Trigger Warnings: History, Theory, Context

by Emily J.M. Knox (editor)

With "triggered" as Google's most searched word of 2016, trigger warnings have become a prevalent yet controversial concept in American higher education and society. As the debate over the value and place of triggering material continues, Trigger Warnings: History, Theory, Context provides the historical context and theoretical analysis of the use of trigger and content warnings in academia. This important edited collection examines the history, theories, and ethics of trigger warnings and presents case studies from instructors and students describing instances when trigger warnings were and were not used. By exploring the issue through several scholarly lenses and providing examples of when trigger warnings may or may not be used effectively, Trigger Warnings provides rigorous analysis of the controversy. —New England Archivists Newsletter

Genres: Nonfiction, Librarianship, Education, Academic

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2017

About the author

Emily is an associate professor in the School of Information Sciences (iSchool) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Her research interests include intellectual freedom and censorship, the intersection of print culture and reading practices, and information ethics and policy.

She loves Tamora Pierce, Bach, and all things Star Wars.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-selected variety of essays and case studies on the subject. While I tried very hard to keep an open mind while reading, for the most part I was rolling my eyes where I thought I would and nodding my head where I thought I would. One piece that really stood out to me was Bonnie Washick's "An 'App' for That: The Case Against the 'Equal Access' Argument for Trigger Warnings," in which she really dug into what the motivations behind using trigger warnings in the classroom could and should be, and tried to distinguish between the accessibility argument for an individual student (which she posits could reasonably be accommodated in a variety of other ways initiated by the student) and a broader imperative for all parties to acknowledge widespread forms of trauma, whether or not an individual student has been personally impacted by them. I found her argument compelling, nuanced, and refreshingly novel after having read lots of think-pieces on this previously.

I also thought two case studies in particular, "On Privilege, Authority, and Abuses of Professorial Power" by Jami McFarland and "Teaching Disruptive Literature in Precarious Times: A Case Study from Library and Information Science" by Davin L. Helkenberg provided nice counterpoints to one another in terms of assessing the power structures within the classroom and with academia more broadly, and discussing where the onus for accommodation should be placed.

If you wanted to delve more into this subject but not read a whole book on it and find yourself clenching your fists at re-hashed misconceptions of what trigger warnings do and how they work, I would focus on those three pieces. I personally have never fully understood the kneejerk disdain for trigger warnings in my field, and I would like to see librarianship as a profession move into a more nuanced discussion of this topic. I think this book is a great place for that to start.

[Leah Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection with a lot of different pieces and perspectives from various fields and positionalities within the academy. At times, the pieces don't feel fully strung together, as can happen in an edited collection, but I think that's also due to the amorphousness of the trigger warning as pedagogical practice. I've found this book helpful for my own scholarship.

[Luke]

Pub 2017

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un essai collectif fascinant qui explore l'utilisation des Trigger Warning (TW) en profondeur au-delà des débats superficiels de "liberté d'expression/académique vs protection des étudiant·es".

Tous les articles sont aussi intéressants les uns que les autres et apportent TOUS des points de vue nouveau et intéressant sur la question (qu'ils soient pour ou contre), je n'ai cessé de prendre des notes (j'ai bien l'intention d'écrire un article sur le sujet des TW).

En plus de témoignages d'utilisation ou non, on en apprend un peu sur l'historique des TW, sur la psychologie du TSPT, de réflexion plus large sur la société, sur des outils/alternatives aux TW, etc.

Un ouvrage presque complet sur la question, une lecture fascinante et excessivement instructive autant pour des professeurs, que des bibliothécaires, des étudiant·es, des écrivain·es ou encore n'importe qui! On en ressort beaucoup plus outillé, instruit et on aimerait vraiment poursuivre la discussion encore plus longtemps.

Définitivement l'incontournable sur le sujet, le seul problème est son prix, mais demander à vos bibliothécaires de le commander pour la bibliothèque de l'institution; il est bien possible qu'elle en ait besoin très bientôt.

[Rachel Ayers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the case studies to be the most useful part of the book. Also a good resource for finding other material on the topic.

[Sarah Furger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting! I attended a presentation by the editor, Emily Knox, at a library conference and wanted to read more. This gives lots of food for thought!