Heather Vail
Beyond Stereotyping: How a Feminist Standpoint Theory Focus on Equality
Advances the Global Classroom Concept within New Zealand Tertiary Education*
Heather Vail, Waiariki Institute of Technology
Email: Heather.vail@waiariki.ac.nz
© Heather Vail, 2015
International student populations continue to increase within New Zealand’s tertiary sector (Education New
Zealand, 2014a; 2014b), which poses a healthy challenge for educators to promote intercultural competence
within the now-global classroom (Huber & Reynolds, 2014). I’d like to define ‘global classroom’ as both the
worldwide web of information and the position of our institutions to educate within a multinational, multicultural
population. As a communications lecturer at a tertiary institute where approximately 95% of my students are
international, I have observed the main barriers to being understood for this cohort include language (formal
and slang), gender, culture, and age; yet each of these are often wrapped in a more pervasive packaging:
stereotyping of culture and norms. Stereotyping happens, and when unchecked, perpetuates inequalities such
as sexism and racism. Students are disadvantaged when ascribed an assumption-laden label, be it an ‘unfriendly
Māori’ or a ‘leering Indian’. This paper presents a critical, qualitative reflection, based on historical and
contemporary thought alongside classroom observation, in order to open discussion about educational
strategies that can amend unhelpful categorisations. It looks at how stereotypes prevail among students and
educators, and considers creative ways to pop these bubbles of ill-informed assumption. I have chosen five
feminist standpoint principles to build upon, and promote an accepting, inclusive perspective for our learning
environment: (1) advocacy for speaking up; (2) empowering individuals; (3) strengthening communities; (4)
consciousness-raising; and (5) storytelling. Working towards lessening stereotypes presents a prime opportunity
to continue to cultivate effective pedagogy in the emerging global classroom.
*
Vail, H. (2016). Beyond stereotyping: How a feminist standpoint theory focus on equality advances the global classroom concept within
New Zealand tertiary education. In H. Hamerton and C. Fraser (Eds.), Te tipuranga – Growing capability: Proceedings of the 2015 National
Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 10-18). Tauranga, New Zealand: Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.
Te Tipuranga – Growing Capability
10
Beyond stereotyping
According to the Oxford English Dictionary
‘stereotype’ is a noun or verb used to describe
widely held, basic categorization of the unknown; it
is a generalized action or state of being which
makes the ‘remaining assumption’ fixed, and
obfuscates reality because of its limited, imposed
viewpoint. Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie notes, “When we see something over and
over, it becomes normal” (Adichie, 2014, p. 4). Her
point is that repetition of labelling and mislabelling
holds value, regardless of its truth.
Introduction
I speak with a Russian accent, but I don’t think with a
Russian accent (International student)
Human interactions begin with initial, superficial
assessments, which can sometimes rely on
incorrect and negative assumptions. When these
assumptions are accepted without deeper
consideration, they remain and can perpetuate
misunderstandings. Educators are not exempt from
this charge: “Humiliating dynamics can be found,
for instance, in traditional academic discussion
styles…” (Lindner, Hartling & Spalthoff, 2010 p.
388). One response, say Lindner et al. (2010), is for
educators to make ‘known’ the ‘unknown’. In New
Zealand’s corner of the global classroom, and with
international students’ numbers only likely to grow
(Statistics New Zealand, 2014a; 2014b), it seems
appropriate to embed in our learning curricula ways
to understand differences in order to forge deeper
interand
intra-personal
understandings.
According to Tertiary Education Minister Steven
Joyce, “International education is New Zealand’s
fifth largest export earner. It is the strong peopleto-people links that flow from [international
education] that brings the greatest benefit to New
Zealand” (Joyce, 2013, para. 7). As we make these
connections, how can we, as educators, clearly
define and know better that which is different?
Youth may be particularly susceptible to accepting
‘remaining assumptions’ at face value. At 27-seven
years old, American/British author, activist and
blogger Laurie Penny has kept her finger on the
pulse of current social issues, within which she says
she has seen her generation trapped by social
assumptions of identity, with “enough people
of…every gender driving themselves to despair in
order to live up to stereotypes of success that they
never chose” (Penny, 2014, p.2).
