From Abortion to Pederasty: Addressing Difficult Topics in the Classics Classroom

by Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz (Editor), Fiona McHardy (Editor)

This volume had its origins in a very specific the teaching of ancient texts dealing with rape. Ensuing discussions among a group of scholars expanded outwards from this to other sensitive areas. Ancient sources raise a variety of issues―slavery, infanticide, abortion, rape, pederasty, domestic violence, death, sexuality―that may be difficult to discuss in a classroom where some students will have had experiences similar to those described in classical texts. They may therefore be reluctant to speak in class, and even the reading themselves may be painful.
 
From Abortion to Addressing Difficult Topics in the Classics Classroom, edited by Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz and Fiona McHardy, is committed to the proposition that it is important to continue to teach texts that raise these issues, not to avoid them. In this volume, classicists and ancient historians from around the world address how to teach such topics as rape, pederasty, and slavery in the classics classroom. The contributors present the concrete ways in which they themselves have approached such issues in their course planning and in their responses to students’ needs.
 
A main objective of From Abortion to Pederasty is to combat arguments, from both the left and the right, that the classics are elitist and irrelevant. Indeed, they are so relevant, and so challenging, as to be painful at times. Another objective is to show how Greco-Roman culture and history can provide a way into a discussion that might have been difficult or even traumatic in other settings. Thus it will provide teaching tools for dealing with uncomfortable topics in the classroom, including homophobia and racism.

Genres: Classics, Classical Studies, Nonfiction

360 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

Nancy S. Rabinowitz is a Professor of Comparative Literature at Hamilton College.

Reviews

[Lauren Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was on the whole a worthwhile read, the only two chapters I can honestly recommend are Sharon James's "Talking Rape in the Classics Classroom" and Maxine Lewis's "Queering Catullus in the Classroom: the Ethics of Teaching Poem 63". A lot of the other chapters felt dated (sometimes just in regard to terminology, other times pedagogically, as in the case of Walter Penrose's "A World Away From Ours: Homoeroticism in the Classics Classroom), making the book feel older than it actually is.

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I'm glad attention is being paid to the importance of how we address difficult subjects in teaching Classics (death, disability, domestic violence, abortion/infanticide, pederasty/homosexuality, transgender people in antiquity, slavery, rape, religion, and some others), but I didn't think all the contributions here were equally strong. Many lacked any real thought towards pedagogy (some, in fact, appeared to merely be thoughts on a reading list, which is not exactly where pegagogy ends, even if it may start there; others basically advocated content warnings/notes and having handy a list of places/people to refer students to for counseling, which again is a fine start, but no sort of endpoint). The chapter by Walter Penrose, in particular, disturbed me for its regressively permissive attitude towards allowing students to use the f-slur in a classroom with no stronger a reaction that to inquire what the student "meant" by using that word (the chapter, in other words, was woefully out-of-date and slightly horrifying on that account; I can well imagine how traumatizing such a non-reaction would be to an LGBTQ student sitting in that classroom); by contrast, Maxine Lewis' chapter on Catullus 63 (although still *slightly* out-of-date, especially the vacillating between the [currently-correct] term "transgender" and the [depreciated] "transgendered") was a breath of fresh air (after the preceding two chapters) in acknowledging that intersex and non-binary people exist and that maybe we could use that understanding to inform our reading -- and translating -- of Catullus 63.

Mostly, I found myself longing for a similar volume aimed not at university-level instructors, but secondary. Most Classics teaching occurs before then, after all.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a monumental book for teachers of Classical Studies. The essays contained in this short volume cover a wide range of issues that every teacher of ancient history, literature, and philosophy must address. The authors range from relatively young scholars to major figures in the field. As another reviewer notes, there isn't a ton of pedagogical theory here. Many of these essays are focalized around personal narratives about the author's experience teaching a topic. I think this is a benefit rather than a defect. Because so many of these issues can be intimidating for both teachers and students, some of us might simply try to avoid them and end up awkwardly teaching around them. If there is one point that every piece in this volume makes, it is that we do a disservice to ourselves, our students, and our field when we ignore controversial topics. As a young scholar and teacher, I was relieved to see that all of the teachers in this book are human and approach their students as humans (which is not always the case in my experience as a student!).

The most important lessons here are about sensitivity, preparation, and honesty with our students. Each essay offers examples of potential lessons and units in a syllabus as well as helpful readings to fill in the gaps that a reader might have (perhaps due to one of our own teachers avoiding a difficult topic). If you read this from cover to cover, you will gain insight into the issues surrounding ancient religion, gender, sexuality, disability and slavery among other issues. This book is not the last word in Classics pedagogy, but it would make a great first stop for anyone interesting in developing as a teacher. I hope it becomes standard reading for anyone interested in teaching Classics at the college or secondary-school level.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

However pleased I may be to see classicists attempting to wrestle with the thornier pedagogical aspects of the field, this collection was sadly uneven throughout. Most contributions were--to be blunt--of little use; their key arguments have been made with more skill elsewhere, and their pedagogical advice consists of mere common sense. As another reviewer noted, Lewis' closing chapter on Catullus 63 is practically the only contribution of any real value. This is an unfortunate state of affairs! I had hoped for more, given the editorial team.