Feminismo/s (Jan 2025)
Monsters Among Us: In What Ways Can the Viral Jubilee’s Trans Debate Video Contribute to Educational Discussions?
Abstract
This article leverages Jubilee’s viral YouTube video featuring conservative and liberal trans individuals debating as a means to promote the integration of e-materials in discussions about the entitlements and human worth of trans communities, with special attention to vital rights like toilet access and including nonbinary persons. Using perspectives informed by hauntology and monster theory, I contend that educators can benefit from these conceptual frameworks. Hauntology is a philosophical concept introduced by Jacques Derrida, focusing on the idea of the persistence of the past within the present and the impact of forgotten or repressed histories on contemporary culture. It explores how the «spectres» of past events and ideologies continue to influence and haunt current social and cultural contexts. Monster theory, on the other hand, is a framework developed by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen that examines how monsters in literature and folklore serve as symbols for societal anxieties and cultural conflicts. It interprets monsters as embodiments of societal fears, otherness, and transgressions, bringing to light key elements of cultural norms and human psychology. Both present viewpoints on looking into how the past and cultural anxieties shape our present realities. The discussion in this paper includes pedagogical tools that address transgender experiences, such as the seven facets of Socratic seminars designed to foster conversations on cosmopolitan ideals of diversity. Additionally, the value of guiding students to consistently question «who, where, and why» is emphasised, with a focus on how a monstrous lens can contribute to the enhancement of developmental learning experiences. This article addresses both educators and enthusiasts of gender perspectives, advocating for teaching environments that enable students to explore a world beyond societal expectations. It also appeals to those interested in hauntology and monstrous lens theory, encouraging the integration of these theories to advance educational development.
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