A student magazine in Wellington, New Zealand
ranks university stereotypes, with descriptions that
include: “The AUT children of privilege”, “The alty
Otago pissheads”, and “The Lincoln sheep
shaggers”. Another sweeping generalisation notes,
“If we’re thinking inside the gender norm boxes
here, there couldn’t be a manlier campus than
Lincoln” (Robertson, 2015, pp. 26-27). While this
level of educated stereotyping of one’s own group
of people – tertiary students – purports to be in
good humour, it pulls out characteristics of life
pathway choices that become remaining
assumptions. If not challenged such stereotypes
can become perpetuated and unjust for those
targeted.
From an historical feminist perspective, issues
relating to equality between the sexes have
brought to light the need for dialogue and
definition of roles, in the home, workplace, and on
social, religious, political and economic platforms.
Women want equality. So does everyone else. Thus
it is likely that this tested theory will offer useful
perspectives for examining, accepting and
appreciating the wide variety of differences in our
global classrooms.
At my polytechnic, cultural misunderstandings and
mislabellings have been highlighted in a variety of
ways through student projects, with assumed
values towards work, business, and social norms
frequently off the mark. Although getting it wrong
can be funny – such as when a Punjabi student
thought it rather morbid that a local asked him,
“What are you doing to-die (to-day)?” assumptions
need thoughtful analysis and dialogue in order to
better define – and refine - reputations as we
educate.
This paper considers stereotyping and feminism in
a contemporary sense, and how both topics reflect
similar struggles. Five feminist principles have been
selected to consider ways to assist in overcoming
stereotyping by appreciating differences, of self and
one another. Each principle is first described
through historical and current contexts relating to
views of overcoming injustice. Second, those
principles are distilled into appropriate classroom
strategies, as gentle ways to embed deeper
understanding. All references and verbatim quotes
represent anecdotal data collected from my tertiary
classroom experience.
A look at contemporary feminism
The expat woman may not take another woman
seriously if she doesn’t quickly establish what she can
do as a professional (International student)
A look at contemporary stereotyping
Feminism is a movement to ensure women have
equal rights. Western feminism has been
Why is it because I look Māori everyone turns to me
when it’s time for a karakia? (Kiwi student)
Proceedings of the 2015 National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference
11
Heather Vail
documented as a part of social history from the late
18th century to present day; meanwhile feminist
perspectives have also re-visited histories to
establish a ‘more balanced view’ of what has gone
before (Brodsky & Nalebuff, 2015). Feminism points
up inequalities that need addressing in all aspects
of human endeavor, that is, socially-constructed as
opposed to those in a natural or universal context,
in order to legitimize the efforts to eliminate
oppressive cultural, political, economic and
endemic systems (Snyder, 2008). Because feminism
touches all of human conditions, it has a multitude
of applications, and has evolved historically in what
is termed ‘waves’ (Snyder, 2008). Based on the
current wave of feminist philosophy that
encourages everyone to choose how to be
identified – as an individual or a group - Adichie’s
self-definition is a timely proclamation: “(I am a)
Happy African Feminist Who Does Not Hate Men
And Who Likes To Wear Lip Gloss And High Heels
For Herself And Not For Men” (Adichie, 2014, p. 10).
Feminism is inclusive, which means no gender is left
out of the advocacy for reversing stereotypes. In
The Feminist utopia project: Fifty-seven visions of a
wildly better future (Brodsky & Nalebuff, 2015), the
editors aim to inspire movements that will create a
better future including all people: reproduction, a
working utopia, pleasure, new world order, etc.
Similar to its beginnings when Western women
fought for the right to vote and participate equally
in the decision-making processes of society, today
the movements feminism has inspired are inclusive
and active to resolve issues of inequality globally.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark
spoke as Administrator for the United Nations
Development Programme about valuing women’s
participation across social, economic and legal
areas for the greater whole: “We identify political
empowerment as important because it brings
women’s voices in and gets issues up the priority
list…you can make a huge difference to
development if you tick all these boxes” (Clark,
2013, p. 242). Feminism is many things and
feminism is one thing: a united philosophy of
empowerment for all people.
