Greetings Readers! I hope you enjoyed the first post that I wrote... and I sincerely hope you enjoy my second post! Referring back to the 21st Century Learner, this post will focus on the ideas of critical thinking, communication, social responsibility and cultural awareness. These competencies are constantly overlapping, and are inexplicably linked!
You know when someone is making a joke, and you know it's a joke... but you don't get it? And you laugh anyways? Well, that happened to me when I was 16 years old at Improv Camp, in the deep woods of Regina, Saskatchewan. I met a someone named Alex, and everyone (including "himself") called this person "Al Gender". Al had piece of paper that "he" would carry in his pocket, and there was a self-drawn cartoon image of "him" in a blue sweater, with spiky brown hair and a puzzled look on his face. There was a caption above which said "Gender can't decide". I didn't get it... but I laughed along with "him" and everyone else! Do you get it? It's really not a trick question... I promise. To put you at ease (and myself after 10 years), the answer is easy - he couldn't decide his gender. Logical answer right???? Wait a minute... you might be asking yourself... you can decide your gender? I'm here to tell you, in the words of Barack Obama...
YES WE CAN.
I was introduced to basic sociological and critical theories when I was in my fourth year critical theory and performance course with Dr. David Fancy at Brock University. Dr. Fancy challenged and changed the way I see the world I live in, and how I act in that world. Among the millions of things I learned, I learned about binary systems or binary oppositions. Binaries are pairings that are completely opposite in meanings, such as "on" or "off", "man" or "woman", and "gay" and "straight". But what about anything in-between? Nope, of course not! Up until that point, I had been taught that the world we lived in operated in binaries, and that if you weren't one thing - you were the other. If the light was not on, it was off. If you were not a boy, you were a girl. If you were not straight, you were gay. Now I was learning that that was not entirely accurate? Simultaneously, I learned about Judith Butler and performativity, sex and gender. Her theories weren't that hard to grasp. We perform our gender roles, and re-inforce them. However, the reality is pink is not a "girl's colour" and boys aren't the only kids who can play with toy trucks - however, society has constructed us to think that and reproduce these types of ideas. It was also in this course and understanding through Butler that I learned that sex and gender are totally different things! Sex refers to ones biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes of a human being. Male and Female are sex categories while Masculine and Feminine are gender categories. QUE PASA???? Really?? Still feeling shaky? Don't worry... I was too! Take a look at this chart! It also introduces a few more things that I will be talking about, so pay attention!
Wait? What? Didn't get that... Watch this video to get a complete and incredibly simple understanding. People that are the "norm" - straight, and identify with their prescribed gender never really have to question their place on the gender continuum. See where you fall in this What's your identity spectrum, you might be surprised! So where do we go from here? “In understanding gender as distinct from sex, the goal is at least in part to recast the dyad of male/masculine and female/feminine as a non-binary opposition” (Nel & Paul, 2011) We must challenge binaries of gender!
I've bombarded you with so much and you have handled it with such grace (that is, if you are still reading). I assume you have heard of abbreviation of LGBTQ, but have you heard of LGBTQQIAAP? Below, I will provide you with some basic definitions so we can move forward.
Lesbian - Women that are only attracted to women.
Gay - Men that are only attracted to men. Gay can also be used to describe homosexual men and women.
Bisexual - A person that is attracted to both sexes.
Transgendered - A person that has/is transitioning to the opposite sex, as they were born as the wrong sex/in the wrong body. (Female to male. Male to female).
Queer - A person that does not want to label themselves as, e.g. Lesbian, so they call themselves queer instead.
Questioning - Someone that is questioning their sexual orientation, unsure which gender/s they are attracted to.
Intersex - Someone who was born with genitals that do not allow them to be distinctly identified as male or female sex. This is also seen as "genital ambiguity".
Asexual - A person that isn't sexually attracted to either gender or sex.
Allies - A straight person that supports the LGBT(QQIAAP) community.
Pansexual - A person that is attracted to a person because of their personality. They do not care what gender they date, they care about what is on the inside.
Still want a little more? Check out John Corvino's Alphabet Soup. Here he discusses all things that are important to understand about sexual orientation and gender identity. I also highly suggest you watch more of his videos!
So, where are we now?? Right, some people don't fit into the prescribed gender boxes that society asks them to fill out. Some people identify as both, one, or none! Some people don't identifiy with "he" or "she" because they operate outside of the gender binary. This article The realm between "He" and "She" does a really good job in explaining how some individuals prefer to be called "they" "ze" "per" or "hir".
So after ALL THIS... what's my point? My point is don't assume. Don't assume gender, and don't assume sexual orientation. Just don't do it! Don't make comments that reinforce gender, or sexual preferences to fit the norm. For example "Look at Tommy sitting with all of the girls. What a ladies man!" You just assumed that every girl sitting with Tommy is a) in fact a "girl" and b) all the girls are straight and are attracted to Tommy. You also assumed that c) Tommy is straight and is attracted to all of the "girls" and d) Tommy is in fact a "boy". This goes for your students, and anybody else you encounter. If you meet someone and you assume the default norm (straight and performing their assigned gender), that means that you are seeing someone who does not identify as that as someone else - as "other". “Genuine and thorough comprehension of Otherness is possible only if the
self can somehow negate or at least severely bracket the values, assumptions,
and ideology of his culture” (Counsell &
Wolf,
2011). How does one do that? Well, to understand someone else, you must not only "walk a mile in their shoes" but also realize that people can wear different shoes and your shoes are not the "right" or "regular" or "normal" kind - even if they might be the dominant shoe. To be even more cliché, they also say if the shoe fits - wear it (I'm going for the whole "be yourself" bit here). If you want to know how to describe a student, simply ask "What is your preferred gender pronoun". You can provide options or fill in the blank!
