Norm critical approaches to higher education

Entry requirements: higher education exam
Level: advanced (second cycle)
Duration: 2 weeks (equivalent to 3 course credits)
Department: Division of Research and Educational Support
Course description revised: 2021-05-06

Aim

The overarching aim of this course is to develop your knowledge and competence in norm critical theory and practice in higher education.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, in addition to the general objectives in Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Swedish Higher Education Act for the second cycle, the participant should be able to:

• define the concept of norm critique and explain how different strategies for changing norms are linked to understanding gender, sexuality, ethnicity and other power relations
• analyze, problematize and evaluate teaching and learning in higher education from a norm critical perspective
• show an in-depth and reflective approach to his/her own academic teaching, the relationship to the students and to the values of higher education such as democracy, internationalization, gender equality, equal opportunities, and sustainability
• use national and local regulations for equal opportunities and inclusion as support in his/her teaching

Content

The course consists of the following parts:

• Norm critical approaches in theory
• Methods and tools for norm critical approaches in teaching and learning
• Teaching and study forms

The course is based on the principle of active exchange of knowledge between teachers from all subject fields and thus presupposes participation in all teaching sessions.

The course runs during ten weeks, equivalent to two weeks fulltime studies (rate of study 20%) with four teacher directed learning sessions. The sessions will take place every two weeks. In between, the participants are expected to work on assignments in specific study groups. During the course, the following study forms will be used:

• Webinars / workshops
• Group assignments
• Individual assignments

Assessment and grading

The grades used for the course are Pass (G) and Fail (U). In order to get the grade Pass (G), the participant should have gained a pass from all the assessed course components and he or she should also have attended at all teaching sessions.

The course assessment is continuous and consists of several assignments linked to the course modules and learning outcomes.

Course literature

Please note that this list may be revised at the latest one month before the start of the course.

Haj Brade, Lovise (2015), ”Just So You Know: I’m Absolutely Completely Normal”. An Empirical Investigation of Firstness. NORA – Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 23(3), s. 170-186.

Bromseth, Janne & Björkman, Lotta (red.) (2019), Normkritisk pedagogik. Perspektiv utmaningar och möjligheter. Lund: Studentlitteratur (kap 1 och 4).

Kalonaityté, Viktorija (2014), Normkritisk pedagogik. För den högre utbildningen. Lund: Studentlitteratur (kap 1).

Pease Bob (2011), Undoing privilege – unearned advantages in a divided world. Zed books.

Reference literature

Bromseth, Janne & Björkman, Lotta (red.) (2019), Normkritisk pedagogik. Perspektiv utmaningar och möjligheter. Lund: Studentlitteratur (kap 2-3, 5-13).

Break the Norm! Methods for studying norms in general and the heteronorm in particular. 2009, Forum för levande historia & RFSL Ungdom.

Discrimination Act (2008:567)

Kalonaityté, Viktorija (2014), Normkritisk pedagogik. För den högre utbildningen. Lund: Studentlitteratur (kap 2-4).

Kumashiro, Kevin (2000), Toward a Theory of Anti-Oppressive Education. In Review of Educational Research. Vol 70:1, 25-53.

Course period

The course will not be offered in 2024.