WHEN THE PERSONAL BECOMES PROBLEMATIC - THE ETHICS OF USING EXPERIENTIAL TEACHING-METHODS

Experiential methods-that is, methods that rely on students' own life experiences and often involve a high degree of self-disclosure-are bec oming increasingly common in sociology courses that deal with difficul t and controversial subjects such as gender, race, and sexuality. Yet these methods may be inappropriate and unethical, especially when stud ents are expected to reveal very personal, even painful, information a bout themselves. The benefits and risks involved in using such methods are presented in this paper in a dialogue between an instructor and a student.