Emotional pedagogies of law: surveying the teaching of LGBT+ rights in British Law Schools

Raj, Senthorun (2024) Emotional pedagogies of law: surveying the teaching of LGBT+ rights in British Law Schools. In: FRI Gender Law Conference 2023, 9 February 2023 - 10 February 2023, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

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Abstract

This short paper aims to analyse the different ways emotions manifest in the teaching of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in British law schools. I do this through a qualitative analysis of survey data collected from academics who teach Gender, Sexuality and Law (GSL) undergraduate modules in the UK. In particular, this paper seeks to outline some of the emotional dynamics faced by law teachers (costs, opportunities, threats, challenges) that emerge from making LGBT rights a focus of legal pedagogy. This paper aims to: 1. Identify how emotions structure the curriculum design of LGBT rights in law modules. 2. Explore how emotions impact teaching and learning strategies about LGBT rights. 3. Understand the impacts of emotions on the wellbeing of those who teach about, and for, LGBT rights. 4. Evaluate the disparate ways LGBT rights are emotionally addressed in law schools.