#MeToo: (Re)Shaping sexual research pedagogies through a new material autoethnographic analysis

Historically (and presently), 'Western' academic spaces have prioritized certain traits and bodies based on problematic, hierarchical dichotomies. These dichotomies influence ideas around normativity and superiority; for example, truth and reason were historically conceptualized as mutually exclusive from, and of more value than, emotional, subjective experiences, and the body. Such dichotomies perpetuate systems of power and oppression, and they overlook real people who could be in the room who have experienced the 'abstract' topic being discussed. In this paper, I extend a call for a shift to embodied pedagogical approaches to the field of human sexuality—a field that comes with heightened risks and opportunities given the nature of topics covered. Through exploring my own experiences within sexuality classrooms at various stages of my academic career, I interrogate the 'safety' of distancing academic identities from embodied knowledge; who is actually protected by these practices; who is more at risk? A shift in pedagogical approaches may allow students (and educators) to better engage with, and appreciate, the importance of confronting knowledge that may be emotionally challenging.