pedagogy through the following criteria, which directly challenge the above criteria. This criterion helps develop praxis that technical communicators can utilize to engage with Black Feminist Pedagogy. This includes the following practices:
 * dialogue in assessing knowledge claims
 * personal expressiveness
 * personal accountability
 * concrete experience as criterion of meaning
 * the ethic of caring [5]
 * concrete experience as criterion of meaning
 * the ethic of caring [5]
 * the ethic of caring [5]
 * the ethic of caring [5]

The authors of Technical Communication After the Social Justice Turn: Building Coalitions for Action, Dr. Kristen R. Moore, Dr. Natasha N. Jones, and Dr. Rebecca Walton present the concept of the 4Rs which are recognize, reveal, reject, and replace [3]. Because traditional frameworks of technical communication often “presuppose [a] universal user,” it is important to utilize the 4Rs in order to make sure your technical communication is accessible and inclusive [4].

Last updated by Frankie Graff on November 5, 2021