Classroom Video: TV Ads that depict stereotypical roles of women.
Summary: TV ads that show women in household roles such as cooking and cleaning house. The interesting thing is that research was conducted with small children. Kids were asked which doll - Barbie or Ken - went to work and which doll stayed home, cooked and took care of babies. It was typical that these children picked the Barbie doll for female roles such as cooking and taking care of babies while Ken went to work. Bottom Line: Children are being exposed to stereotypes and it's important to show and/or teach children alternative views on gender.
Chapter 4: Gender pg. 123
There are many different classroom views how the roles men and women are characterized.
Discussion: Stereotypical roles that men and women portray
1. Differences in the Sexes - During the first (8) yrs of life, boys and girls have similar hormonal levels and physical development. Puberty marks the difference in hormonal levels, which control physical development. Body fat increases in girls and decreases in boys. Structural changes in females diminish strength and lower endurance for heavy labor.
2. Brain-based Differences - After age 12 there are biological differences between boys and girls. Research has found that women learn language better than men (linguists). This can be attributed to left/right hemisphere changes in the brain.
3. Gender and Sex -Sex is biologically determined and gender is culturally determined. Gender is what society or culture thinks males and females should be, how they should behave and what draws the line between masculine or feminine behaviors.
4. Gender Socialization – How do we behave in society. When an individual’s behavior is contrary to society’s norms, challenges may occur.
5. Gender Roles and Identity – Gender roles are often stereotyped. They are often influenced by a family’s ethnicity, class, and religion. Females are typically allowed more flexibility in roles than males.
6. The Women’s Movement – Since mid 19th century, women’s groups have continued to struggle for equality.
Chapter 4: Sexual Orientation pg.131
Discussion: Sexual Orientation : Why do we discriminate against gays?
1. Heterosexuality is the valued sexual orientation in the United States. The history of sexuality first appeared in 1869 and until the 1970s, a condemnable offense. Many people lost their jobs and were physically attacked.
2. Self-Identification: 5% to 10% of the general population are homosexuals. (Pearson book estimates)
3. In the Schools - Reports suggest that gay & lesbian students face consideration rejection, abuse, and harassment in the schools. Some even feel unsafe in school and sometimes stop attending.
4. Eudcator's Responsibilities - Every educator has the moral, ethical, and professional responsibility to provide a safe and accepting environment for every student regardless of sexual orientation.
5. Sexism and Gender Discrimination - Sexism is a belief that men are superior to women and should dominate them in the home and at work.
6. Gender and Classroom Interactions - Research finds educators treat boys and girls differently in the classroom. Rather than treating girls and boys the same, nonsexist eudcation is focused on gender equity. (We should not treat boys and girls differently).
**Personal Reflections for your Blog**
1. How should we address sexuality in middle schools (puberty age)? It's important, especially in today's digital and fast speed age of technology, to have a class specifically on Sexuality. Children are growing a a faster rate and exposed to way too much television and adult topics. The media has played a tremendous role in putting spins on celebrity news and political viewpoints. With respects to the music and advertising age, we have given too much liberty in subliminal messages to children who just don't understand the difference. It is our moral duty as educators, besides following the standardized rules of education, to go beyond the extra mile and have time to be more engaged with our students.
2. What role do media , church, and shopping centers play in gender socialization? Media and Advertising has a hand in impacting consumer spending. Targeting market share and profits is big business and those industry professionals are very savvy in how they market the products geared specifically for age groups, gender groups, and there is a vast market for children (when it comes to buying toys). As far as the Church is concerned, I haven't researched the impact on targeted populations and never considered the Church to be a huge threat in gender socialization. That would be something to look into though.
2. What role do media , church, and shopping centers play in gender socialization? Media and Advertising has a hand in impacting consumer spending. Targeting market share and profits is big business and those industry professionals are very savvy in how they market the products geared specifically for age groups, gender groups, and there is a vast market for children (when it comes to buying toys). As far as the Church is concerned, I haven't researched the impact on targeted populations and never considered the Church to be a huge threat in gender socialization. That would be something to look into though.
3. What is sexism, how is it interpreted, and how can we address it in a classroom setting?
One dictionary meaning tells us that sexism is: attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of
sexual roles and discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex, as in restricted job opportunities
that is typically directed towards women.
How can we address it in a classroom setting? It may take a lifetime to achieve but to start with the
basic understanding of sexism, the roles it plays in society, how to think differently about and to promote
equality for all.
One dictionary meaning tells us that sexism is: attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of
sexual roles and discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex, as in restricted job opportunities
that is typically directed towards women.
How can we address it in a classroom setting? It may take a lifetime to achieve but to start with the
basic understanding of sexism, the roles it plays in society, how to think differently about and to promote
equality for all.
