Beyond Binary: Gender in the Classroom

This case is designed to help students discuss gender identity.

Stanford GSB student Aubrey Flynn (they/them) is about to meet with Professor Olivia Clegg (she/her) during office hours.

Aubrey was made uncomfortable in discussions on consumer behavior and target audiences that had a primarily hetero-normative focus. This was especially true in the last class, which included a case about a luxury brand’s marketing strategy. (The target consumer was shown as women in heterosexual relationships.) The case discussion completely failed to consider the need to create narratives that appealed to non-binary, gender-fluid audiences. Aubrey intends to respectfully suggest to Professor Clegg that her approach is excessively hetero-normative and that it makes them uncomfortable.

Professor Clegg is in her Faculty East office hard at work as she waits for any students who might wish to speak with her. She is completely unaware that Aubrey, or anyone else, has concerns regarding the discussion in her last class.