Disbelief, denial, and failure: A critical collaborative autoethnography of feminist pedagogies educating against Tate-fuelled sexism in Australian schools

Disbelief, denial, and failure: A critical collaborative autoethnography of feminist pedagogies educating against Tate-fuelled sexism in Australian schools

As societal microcosms, schools are key sites for shaping healthy masculinities, but the rise of 'manfluencers' - amplified by digital platforms - has deepened the marginalisation of women and non-binary individuals, reinforcing traditional power structures and inhibiting gender equity. In Australia, where hyper-masculinity dominates, ubiquitous manfluencer content emphasising traits like assertiveness, physical strength, and sexual conquest has amplified school-based sexism and misogyny. In response, this paper uses critical collaborative autoethnography between a male ‘Asian’ Australian ex school teacher and a female white Australian teacher, to explore feminist pedagogies addressing manfluencer misogyny in classrooms. Through intersectional dialogue, the paper provides insights into how a shared feminist approach can challenge harmful constructions of masculinity and gender. Set in an Australian school marked by white patriarchal socioeconomic privilege, it expands on how feminist praxis resists manfluencer logic and the harmful impacts of the manosphere, offering strategies to promote gender equity and deconstruct hegemonic masculinity.