University professor handbook outlines how to teach on sexism, microaggressions, capitalism

Western Washington University offers a teaching handbook for faculty that includes a collection of liberal-minded guidelines and practices for professors.

The handbook for the Bellingham, Washington, university is considered a guidebook for teaching resources and best classroom practices, according to its website.

What does it say about women?

Part of the resource guide deals with types of prejudice against women that may arise in the classroom, Campus Reform reported.

The "Inclusive Teaching Toolkit" section of the handbook includes an "Ambivalent Sexism Inventory" that offers two definitions of sexism.

The first, "Hostile sexism," involves “negative feelings toward women.”

The second is "benevolent sexism," which is defined as a “knight-in-shining armor ideology that offers protection and affection to women who conform to traditional gender roles.”

Also in the handbook, professors are taught how to interrupt “microaggressions.”

One example note by Campus Reform is the phrase 'that’s so gay.' According to the handbook, the phrase is considered a use of "heterosexist language," and the guide suggests that professors interrupt to state, “When I hear that remark, I’m offended too, because I feel that it marginalizes an entire group of people that I work with."

Asking a female student if she plans to have children is also considered a microaggression because it reflects “traditional gender role prejudicing and stereotyping,” indicating that this should also elicit intervention by the professor.

What does the guide say about capitalism and immigration?

A section called the “Social Justice Toolkit” includes sample lessons on how to introduce a new social justice concept each Friday. One potential topic is how “whiteness” and “capitalism” are responsible for injustices.

During the lessons, students would watch videos and afterward answer questions such as “Do you agree that (white, US) America does not confront their true history?” and “How are these forms of oppression (racism, sexism, and xenophobia) linked in a capitalist society?”

The introduction to the discussion on immigration states: “Over time, US American policy on immigration and citizenship has grown to be some of the most restrictive in the world, and [Noam] Chomsky's work will show how its dramatic evolution has been tailored to prohibit entry for the least powerful and most exploitable."