ABSTRACT
The "dangers" of feminism inherent in the critiques of the aforementioned hegemonic structures "went away" with empowerment feminism, and the critiques were replaced with individual responsibility, the myth of the meritocracy, and the negation of sisterhood. Much of female students' energy was spent not on their schoolwork, but in processing and dealing with sexism and sexual harassment in their male-dominated school culture. Girls' bodies in the alternative school were subjected to surveillance, control, regulation, not just by male students, but also by faculty and staff: through a gender-biased dress code, through hegemonic cultural practices, and through turning a blind eye to sexual harassment. Feminist pedagogy encourages classrooms to be democratic spaces where students take ownership of projects and classroom conversations. Teachers who practice feminist pedagogy question how relations of power and knowledge are constructed and maintained, including the classroom itself.
