just some things we discussed in class that i thought were interesting:
vulnerability should be promoted by the teacher
feminist pedagogy!!
race, class, and sex determine whos exploited, discriminated against and oppressed
media has the power to in force negatively and postively
types of media and how they're sexist:
commercials - food consumption is sexualized
tv/ movies -
plus sized women are only there to further the plot (listen to Fat Funny Friend by Maddie Zahm, it showcases the entire experience of being a plus sized woman, and growing up as one.)
women are rarely the person in power and non sexualized
women are often only the 'love interests' and portrayed as people who need a man to survive
mental health awareness:
women aren't as diagnosed with disabilities such as ADHD and Autism simply because all the studies about these disabilities and how to diagnose them was done on men.
the symptoms were down played as Anxiety or Depression (something that can be cured) instead of the actual disability (something that cannot be cured, only helped, and is with us for life.) simply because the researchers failed to realize that the symptoms present differently in different genders
Gender Reveal
what is the point? why assign your child a colour (pink/blue), or a 'role' (superman for boys, 'lois lane' for girls - are we forgetting theres LITERALLY 1) superwoman, 2) wonderwoman, 3) supergirl, and SO many more female superheros?!!??!)
there are better options for 'reveals' - different colours, name reveal etc.
We watched a video called 'Leading Lady Parts as well. - Florence Pugh - not joking, that's my literal first note about this bc her >>> - accurately portrays how auditions are. (i send an audition tape that shows my head and shoulders only, why do casting directors feel the need to give me only ONE note, that note being "can you send this again but showcase your entire body' LIKE WHY???) - auditions are sexist, fatphobic, racist, ageist!!!!!! - typecasting still happens, and laughing about it normalizes it
How does this affect the children??
bell hooks' (early childhood theorist) practices and pedagogy ensure that children's learning is as effective as it can be.
bell hooks promoted a progressive wholistic education with an engaged pedagogy
'wholistic vs holistic' - wholistic refers to the entire child, seeing them as a whole being. holistic refers to the idea that the whole is more than just the 'sum of parts.'
equality is important, not just in feminism, but in everything
her pedagogy was called 'feminist pedagogy' and she was vocal about how feminism looks different for women of colour, than it does for white women.
young girls are still seeing unhealthy standards for women in all types of media despite the changes being made
think Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2 vs Black Widow (the costuming, the way she was written, the role she played to the plot), Kamala Khan vs Peter Parker (Peter is a 'typical' skinny teenager, Kamala has a bigger frame, is more what teens her age look like), and America Chavez + Kamala (non white characters with a leading role in their projects without the need for a romantic interest. yes, Kamala had one, but that wasn't the main plot point of Ms Marvel.
while these steps are good, it's not enough, and more needs to be done.
we, as educators, can't change the world and how the world sees women and minorities, but we can help change the future by teaching the future generations that this is NOT okay, it was NEVER okay, and something needs to change NOW.
Skin Again by bell hooks
skin is just a covering.
we're more, much more than just how we look.
you can encourage learning, you cannot force it. you can make your learning environment safe, warm and inviting, but ultimately it is up to the child to decide that they WANT to learn. forcing them to learn doesn't teach them anything, in fact it negatively shows them that we don't see them as people, as co-learners, as our teachers in the learning environment. it shows them that they are only there to serve one purpose, and not to be fully engaged in their learning like we want them to be.
