Re-imagining the (un)familiar: feminist pedagogy in rural spaces

Little attention has been directed towards post-secondary education in rural spaces, instead conceptualising university study primarily as an urban phenomenon. Challenging dominant conceptions of rural areas as backwards, conservative, poverty stricken and isolated, this article investigates the unique opportunities associated with rural universities. Exploring the impact of feminist pedagogy in a rural context from the perspective of critical scholars teaching in rural spaces, the analysis contends that these sites provide a unique position from which to begin tackling complex rural social issues. Adopting an intersectional approach is integral to assisting rural women to theorise the complexity of their lives, both locally and globally. Such teaching is especially significant for rural women, who otherwise may find academia inaccessible and disconnected from their lived reality.