Conference Program

This presentation explores the pedagogical thought of bell hooks and its relevance for feminist and critical approaches to teaching in contemporary higher education. Drawing on a teaching experience developed within a university course on feminist epistemologies and philosophies, the contribution reflects on the transformative potential of the classroom when it is conceived as a relational and participatory space of learning.

The presentation will discuss how the encounter with hooks’ work - particularly Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom - has informed and illuminated a teaching practice aimed at creating a classroom environment based on dialogue, participation, and critical reflection. Within this framework, the classroom is understood not simply as a place for the transmission of knowledge, but as a community of learning in which students’ voices and experiences are recognized as meaningful elements in the educational process.

A central focus of the presentation concerns hooks’ concept of engaged pedagogy, which challenges hierarchical and transmissive models of education. In contrast to traditional approaches based on the passive reception of information, engaged pedagogy emphasizes participation, shared responsibility, and the co-construction of knowledge. Teaching thus becomes a relational practice grounded in mutual recognition and in the development of critical awareness.

The discussion will also situate hooks pedagogical vision within the broader tradition of critical pedagogy, highlighting in particular the influence of Paulo Freire. Freire’s critique of the “banking model” of education and his understanding of education as a practice of freedom strongly shaped hooks’ approach to teaching. At the same time, hooks extends this framework through a feminist and intersectional perspective that addresses the interconnected structures of sexism, racism, and class inequality within educational institutions.

Special attention will be devoted to the experiential and political dimensions of learning that emerge in hooks’ work. Her reflections are deeply connected to her own experience as a Black woman navigating the tensions between segregated schooling and predominantly white academic environments. These experiences contribute to the development of a pedagogical perspective centered on recognition, difference, and the possibility of transforming the classroom into a space where diverse subjectivities can emerge and be heard.

Finally, the presentation will consider the holistic dimension of hooks’ pedagogy, also influenced by the teachings of the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, which emphasizes the integration of mind, body, and spirit in the learning process. From this perspective, teaching involves the whole person and requires the creation of an educational environment based on trust, openness, and shared engagement.

By reflecting on these theoretical and pedagogical perspectives, the presentation aims to contribute to current debates on feminist pedagogy and transformative learning, suggesting that hooks’ engaged pedagogy offers a powerful framework for reimagining the university classroom as a space of critical dialogue, collective learning, and intellectual freedom.