Performance | History | Healthcare | Education
Free event with registration
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About this event
While young people are talking about gender and sex with each other and on social media, those same conversations rarely enter classrooms. In fact, how teachers talk about sex and gender has always been over-legislated and grounded in cisnormative and heterosexual assumptions. As the regulation over curriculum becomes more politicized, how do educators prioritize conversations central to the well-being of our youth?

In this talk, Carol Brochin, associate professor in the College of Education, will discuss the power of stories in transforming classrooms and communities. She argues that we need schools that are not just inclusive for LGBTQ+ students but are sites of critical transformation where everyone can experience joy in learning about each other and their communities. Drawing from theory and research, Brochin will examine practices that foster a deep commitment to social justice and a collective sense of care and understanding of all LGBTQ+ people. She will share stories from students, teachers, and books that cultivate a sense of belonging urgently needed during these trying times.

About the Speaker
Carol Brochin is an associate professor in Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies in the College of Education and the incoming director of the Southern Arizona Writing Project. Her professional and scholarly work is rooted in her experiences as a public-school teacher and literacy educator along the U.S./Mexico border. Brochin’s work is interdisciplinary, crossing and challenging disciplinary and theoretical borders while grounded in qualitative inquiry and literacy research methods. Her teaching and research push the boundaries of what it means to do equity work, both in literacy and bilingual education. Brochin researches and writes about teacher education, LGBTQ+ and bilingual literature for youth, and crossing borders through books.

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The 2022 Downtown Lecture Series will focus on Sexualities, exploring the complex ways that gender and sexuality shape our lives, from the intimate to the institutional. Curated by anthropologist Eric Plemons, this year’s series will address the cultural impacts of drag performance, 19th-century sex scandals, reproductive justice, and how gender and sexuality are taught (or not taught) in schools.

Launched in 2013, the Downtown Lecture Series was created to bring the university and Tucson community together in vibrant downtown Tucson to learn about topics that relate to our everyday lives. Over the years, SBS faculty – along with university and community colleagues – have shared their expertise, adding both clarity and complexity to important and fascinating social topics. The series has focused on happiness, food, immortality, privacy, truth and trust in the global scene, music, animals, woman power, and compassion.

More info on the specific speakers and topics can be found by clicking here, which will take you to the college’s website.