Flavorwire: Earlier this year, there was a lot of talk about proposed “trigger warnings” for literature taught in college classrooms. These warnings, requested by some students, would be “explicit alerts… that the material they are about to read or see in a classroom might upset them or… cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.” This week, the American Association of University Professors announced their official opposition to trigger warnings in classrooms and on syllabi.
5 comments:
I'm not entirely sure if this article fairly evaluated trigger warnings. Stating prior to giving out material to a class that there is sensitive content is not at all the same as removing it from the curriculum. I think it is difficult for people who don't struggle with PTSD or something similar to fairly evaluate the importance of trigger warnings. Personally, I am fortunate enough not to struggle with these types of issues. But because of this, I don't think it is entirely fair of me to say that putting trigger warnings on literature is just a way to avoid difficult material. Especially because warning your class about it is not avoiding the difficult content. This author honestly seemed a little lost in this article, because after expressing her opposition to trigger warnings, she explained that she would "mention it ahead of time" when there was particularly explicit content. This seems pretty contradicting considering that what she described is basically the exact same thing as a trigger warning.
But what about discussions? A book is seldom read for class without being discussed and dissected and littered with tangential anecdotes. And while the content might not necessitate a trigger warning, what ensues very well may prove a trigger for some. But it's not like we can "preview" comments or discussions and decide what it fit for public consumption or not.
I think this article raised an excellent question, but tried to answer it in the wrong way. I think what we all need is more awareness, more sensitivity. If we are more attuned to people and their experiences, that will serve us not only in the classroom, but also in the "real world".
To continue on my earlier comment on the other article on trigger warnings, trigger warnings are not, or should not, primarily be to protect people from things they are uncomfortable with. In the case discussed in the article, a trigger warning would not be necessary. The article, rather, is more a case of maturity, answering the question of whether her students are mature enough to deal with the topic of sex. Trigger warnings are for, or rather should be for, people with mental health issues, people with PTSD, trauma survivors, people with anxiety and depression, so they can figure out if they have the mental energy to deal with , say, a story about suicide if they had suicidal thoughts, or to deal with a story similar to their trauma. Trigger warnings are not to prevent people from leaving their comfort zones, to prevent people from expanding their horizons. Instead, they’re about helping students keep their sanity, making sure students have enough information to make decisions about whether they are prepared or have enough energy to tackle whatever topic triggers them. AND AGAIN: a trigger warning does not prevent the discussion of the topic in question. Rather, it is more information so the student can make a decision about what they can handle.
I definitely agree with Sydney -- it seems like there is a bit of a misunderstanding as to what a trigger warning is for, especially in the excerpt from the American Association of University Professors. The warnings are intended to be just that, not a discouragement of so-called "sensitive" content. Trigger warnings aren't meant to enhance "comfort", as the AAUP seems to suggest, they are supposed to help individuals who have had painful previous experiences avoid having PTSD symptoms. In an educational setting, I'd say that some kind of indication that there is to be potentially disturbing content ought to be warranted, especially because if you are going to make people read something you should at least be sure you aren't going to cause them harm. This doesn't at all mean that controversial literature should be avoided, in fact it should be sought out to increase awareness, but sometimes a little bit of preparation for a shock is really helpful.
When I first started reading this article, I thought it was regarding high school students. To be carefully about trigger warnings with ignorant and unexposed adolescents, sure. I understand that. When we did the Holocaust unit in my sop her English class, my teacher brought in a lot of images and journal entries to share, and it was pretty horrific for a 14 year old. So she definitely sent out a note to parents the week before to give them a heads up. One parent asked for the child to be excused from the class. But for a college student whose purpose to be gaining a higher education and a deeper understand about the world we inhabit, that's just truly absurd. I think that any educated student can pick up a syllabus, read what's on the docket and decided whether or not they can handle being in lecture because of whatever personal reasons prevent them from being present. They should be able to communicate this with a Professor and move on. Education shouldn't be compromised because people find the brutal truths and revelations about the world we inhabit to be unsuitable for the classroom.
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