Interrupting the Conditions of Sexual Violence: Towards a Critical Literacy Approach to Pedagogy:

AbstractThis essay is concerned with sexual violence against women. Taking a cultural studies approach, I focus particularly on the re/production of a culture of sexual violence in the South Asian region. Drawing upon Slavoj Žižek’s work, I argue that we need to discuss and disrupt objective forms of sexual violence if we want to resist its subjective forms. Then, I turn to Judith Butler’s work to show how violence occurs under certain conditions. To interrupt the conditions of sexual violence, I propose that teachers and students take a critical literacy approach to pedagogy. Finally, I propose four pedagogical principles that, I hope, will provide teachers with an actionable framework for use in school contexts.