"Side By Side With a Ruinous, Ever-Present Past": Trauma-Informed Teaching and the Eighteenth Century, Clarissa, and Fantomina

Abstract

This article explores the need for and applications of trauma-informed teaching in eighteenth-century studies, particularly around representations of sexual trauma (rape) and consent. The prevalence of trauma guarantees its presence in our classrooms, even and especially in its absences. As the field of eighteenth-century studies continues to reframe its white, Eurocentric, male-dominated past through more intentionally inclusive research and teaching methods, particularly those that explore the intersections of eighteenth-century studies and social justice approaches to education, the presence of trauma in our classrooms will become only more significant. Keeping in mind those students of marginalized identities who are most likely to be impacted by trauma--those who identify as womxn, students of color, trans, LGBTQ+, Black, Latinx, Native, Indigenous, lower-income and first-generation--we detail strategies for support and for developing a trauma-informed classroom atmosphere that will best support all students in their learning.