Practicing Validation in the Victorian Studies Classroom: Academic Advising and Holistic Pedagogy

This piece reflects on the ways that the field of Victorian studies might better attend to the needs of students from minoritized backgrounds. It discusses the lack of validation that many students experience upon entering the university and the ways that the Victorian studies classroom, a predominantly white space, has helped instill feelings of inadequacy. This article turns to the field of academic advising to consider asset-based strategies, particularly Laura Rendón's validation theory, which can help us reaffirm students' lived experiences. It argues that, by using these strategies to reconceptualize our pedagogy, we can embrace students' varied forms of knowledge and create a more socially equitable version of Victorian studies that not only welcomes but fosters scholarship by people of color.