A Commentary on the Challenges of Feminist Pedagogy from the Perspective of Graduate Student Instructors

This critical commentary addresses feminist pedagogy for graduate student instructors in the context of the Department of Sociology at Mississippi State University, a public 4-year university in the South. We cite the phenomenon of the neo-liberalization of the university as a disadvantage for feminist pedagogy, specifically as tests the ability of graduate student instructors of record to experiment with pedagogical practices. We illustrate moments of disempowerment and frustration within the institution, as well as ways that we have combatted the challenges of engaging with feminist pedagogy as graduate student instructors.