Pedagogical Consciousness-Raising: Teaching Race, Gender, and Science in the Pandemic

In this personal essay I explore how the pandemic crisis has helped transform my general education undergraduate course, Race, Gender, and Science, into an experience of pedagogical consciousness-raising, especially for members of vulnerable student groups that have often felt understandably negative toward, and alienated from, science. I base my observations on student comments and anecdotes shared during my fully online Fall 2020 semester. I conclude that STEM-adjacent classes such as mine might productively leverage the pandemic crisis —including the legitimate outrage and frustration of students of color and women —to facilitate a stronger sense of emotional investment by students in the value and practice of science even as legitimate critiques of science are strengthened and deepened.