How five feminist principles may promote a global classroom
1.1. Advocate
Advocatespeaking
speakingup
up
5. Storytelling
2. Empower
individuals
4. Consciousness-raising
3. Strengthen
communities
Figure 1: Five feminist principles applied to learning can be tools to clarify and empower student perspectives
Te Tipuranga – Growing Capability
12
Beyond stereotyping
diverse narratives of women’s lived realities (APC,
2014, para.9).
1. Advocate speaking up
I pretend that all is well in my life (International
student)
What better way to continue mending the tearing
seams of inequality amongst people as the global
classroom expands, than by putting forwardthinking topics into dialogue, and finding agreed
upon, logical solutions?
There are times when a conversation needs to start.
When an issue is raised, it can be dealt with. For
New Zealand this happened in the late 1880s when
Kate Sheppard and those known as ‘suffragettes’
campaigned so that women could engage their
right to vote (Women's Suffrage Petition, 2014).
The first self-governing country in the world to
proclaim women have the right to vote in
parliamentary elections, New Zealand achieved a
forward thinking position in the world for leading
women’s rights. The suffragettes who were not
willing to remain silent about the need for fair
representation challenged the authority of the
state – and took on the Church - when opponents
argued that even the Bible commands women not
to speak up:
Advocate speaking up in a classroom context
 Journal writing

Box of questions

Shared answers

Group discussions
Promoting an individual’s viewpoint is empowering,
but is sometimes hard to do. Some international
students may operate from a collectivist identity, in
which the group matters more than the individual.
Yet from a Western educational way of thinking
individuals are the focus; each student pays their
own fees and receives their own grades. This
dichotomy can make it difficult for students to find
their voice.
As in all the congregations of the saints, women
should remain silent in the churches. They are not
allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the
law says. If they want to inquire about something,
they should ask their own husbands at home (1 Cor.
14:34-35, New International Version).
What was then a shocking social and cultural shift
makes perfect sense now. The powerful outcome of
speaking up for equality left a memorable legacy, as
honoured on New Zealand’s $10 bill.
Harjeet, for example, is a male from the Punjab who
studies wood manufacturing and works in the
kiwifruit orchards, as well as visits the Sikh temple,
says he doesn’t know how to talk to girls and misses
his mother’s cooking; so too do Jaspreet, Ravneet,
Lovepreet and Arsh. Their collective identifiers are
constant. However, Harjeet may have lost his father
last year or had a transcendental experience with a
beggar in India that led him to choose enrolling in
school in New Zealand instead of joining the
military in India, whereas the other students may
have had quite different motivations. Such
individualized circumstances and many more have
been described in my students’ journals. Journal
writing in any subject can encourage students to
speak up, the only requirement being to write to
themselves (while being aware this remains
confidential with the tutor unless stating something
harmful). Thoughts, opinions, and reflections on
their course provide a natural, healthy unravelling
of the individual’s thought processes, as well as a
way to reaffirm what they have learned. Plus, it
strengthens English language writing skills as well as
handwriting!
The Vagina Monologues is a play by Eve Ensler
which represents a more recent feminist approach,
following American activist Gloria Steinem’s notion
to ‘say the unsayable’ (Cooper, 2001). Since 1996
the play has been performed across the world, with
a line-up of women speaking out about the core of
their sexual identities. The morphing of its delivery
year after year shows how “to remain intellectually
valid and politically viable, feminism must remain
substantively dialectical” (Cooper, 2001, p. 755).
This indicates how speaking up is transformative
when discussing opinions and ideas related to any
shifting, common issues.
In 2014 a group of 50 international participants,
organised by the Association for Progressive
Communities (APC), met in Malaysia to answer the
question, “As feminists, what kind of Internet do we
want and what will it take for us to achieve it?”
