Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the World Wide Web: Accessibility, Education, and Dialogue in xoJane
When studying intersectionality, the spread of information via the internet is crucial. Especially in academia, where these ideas and theories are commonplace and at times borderline assumed, it is easy to lose sight of the reality that, one, they are not commonplace in the outside world; two, the type of education we receive is inaccessible both because of the institution it occurs in and because the language it comes in is accessible only to those with a formal education; and, three, for all of academia’s discussions about institutionalized inequality, no change will come if this information never passes the gates of the ivory tower. To study the role that internet and social media has in education about intersectionality, I have looked closely at the online magazine xoJane. In order to re-examine a web site I was already familiar with through a critical lens, I read through the web site’s mission and decided to focus on three recent articles:
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Reflections
Our 360 has, for me, been a space for learning, engaging, discussing, and listening, a space unlike any I have been in before and, in all likelihood, will be in again. I’ve never been so wholly invested in a class—emotionally for sure, and also in the content and work. I’ve never enjoyed writing essays as much as I have here (nor have I ever had so much freedom), and I’ve never looked forward so much to class (or been so sad about not being able to be present).
I absolutely loved our art component. It was an amazing break from everything else we focus on—in the 360 but also at college in general—to have such a strong emphasis on, and to so strongly value, creativity, learning, and imperfection. I loved learning how to draw, I loved watching myself improve. I loved studying and exploring my identity—my past, my family, my character, my values—in creating my pieces, and I loved watching myself improve. For me, at least, the art component had a tremendous impact on my learning and how I experienced our cluster and the theme of identity.