Tag: The Way We Were

Abortion legalization in Spain: A window into the history of Spanish reproductive rights

Presenter(s): Monica Silverman—International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Yvonne Braun

Session 3: The Way We Were

My thesis research analyzes the social and political history of abortion legalization in Spain, and explores the implications of this history for modern reproductive health discourse and policy throughout the country . Abortion was officially legalized in Spain for the first time in 2010 and saw much political and social backlash . The contemporary policies regarding reproductive rights in the

country are deeply connected to events during the almost 40-year-long dictatorship of Francisco Franco . From 1939, right after the Spanish Civil War, up until his death in 1975, Francisco Franco ruled Spain under a fascist dictatorship, maintaining control through repressive means and implementing a politically and socially conservative plan for Spain in collaboration with the Catholic Church . This relationship between church and state produced an environment in which a narrow version of religious morality dictated women’s autonomy in the public sphere and over their own bodies . This thesis explores the historical ties to the gendered policies and societal norms which were constructed in Franco’s Spain and largely persisted through democratization . Drawing on secondary sources, I specifically argue that rigid gendered ideologies and systematic disenfranchisement of women has been pervasive in Spanish society under both fascist and democratic regimes . Patriarchal systems of oppression have thereby persisted despite political change . Additionally, I have discovered that Spain has made enormous progress relating to reproductive justice even as there are still significant areas for improvement . A strong Spanish feminist movement continues to fight for these improvements, including equitable access to reproductive healthcare and education .

Points in Play: Reacting, Student Engagement and the Evolving College Classroom

Presenter(s): Kyley Canion Brewer—History

Faculty Mentor(s): Kevin Hatfield

Session 3: The Way We Were

Reacting to the Past, known colloquially as ‘Reacting’ is a role-playing pedagogy used in higher education that flips the classroom and encourages students to take a more active role in their education . At present some twenty historical role-playing games are currently in print and available to educators’ world over . However, rather than acting as a conclusion, the success of this new pedagogy provides us with a platform to further improve the experience of these games . This project takes an existing Reacting game: “Red Clay, 1835: Cherokee removal and the meaning of sovereignty” and seeks to adapt and make it more accessible to the college classroom . This project is conducted as a case study with particular amendments being applied to a specific game in an attempt to further develop the reacting pedagogy . The existing systems of ‘points’ used within Red Clay act as an infrastructure through which the contextual aims of each student’s role are framed . By changing and streamlining the points system the aim is to allow more students to better understand, and thus further engage with not only their roles on an individual level but also the historical premise of the game as a whole .