(APC, 2014, para. 2). They created an evolving
document on Internet governance regarding
gender and technology:
There is a need to resist the religious right, along with
other extremist forces, and the state, in monopolizing
their claim over morality and silencing feminist voices
at national and international levels. We must claim
the power of the Internet to amplify alternative and
Proceedings of the 2015 National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference
13
Heather Vail
Another simple wayy to encourage students to feel
heard and express themselves is to have them place
anonymous answers to a specific question into a
box the tutor collects. For my communications
classes, international students have been asked
questions such as, “What do you want to know
about how to act in New Zealand?” and the answers
provide class or group discussion, a roundtable
where more concerns get shared and needed
information comes through. For example, “If
invited to a Kiwi’s house for a meal, what do you
do?” brings up topics such as slang (bring a plate) to
etiquette (do not sit on the table) to social norms
(men and women clean up the table). These
discussions mean students are not simply given
instructions in the classroom, they are encouraged
to find their voice through starting conversations,
individually and collectively.
2. Empower individuals
Today I take an interview and his face is always
smiling. I try to share my feelings with him and I
think he will be my best friend in future
(International student)
Like the wish to have one’s opinion counted in a
democratic country, a personal wish often
represents a social or political concern, including
the right to education, finances, non-violent spaces,
even the choice of products to purchase. Personal
situations and standards have a great impact on the
world around us.
Feminists agree that societal expectations around
gender have thrown people into groups with
specific traits that are suffocating: “Gender as it
functions today is a grave injustice” (Adichie, 2014,
p.18). Activist Penny (2014) sees an ‘impending
revolution’ that could break down the stereotyped
gender roles and affirm individuals’ freedom of
choices:
If we want to escape the straitjacket of gender under
neoliberalism, we must stop trying so hard to hold
ourselves and others up to impossible standards,
standards we didn’t set ourselves. We have to resist
the schooled inner voice telling us to be good girls,
tough boys, perfect women, strong men. If we are to
realise a greater collective humanity, we must learn
to see one another as human beings first…It’s going
to come from ugly girls. Fat girls. Girls who aren’t thin
enough, rich enough, white enough. Girls with thick
thighs and bellies that wobble and voices that carry –
that resonate (p. 24).
Beyond gender issues, we are part of a community,
of family, religion, workplace or country, and the
choices we make individually matter both to
ourselves, and the systems we create to live
alongside.
Empower individuals in a classroom context
 Professional interviews with strangers

Speed meetings between classes

Discuss cultural trends in relation to
subject
Taking this message to the classroom does not
require a revolution or marching in the school
corridors. It does mean advancing difference and
self-definition over institutionalized pressures. For
example, some Sikhs who wear the turban and
traditional clothing in India decide to remove their
turban, cut their hair and wear more Western-style
clothing when in New Zealand tertiary
establishments in order to avoid incorrect
judgements by their peers. In India many people
travel by bicycle, which is applauded in New
Zealand culture as a lifestyle choice, yet I have
heard international students describe how riding a
bike in New Zealand would be a step backwards for
them, since to be successful here they must drive a
car. These sorts of self-definitions are made for
reasons not clear to everyone unless spoken about.
Being given a task to interview a stranger, such as
someone in the school cafeteria or library, can help
all those involved become more aware and thus
comfortable with differences.
Bringing students from two different classes into
the same room for a speed meeting function is
another enjoyable way to build confidence. With
‘respect’ the main rule, students talk with strangers
from another class for five minutes each, and gain –
and give – answers about who they are and how
they represent themselves. One-on-one, the
personal is political, as a proclamation of selfdefinition.
3. Strengthen communities
I wish those Indian guys would stop staring when I
walk by (Kiwi student)
Sharing experiences from a subjugated viewpoint
can help women take hold of situations they are in
by no longer feeling alone (Snyder, 2008). This can
be true for anyone where feeling different amongst
peers could go either way - induce isolation or
create shared community. Working within the
global community, it helps to appreciate the value
of ‘intercultural competence’ described as respect
for difference in order to cultivate positive
relationships (Huber & Reynolds, 2014). This term
was taken up by the Council of Europe (COE),
formed in 2008 and comprising 47 member states.
