Wednesday, 9/29: Gender Identity Videos

Today's Big Question:

How does the media enforce gender expectations in American society? What are the impacts of the way the media represents gender?

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Starter 18, 9/29

DUET #1: Do this for the starter. Duet #2, do yesterday's starter on seminar reflection feedback!The Good Wife’s Guide (1955) and The Insult that Made Mac a Man (1972)

• What are the messages about gender norms?
• Have things changed?
• What is still the same?​ (make a list of as many gender norms you can think of for men v. women)

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Some Vocabulary on Gender

With a partner, match these terms to the below definitions: Sex, Gender Expression, Gender, Gender Identity

• _____refers to a person’s sexual anatomy, like chromosomes, hormones, and internal and external sex organs. The terms “male” and “female” are often used to talk about an individual’s sex.
• _____ ​refers to the characteristics and behaviors that a society or culture associates with males and females. The terms “masculine” and “feminine” are usually used to describe gender.
• ______ is an individual’s deeply held sense of being male, female or another gender. This is separate from biological sex.
• _______ can be defined as the way we show our gender to the world. Societal expectations of gender expression are reinforced in almost every area of life. Even very young children are clear about the gendered choices that boys and girls are “supposed to” make in relation to toys, colors, clothes, games and activities. (Definition from Teaching Tolerance)

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Gender Identity Videos Activity

If you are absent, please complete this activity list and watch the videos on the above-linked document!!

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Read and annotate: Gender specific article from Queen Bees and Wannabes

Over the next two weeks, we'll be looking at the cycle of socialization and how it applies to gender! In other words, we will be spending time looking at how gender is socialized for both boys and girls, and later we'll look at transgender identity as well.

For now, please read AND annotate this article: "Boy World"  from the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Weisman. You'll need to have it finished by the FRIDAY, start of class to stay on track for next week's seminar. Starting on Friday, we'll read the one on girls. You'll have a choice between whether you participate in the girls seminar or boys seminar next Tuesday.   

Warning: There is mention of a derogatory word for gay people in this article, and this article does articulate what the main stereotypical boy groups and boy characters are in high school.  You'll need to determine if the author is "getting gender right" when it comes to the high school experience.