Assignment Title: Gender Stereotypes are “Out of Line”
Annotation: To make students aware of the dangers of gender stereotyping and the media’s role in perpetuating gender stereotypes. Students will work as a class to consider what it means to be “a man” and “a woman” and come up with stereotype statements. They will work individually to write down what they learned from the activity. The targeted grade level would be a Middle School English/Language Arts class.
Embedded Video
Jockey “Out of Line” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyUOeYO79Oo
Procedures:
Introduction:Write the word stereotype on the chalkboard or chart. Ask students if they know what the word means. Write down the dictionary definition of the word: Scholastic Children’s Dictionary defines the term as: noun: An overly simple picture or opinion of a person, group, or thing. It is a stereotype to say all old people are forgetful.
Lead students to the conclusion that the statements are too general to be true; encourage them to recognize that it is unfair to make such sweeping statements. Help students make the connection between the phrases and the term stereotype.
Write “Act Like a Man” at the top of a piece of butcher paper and ask male students: What does it mean to act like a man? What words or expectations come to mind? (i.e., men don’t cry, men are tough, men are strong, active, sports-lovers, short hair, hard working, truck driver, breadwinner, etc.) Record student responses. This list will be the “Act Like a Man list.” This is a list of attitudes and behaviors that boys are pressured to adopt in the process of becoming men in our society. Men and boys are not born this way; these roles are learned.
Next, write “Be Ladylike” at the top of another piece of butcher paper and ask female students: What does it mean to be ladylike? (i.e., loving, nurse shop, likes flowers, cries easily, long hair, etc.) Record student responses as before. This is the “Be Ladylike list”. It’s full of stereotypes, just like the “Act Like a Man list”. Its walls of conformity are just as restrictive. Women also learn to conform to very specific role expectations as they grow up being female in our society.
Learning Gender Roles:
Ask students: Where do we learn these gender roles? (Discussion prompts: What people teach us these stereotypes? People in entertainment? Sports? Media?)
The concepts of acting like a man or being ladylike do not only relate to attitude. There are also physical expectations which are connected with these stereotypes, many of which are unrealistic.
Show Video Clip
For younger students especially, the first viewing may elicit emotional responses. A second viewing vies them a chance to view more objectively. Use a second viewing to focus on additional curriculum content.
Guided Discussion
Ask students:
· How does this person live up to the “ideal” standards found in the stereotype list from last class?
· How is she successful at being a woman according to these norms?
· Do you think women would want to be thin if they were not bombarded with thin images of women, like this, in the media?
· How do these standards for body image differ from standards for cultural groups such as: African, Canadian, Inuit or various Asian cultural groups? (Consider that the vast majority of models have white skin.) Note: In some cultures, heavy body weight is considered to be a sign of healthiness!
· What about at different times in history? Has the thin woman always been the ideal? Note: Paintings that pre-date this century often depict full-bodied women. The women Matisse painted were anything but thin!
What about the male images?
Ask students:
· How does this person live up to the “ideal” standards found in the stereotype list from last class?
· What messages are being given to men through these images? How are they different from the messages that we get from the images of women that we have seen?
· Do you think that men are also pressured to look a certain way?
· Name some media role models who send this type of message.
· What do men physically have to do to prove that they are “real men?”
Conclusion: Beauty is an idea. Everybody’s idea of beauty is unique. Beauty is a function of culture also. When ideas about beauty make powerful impacts, they can become beauty ideals. What is ideal beauty? We see it everywhere, from paintings, to magazines to TV. Ideals evolve over time, or they can get stuck in a permanent loop. It seems like beauty is all about trying to live up to an ideal. Which is pretty much a hopeless pursuit, because…ideas and ideals are not real. You are! Beauty isn’t just an idea. It’s your idea
Winding up the lesson.
Ask students to share how they felt about the lesson. What did they learn? Were there times during the lesson when they felt angry or sad?
Quick Write: In a personal journal or on paper, have students write quickly for two minutes to record any thought that comes to mind after viewing a program or segment. This activity is especially effective to record personal thoughts following emotionally stimulating programs.
Assignment: Using their Quick Write students should work individually to create a short paper on the stereo-typical image of beauty compared to their personal perception of beauty.
Evaluation Students will write three paragraphs explaining what they learned from the activity. They should include specific examples of stereotypes and explain why they believe those stereotypes are wrong.
Adapting the Assignment
Extension: Research what beauty means in different cultures. Write a short paper (2 pages) or create a visual representation describing the similarities and/or differences.
Remediation: Create a collage of “beautiful women/men” of the western world and compare those to pictures of beautiful “non-sterotypical” women/men of the world to show that beauty is only an idea.
Timeline: Approximately 1-2 class periods. Concept could potentially be extended to last for several class periods through detailed exploration of other cultures.
Primary Learning Outcome Students should have the ability to break down social stereotypes, discover new critical viewing skills and media awareness, and enhance self-respect.
Assessed GPSs
ELA6R2 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
ELA6LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions.