Their recommendations support a united populace
based on shared core values, recognised through
Te Tipuranga – Growing Capability
14
Beyond stereotyping
appeal for intercultural dialogue. This means
bringing people together without marginalizing
differences, not just of gender or country
allegiance, but also of personal situation and
lifestyle choices made, in order to uphold equal
worth for all (Lindner et al., 2012).
sense of community and shared responsibility for
learning, which could be helpful in integrating”
(Gao et al., 2013, p. 6). As students gain familiarity
with the process, curiosity and openness allow the
suspension of assumptions and expand learning
through giving and receiving feedback.
Racism and stereotypes are continued divides
between people, however, and sometimes
amongst people. In the United States racial tensions
have produced a call to divest from ‘Whiteness’, its
privilege and power structures, in order to secure a
diverse community:
At my polytechnic, biculturalism is supported and
offers an excellent opportunity for group work and
inclusion. The value of assisting a class of
international students to learn and practice a mihi
(Māori greeting) or being welcomed on to the
marae cannot be overestimated; international
students from postcolonial countries, where the
residue of subjugation lingers, have spoken of
appreciating authentic, thriving indigenous culture
and interculturalism. When outside one’s own
culture, not only does the appreciation of
differences strengthen, the appreciation of one’s
authentic culture does too.
Whenever we choose to invest in Whiteness, we
choose to turn away from our own humanity. When
we callously write off the violence that Black, Brown,
and Indigenous people experience at the hands of
police, we decide that Whiteness and its privileges
are more valuable to us than those things that make
us human, the ability to hurt when other human
beings hurt, the ability to reach out and empathize
and connect across difference. And by talking with
other White people about what we lose when we
invest in Whiteness, we can all better understand our
own stake in changing (Utt, 2015, para. 38-40).
4. Consciousness-raising
Is it true that in New Zealand girls are expected to
sleep with a guy on the first date? (International
student)
It is interesting to note how groups in the role of
leadership, by position in society or knowledge of a
subject, seek to gather together and solve
problems. How can this be applied in the global
classroom?
Rumours, such as the one quoted above, may not
be easily eliminated, but their value can be lessened
through consciousness-raising. This is underpinned
by the epistemology of critical thinking, crucial for
taking apart stereotypes and looking more closely
at what is. Third-wave feminism engages critical
thinking for a ‘multi-perspectival’ approach to
viewing what is true (Snyder, 2008). It helps to
uphold intellectual standards: provoke thought,
clarify understanding, accept and reject ideas,
promote questioning, teach to think within the
subject, foster deep learning and advance thought
for individuals, community and society (Elder &
Paul, 2015). An example of this is how the Women’s
Rights Programme of the Association for
Progressive Communications formed a bridge for
dialogue between feminist movements and
Internet rights movements, examining the
transformative public and political spaces of the
Internet, which “…facilitates new forms of
citizenship that enable individuals to claim,
construct, and express ourselves, gender,
sexualities. This includes connections across
territories, demands for accountability and
transparency, and significant opportunities for …
movement-building” (APC, 2014, para. 7). If never
brought up or analyzed, such issues of concern to
individuals or groups remain status quo, an
acceptable thread in the patchy fabric of social
systems which are becoming global.
Strengthen communities in a classroom context
 Group work

Learn a mihi (introduction)

Take part in a powhiri (welcome)

Share kai (food)

Examine post-colonial nations
In a study from Lund University in Sweden, a
country which has “the highest number of new
foreign students” (Gao, Franco, Medved & Yang,
2013, p. 1), it was noted that self-disclosure is
crucial for creating close relationships; empathy for
one another - each being far from home - combined
with patience to understand language, establishes
deeper connections. Group work is a useful strategy
to support the sharing of emotions with a small
number of others to break down barriers (Gao, et
al., 2013). One classroom example is students using
peer reviews and peer interaction before handing
in written assignments, so that they have allies:
“When students evaluate each other’s work,
additional benefits can occur, such as an increased
Proceedings of the 2015 National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference
15
Heather Vail
Consciousness-raising can also be seen with events
such as Occupy Wall Street, a populist movement
begun in the United States in 2011 as a reaction to
governmental and financial recklessness, which was
devastating to a nation founded upon democratic
principles (Castells, 2012). Begun with a post on its
blog, the group Adbusters sought action with a new
formula: Physical presence combined with online
initiative. Citizens responded, rose up, and public
places were occupied around the world, including
New Zealand (Castells, 2012).
