Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history
Contemporary historians and educators have a responsibility to highlight marginalised voices in their research and teaching work. The past experiences of gay and lesbian Australians is one area of historical study that should thus be further explored and discussed in undergraduate history courses...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
2020
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81735 |
| _version_ | 1848764407808524288 |
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| author | McKenzie (she/her), Bri |
| author_facet | McKenzie (she/her), Bri |
| author_sort | McKenzie (she/her), Bri |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Contemporary historians and educators have a responsibility to
highlight marginalised voices in their research and teaching work. The past
experiences of gay and lesbian Australians is one area of historical study that
should thus be further explored and discussed in undergraduate history courses.
Yet, the historical research process must always be informed by a self-reflexive
questioning of the role of contemporary discourses in the analysis of past
events. This article describes some of the challenges that arise when teachingfocused researchers aim both to highlight new historical knowledge and
address the silencing of marginalised voices in the classroom. An exploration
of a 1931 Western Australian ‘unnatural offence’ case initially appeared to
highlight some historically unique characteristics and apparently fitted neatly
into contemporary discourses around the historical marginalisation and
victimisation of gay men. However, the case threw up many questions about
the role of the researcher in historical research and reinforced the relevance of
self-reflexive practice for historians. Harnessing the past for present purposes
has many pitfalls but also some unexpected educative benefits. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:18:52Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-81735 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:18:52Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-817352020-12-08T01:04:38Z Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history McKenzie (she/her), Bri Contemporary historians and educators have a responsibility to highlight marginalised voices in their research and teaching work. The past experiences of gay and lesbian Australians is one area of historical study that should thus be further explored and discussed in undergraduate history courses. Yet, the historical research process must always be informed by a self-reflexive questioning of the role of contemporary discourses in the analysis of past events. This article describes some of the challenges that arise when teachingfocused researchers aim both to highlight new historical knowledge and address the silencing of marginalised voices in the classroom. An exploration of a 1931 Western Australian ‘unnatural offence’ case initially appeared to highlight some historically unique characteristics and apparently fitted neatly into contemporary discourses around the historical marginalisation and victimisation of gay men. However, the case threw up many questions about the role of the researcher in historical research and reinforced the relevance of self-reflexive practice for historians. Harnessing the past for present purposes has many pitfalls but also some unexpected educative benefits. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81735 10.22459/ANUHJII.2020.04 fulltext |
| spellingShingle | McKenzie (she/her), Bri Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history |
| title | Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history |
| title_full | Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history |
| title_fullStr | Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history |
| title_short | Harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching Western Australian gay history |
| title_sort | harnessing the past for present purposes: self-reflexivity in researching and teaching western australian gay history |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81735 |