Gender Dialogues at MSU

Sign up today to participate in the spring 2019 Gender Dialogues, a pilot program of the MSU Dialogues. The Gender Dialogues will have the following aims:

• Engage students with ideas of intersectional gender equity, in which gender relations are understood in the context of intersections with race, class, sexual orientation, nationality, and other axes of inequality.
• Encourage the development of critical consciousness about gender oppression so that students understand their own identities and experiences vis-à-vis other people in their social worlds.
• Through relationships with other learners, facilitate students’ development of critical thinking and listening skills, which will empower them to challenge gender oppression, particular as it relates to other forms of oppression.

Topics of discussion may include reflections on gender roles in your own lives and relationships; histories of women's and LGBTQ+ movements for equity or equality; women of color feminist and anti-racist activism; privilege; critical analysis of "white feminism;" effective allyship; understanding diverse cultural attitudes toward masculinity and femininity; and how to understand and productively address sexual assault, domestic abuse, gender-based violence, harassment, and discrimination from an intersectional perspective.

The Dialogues will also provide an open and much-needed space where you can discuss how to work toward a more equitable, safe, and supportive MSU community for all genders.

Why Do We Need Dialogues at MSU?

The need for dialogue across difference is an essential life skill.

• Employers seek individuals can to work across difference.
• The best outcomes in public and private spheres emerge when individuals have developed the ability to listen generously, to challenge previously held assumptions, to commit to active listening and dialogue especially when the dialogue is uncomfortable.
• Genuine human interactions help to nurture understanding and dissipate fear.

People from different backgrounds tend to have difficulty talking to and listening to one another, but meaningful conversations can help people understand and engage across difference.

Dialogues at MSU positions us to be local and national leaders in using a dialogic approach to strengthen our civil society and academic community. We can directly benefit from, as well as model for others, the power of engaging people from different backgrounds, perspectives, identities and world views for the common good.

Apply Now for Spring 2019

Complete the MSU Dialogues application if you are interested in participating in the Spring 2019 groups. Please reference your Spring 2019 class schedule when adding your availability in the application. Other notes to remember: 

• Any MSU undergrad and graduate students may sign up to participate
• Deadline: December 1, 2018
• Space is limited
• Space filled on a first-come-first-serve basis

Questions? Email dialogue(at)msu.edu.