In 2015 black and white racial issues erupted in
America, in particular surrounding white police
shootings of black persons, resulting in civil unrest
as well as community consciousness-raising.
Younger people grappling with unjust American
systems seem to ‘scream’ for awareness to be lifted
up through education and dialogue, especially
online, which becomes part of the global classroom
(Kapp, 2015). The search continues for answers as
to why situations are unjust, which serves to
coalesce mindful actions for change.
Consciousness-raising in a classroom context
 Ask questions

Discuss topics

Have debates

Educators connect
Back to the anonymous question box, which can
provide valuable answers in a variety of studentowned contexts. One typical question in my allmale class was: “How can I talk to a Kiwi girl?” A
dozen national female students had their own
roundtable discussion to provide answers. They
were thrilled to do so, and came up with a
comprehensive ‘do’ and ‘don’t’ list. (And ‘don’t’ was
topped by, ‘Do not stare’.) One ‘do’ I would never
have thought of was, “Group dates would be a cool
as idea, and would make the girl feel more
comfortable”. Again, probing and dispelling
assumptions is the start of enabling different
genders and nationalities to co-exist fairly.
Topic discussions between all students can be
formal or informal, and include presentations,
debates, forums or even Wiki pages. For example,
Sikhs in New Zealand have a right (and honour) to
wear the religious, ceremonial sword, the kirpan,
which has a short or long blade. Regulations set in
other countries such as Canada and the United
States conditionally allow wearing the kirpan as a
religious freedom, yet this is not allowed in
Denmark. In the global classroom this topic garners
strong views on all sides. It is worthwhile to note
that while accepting differences, one COE paper
describes the importance of remaining vigilant to
protect human rights: “Respect should be withheld
from actions which violate the fundamental
principles of human rights, democracy and the rule
of law. Actions which violate these principles should
not be condoned on the grounds of ‘cultural
difference’” (Huber & Reynolds, 2014, p17).
Opening up conversation creates a platform for
intercultural engagement, so ethnocentric
viewpoints – and fear of the unknown - can be
lessened on all sides.
A COE activity to help develop intercultural
competence and safely explore the feelings of being
a minority asks students to each have a coloured
sticker placed on them where they cannot see, but
others can. The students must then group
themselves without speaking to one another. The
rationale is that participants in this exercise
regularly face feelings of powerlessness,
humiliation, inequality, and struggles around trust,
cooperation and communication; this exercise
allows these issues to be raised in the debrief which
follows. Discussions of handling identity,
discrimination,
otherness,
difference
and
perception all help to raise awareness (Huber &
Reynolds, 2014).
Educators too are encouraged to be reflective.
Sharing strategies with each other can uncover new
understanding of what works best to maximize
student success and minimise feelings of inequality.
An online Moodle page at my institute invited
educators wishing to add tips for working with
international students and netted these:
 Describe the same thing in a variety of ways
 Encourage feedback to gauge the classwork
delivered meets the class level
 Smile and remain positive
 Celebrate success, as ‘tall poppies’ is not a
global prejudice
 Beware of monotone, quiet chanting during
exams which is aimed to be outside the listening
frequency of older persons, and may be a way
students share answers (“Stories & statistics”,
2013)
5. Storytelling
In New Zealand cows are reared for business so
farmers have to be professional because we can’t
run any business with love and emotions
(International student)
There is a power in storytelling which makes come
alive that which is otherwise unspoken or unshared.
