Addressing the gender politics of equity work in schools: the significance of affinity, criticality and mentorship

The gender politics of the current moment have revitalized forms of feminism and anti-feminism. New collective engagements reflect both the power and problematics of group identity politics to, on the one hand, mobilize political resistance in struggles for gender justice but, on the other hand, homogenize and alienate ‘others’. Mindful of these issues, this paper examines the group identity politics of the equity-focused clubs at an elite independent school in the USA. Drawing on interview data from 16 student leaders, the paper considers the gender dynamics within these clubs that both supported and undermined gender justice. The focus is on the polarizing of gender produced by the clubs that positioned equity as a minority issue, stigmatized homosexuality and presumed boys to be non-caring and not interested in equity. It is also on the school’s approaches to disrupting this polarization through teacher mentorship and critical discussion. In terms of addressing issues of gender justice, the paper highlights the significance of students being able to access such mentorship and critical discussion within a variety of spaces that support them to be heard and reflect their commonality of experience.