4. How should sexual orientation be addressed in public schools and private (church) schools?
Public schools need to reconsider how they address sexual orientation - there is too much ongoing hatred
towards the gay population and they are born of God, no matter what the Bible says. We are not here to
judge the sexual orientation of others nor condemn them. They have every right to be in this country
without fear of prosecution or judgement. Did anyone ever begin to think - if it happened in their family
the discrimination, the utter hatred for people of color, mixed marriages and especially with reference to
the sexual orientation of their own child? Wouldn't you love your child just like any other child and if he
or she is different, would you burn them at the stake for that? What is wrong with our country is the
narrow-mindedness of the ignorant. We are in a sad state of affairs when we see others lower themselves
to a level unimaginable and unthinkable.
The Church has a political agenda all of its own and although there are several findings about the Bible's
position alluding to sin and not necessarily 'sexual orientation' of biblical characters, such as passages
regarding homosexuality during the days of Sodom and Gomorah, we have to tread lightly on this topic.
According to encyclopedic reference and I quote:
"Animal studies are not particularly illuminating. In some birds, imprinting takes place at an early age, and exposure to something seen at the critical stage of development is crucial for later object choice. However, such a mechanism does not seem to operate to anything like the same extent in mammals. Various forms of same-sex contact have been observed in different mammalian species, but these often serve the purpose of establishing dominance or submission for social purposes between individual animals or within the group, and to have a dubious relationship to sexual gratification as such. There are also cases in which animals in single-sex groups will mount one another, often at the dictates of a hormonal cycle: cows and heifers mounting one another is taken as a reliable sign that they are ready for breeding. There is little evidence, however, that homosexual relationships in any species are formed when opposite-sex partners are available and receptive".
"Childhood influences of various kinds play an important role in the evolution of adult sexual orientation in the individual — for example, certain experiences can become associated with sexual arousal. Emotional experiences, in particular relationships with parents, can form patterns which are reiterated in the sexual sphere in later life. The reasons why similar influences (for example, among different members of the same family, with both heredity and environment in common) may result in different outcomes is, however, still obscure. Complex factors, involving idiosyncrasies of biological make-up, the individual's personal experiences, and the wider social environment, are probably all involved in the evolution of a person's sexual orientation".
So, as educators, I leave the door wide open to being neutral in sexual orientation of students. As long as
they get an education, contribute to society in a meaningful manner, have common sense to treat others
with kindness, follow the rules to make it a cleaner, safer and viable world to live in, who cares what their
sexual orientation is as long as they don't hurt anyone else....
Public schools need to reconsider how they address sexual orientation - there is too much ongoing hatred
towards the gay population and they are born of God, no matter what the Bible says. We are not here to
judge the sexual orientation of others nor condemn them. They have every right to be in this country
without fear of prosecution or judgement. Did anyone ever begin to think - if it happened in their family
the discrimination, the utter hatred for people of color, mixed marriages and especially with reference to
the sexual orientation of their own child? Wouldn't you love your child just like any other child and if he
or she is different, would you burn them at the stake for that? What is wrong with our country is the
narrow-mindedness of the ignorant. We are in a sad state of affairs when we see others lower themselves
to a level unimaginable and unthinkable.
The Church has a political agenda all of its own and although there are several findings about the Bible's
position alluding to sin and not necessarily 'sexual orientation' of biblical characters, such as passages
regarding homosexuality during the days of Sodom and Gomorah, we have to tread lightly on this topic.
According to encyclopedic reference and I quote:
"Animal studies are not particularly illuminating. In some birds, imprinting takes place at an early age, and exposure to something seen at the critical stage of development is crucial for later object choice. However, such a mechanism does not seem to operate to anything like the same extent in mammals. Various forms of same-sex contact have been observed in different mammalian species, but these often serve the purpose of establishing dominance or submission for social purposes between individual animals or within the group, and to have a dubious relationship to sexual gratification as such. There are also cases in which animals in single-sex groups will mount one another, often at the dictates of a hormonal cycle: cows and heifers mounting one another is taken as a reliable sign that they are ready for breeding. There is little evidence, however, that homosexual relationships in any species are formed when opposite-sex partners are available and receptive".
"Childhood influences of various kinds play an important role in the evolution of adult sexual orientation in the individual — for example, certain experiences can become associated with sexual arousal. Emotional experiences, in particular relationships with parents, can form patterns which are reiterated in the sexual sphere in later life. The reasons why similar influences (for example, among different members of the same family, with both heredity and environment in common) may result in different outcomes is, however, still obscure. Complex factors, involving idiosyncrasies of biological make-up, the individual's personal experiences, and the wider social environment, are probably all involved in the evolution of a person's sexual orientation".
So, as educators, I leave the door wide open to being neutral in sexual orientation of students. As long as
they get an education, contribute to society in a meaningful manner, have common sense to treat others
with kindness, follow the rules to make it a cleaner, safer and viable world to live in, who cares what their
sexual orientation is as long as they don't hurt anyone else....
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