Te Tipuranga – Growing Capability
16
Beyond stereotyping
A chronicled history/herstory can lead to a
validation of themes. This can be unifying, and Anne
Cameron’s quintessential text, Daughters of Copper
Woman, exemplifies this notion: the author has a
collection of stories told to her “…by a few loving
women who are members of a secret society whose
roots go back beyond recorded history to the dawn
of time itself” (Cameron, 1981, p. 7). The stories tell
about loneliness, occupation, and basic
intermingling of peoples, from a mythical, female
viewpoint:
Posing a simple question, such as, “What is the
difference between (classroom topic) in New
Zealand and (same topic) in the country you’re
from?” can offer a chance to more deeply
comprehend information through comparisons, as
well as enliven the interest of the students.
Discussion is encouraged alongside each student
telling stories about their perspective.
For a group of communications students doing a
Māori Studies degree, we looked at best strategies
for combining a Māori perspective with the
educational assessment demands, and decided to
put together a self-published class project of
stories, To Tātou Kōrero – Our Legacy (2011). This
was to be a taonga, a keepsake, to pass along to
mokopuna (children). It includes profiles of each
student’s chosen important person (and one cat),
since strengthening understanding is a key function
of communication. The learning about people,
politics, culture, choices, and self-definitions
through storytelling provided a way for narratives
to establish history, people and place.
From these few women, with the help of a collective
of women, to all other women, with love, and in
Sisterhood, this leap of faith that the mistakes and
abuse of the past need not continue. There is a better
way of doing things. Some of us remember that
better way (Cameron, 1981, p. 8).
Feminist volumes of stories have been prolific,
telling the tales and gathering the momentum of
people otherwise suffering or conflicted in silence,
be it regarding race, social status, sexual identity,
age group concerns or workplace issues (Snyder,
2008).
With eLearning portfolios, websites, wikis, LinkedIn
and the ever-widening variety of social media
platforms, student stories can be cultivated,
nurtured and recognized in ways that make learning
a legacy.
Transposed to New Zealand, and relating to
migrants and refugees, this narrative of issues to
share so that people do not feel alone can be seen
in books such as Longing and Belonging: Asian,
Middle Eastern, Latin American and African peoples
in New Zealand (Pio, 2010) and My Home Now
(Thomas & McKenzie, 2015). A collection of stories,
each intends to comfort the migrant and break
down stereotyping that causes inequalities:
Conclusion
We have soft corners in our heart for each other
(International student)
Maybe nothing matters until it happens to ‘you’.
This could mean nothing matters until it’s covered
in class. In educational institutes the aim must be
that constant, safe learning occurs, about others
and about ourselves in relation to the world around
us, the world we are a part of, play a part in, and are
an equal part of.
We hope that our book will increase awareness of
what it is like to be a migrant or refugee living in New
Zealand, especially at a time when immigration is
such a politically charged issue. With the greater
understanding that we have gained through meeting
our contributors, we no longer just see faces that are
different from our own, but people on a journey who
have chosen to take a different path from the one
they were born to take. All these stories involve
people who have been courageous and pro-active in
seeking a better life, and who want to share their
experiences with New Zealanders (Thomas et al.,
2015, p. 10).
Many of us identify as teachers of a specific
subject(s) and from a particular point(s) of view,
undoubtedly from a certain place(s) and of a noted
gender(s). Whether identified as feminist or not, I’d
like to imagine that education is many things and
education is one thing: a united philosophy of
empowerment.
Storytelling in a classroom context
 Activities on difference & similarity

Reports identifying cultural practices

Social media platforms
It is hoped this brief discussion of how to transform
stereotypes into more learned and empathetic
understanding will offer reflective opportunities for
teaching practices. As we participate in the global
classroom, let’s be provocative, accessible and
committed to the cause in order to add to New
Zealand’s ongoing defining of effective pedagogy.
Proceedings of the 2015 National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference
17
Heather Vail
References
Adichie, C. N. (2014). We should all be feminist.
London, UK: HarperCollins.
Association for Progressive Communications
(2014). Feminist principles of the Internet.
Retrieved from http://www.genderit.org/
articles/ feminist-principles-internet
Brodsky, A. & Nalebuff, R. K. (2015). The feminist
utopia project: Fifty-seven visions of a wildly
better future. New York, NY: The Feminist Press.
Cameron, A. (1981). Daughters of copper woman.
Vancouver, Canada: Press Gang.
Kapp, J. (2015). Go forth and educate yourselves.
Retrieved
from
http://jamietheignorant
american.tumblr.com/post/72154890106/goforth-and-educate-yourselves
Lindner, E.G., Hartling, L.M. &Spalthoff, U. (2012).
Human dignity and humiliation studies: A global
network advancing dignity through dialogue. In
T. Besley & M. Peters (Eds.), Interculturalism,
education & dialogue (pp. 386-396). New York,
NY: Peter Lang.
Penny, L. (2014). Unspeakable things: Sex, lies &
revolution. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Castells, M. (2012). Networks of outrage and hope:
Social movements in the Internet age.
Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Pio, E. (Ed.) (2010). Longing & belonging: Asian,
Middle Eastern, Latin American and African
peoples in New Zealand. Wellington, New
Zealand: Dunmore Publishing.
Clark, H. (2013). At the UN: Addresses from Helen
Clark’s first term leading the United Nations
Development Programme. Auckland, New
Zealand: Dunmore Publishing.
Robertson, K. (2015, May). The definitive ranking of
(some) students from (some) New Zealand
tertiary institutions. Salient Review, 78(12) pp.
26-27.
Cooper, C. (2007). Worrying about vaginas:
Feminism and Eve Ensler’s The Vagina
Monologues. Signs, 32(3), 727-758. Retrieved
from www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/499084
Snyder, R. C. (2008). What is third-wave feminism?
A New Directions essay. Signs, 34(1) pp. 175196.
Retrieved
from:
www.jstor.org/
stable/10.1086/588436
Education New Zealand. (2014a, January 14). Our
key markets. Retrieved from http://www.enz.
govt.nz/markets-research/our-key-markets
Statistics New Zealand. (2014a, April 15). 2013
census quickstats about culture and identity.
Retrieved from http://www.stats.govt.nz/
Census/2013-census/profile-and-summaryreports/quickstats-cultureidentity/birthplace.aspx
Education New Zealand. (2014b). New Zealand
international education snapshot: 2013 full year
report. Retrieved from http://www.enz.govt.nz/
sites/public_files/Snapshot%20report%20full%
20year%202013.pdf
Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2009). The thinker’s guide: A
glossary of critical thinking terms and concepts.
Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical
Thinking Press.
Gao, X., Franco, A., Medved, D. & Yang, F. (2013).
Challenges in teaching international students:
Group separation, language barriers and culture
differences. Retrieved from https://lup.lub.
lu.se/search/publication/4215983
Statistics New Zealand. (2014b). Highest-ever
annual net inflow of 43,500 migrants. Retrieved
from
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_
stats/population/Migration/IntTravelAnd
Migration_MRAug14.aspx
Stories & statistics. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.ecampus/waiariki.ac.nz/course/vie
w.php?id=642 [now defunct].
Thomas, G. & McKenzie, L. (Eds.). (2005). My home
now: Migrants and refugees to New Zealand tell
their stories. Auckland, NZ: Cape Cately.
Huber, J. & Reynolds, C. (2014). Developing
intercultural competence through education.
(Pestalozzi series No. 3). Strasbourg, France:
Council of Europe Publishing. Retrieved from
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/pestalozz
i/Source/Documentation/Pestalozzi3.pdf
Utt, J. (2015). Hey, white people! If you really want
to help end racism, you need to invest in other
white people (yeah, we know it sounds
counterintuitive). Retrieved from http://
everydayfeminism.com/2015/05/invest-inother-white-people/
Joyce, S. (2013). 'NZ Education Story’ to boost
export education. Retrieved from http://www.
beehive.govt.nz/release/039nz-educationstory%E2%80%99-boost-export-education
Women's Suffrage Petition. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/womenssuffrage/petition
Te Tipuranga – Growing Capability
18