Here are some a variety of amazing resources to check out that can aid LGBTQQIAAP Students and Educators:
R U Coming Out? - Inspires, supports and unites those who are living their lives "in the closet".
Equalize Youth - Read support stories from all around the world!
Egale - Canada's only national charity promoting LGBTQ human rights through research, education and community engagement.
The Pirate Tree - Social Justice through Children's Literature.
Readers... your time to shine! What are your thoughts on this topic? Did you have a few learning moments, or was this all old news to you?! Have you encountered any students who don't fall into the gender binaries? It's great to share stories, but it is even better to share some solutions or problems we are still encountering. How do we solve the gender or sex box dilemma? Take a look at these resources, are they helpful? Can you use them in your classroom? What are some strengths and limitations? Any dialogue is welcomed!
Stay tuned next week for my blog about another emerging topic in education!
Much love,
The Artist, The Educator and The Activist
References
›Counsell,
C. & Wolf, L. (2001) Performance Analysis.
Routledge.
Nel, P. & Paul. L. (2011) Keywords for Children’s Literature.
http://rancom.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/telephone/ (Image)
http://verganza-de-sasuke.deviantart.com/art/Identity-Spectrum-Template-210947294
One of the major problem relating to the question of explaining Gender/Sex is that of terminology. The terms are used interchangeably in most fields of study. Much like the term "feminism" is misunderstood by many because of its association with the female (fem-), despite not having any intrinsic link to either gender or sex. I believe that proper and earlier education in the proper definitions for these two terms will help shape the perception of the next generation so that ideas such as Butler's become much easier to understand and even obvious. If we can change perception we can change the world.
ReplyDeleteHey Ross
DeleteI agree... I mean, I thought they were the same until I was 20 years old! If I hadn't been exposed to that one course at Brock, I could argue that I would have never been "taught" or had this type of dialogue. I agree, again, that "proper" education (who's to say one thing is proper and one is not) ... or at least this conversation be brought up much earlier!!!
Thanks for giving comment and thought to the wide array of gender and sexual expressions. Where I find this trips people up the most is in sexual education lessons - beginning in elementary school. Sexuality and gender were discussed exclusively in binaries based on the mechanics of having children until high school in my own experience. In order for perception to change, individuals must be exposed to the variety of identities and physical make-ups of this world WHILE THEY ARE STILL forming understandings and opinions. It is much harder to change steadfast opinions than help to inform developing ones. I really feel that sexual education in elementary school needs to teach a more fluid experience, rather than relying on binaries.
ReplyDeleteHey Grace!
DeleteYou raise a valid point. When we learn about "sexuality" in health education courses, it is quite early, and we are segregated by sex. Do you think this how it should be taught? Biological boys and girls in different classrooms?
Hey Rox -
ReplyDeleteI see and hear your point loud and clear! These gender ideals are laid out for us before we are even born, finding out the sex of the baby and then having colour themed showers to celebrate the coming a baby boy or girl are things our society thrives on. But why? Why the need to label a child who does not have the ability to do so for themselves? All we are doing is mixing up the child's emotions later in life as they struggle to identify with what they are told to be and who they really are. But where does it all start?
Society needs to be able to put labels on things, it's the only way our society is able to function properly, why? I'm not sure. What I can tell you is there NEEDS BE A CHANGE TO THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM SO THESE BIASES CAN STOP BEING PERPETUATED. If I could yell that from a roof top I would. The Ontario curriculum fails to allow students to explore their identities and instead, places ideals on our youth that they must strive to meet. If a child fails to meet this ideal, this child is labeled as abnormal and the whole process begins. But what constitutes normal? We need to preach for a more liberal, diverse, inclusive Ontario curriculum that allows students to figure out who they are without being told if they are right or wrong.
That's all I have to say for now- because I could go on for days about this topic. Overall, society needs to stop perpetuating their own beliefs on children before they are able to do so for themselves in order to ensure a more socially just society- is this possible? YES! Are most people willing to do so? Unfortunately no...
Hey Car..
DeleteThanks for your post. I was planning to talk about that in my next blog... "gendered" colours and toys. It's funny you say that is what society thrives on. Why you ask? We need to label something in the binaries. We need to construct them so they know how to act and who they will be, the second out of the womb. Pretty screwed up eh?
Well done Rox. You have gone into great detail on your blog and offered a number of digital connections as evidence of your points. This is a rich topic that is easy to understand when you lay it out so clearly BUT perhaps difficult for all of us to remember the fine points when we are actually in the situations (e.g. Tommy sitting with some girls.) Our assumptions about how the world works are part of the cultural story and run very deep. But with blogs like these the story is being disrupted. Still I think to really shift people's perceptions it will require some cognitive dissonance in the personal story to make the story change in a significant way. What do you think? Is reading enough?
ReplyDeleteHey Susan,
DeleteThanks for your post.
I agree that it is hard to understand something while it is happening in the moment. It's the same reason you hear "that's so gay" and know it's wrong, but can't articulate why. Some people don't have that capacity YET. However, it's through watching videos, having people speak to you in simple terms (not academic journals), which create that dialogue. Once the situation occurs more than once, and someone says something... the person is constantly thinking of that. I have had numerous people tell me that single handedly, because of having a conversation where I ask them to be mindful of their use of language, they have stopped using the "n word" or "r word" or "f word".
Reading is definitely not enough. It's about engaging in conversation. I think cognitive dissonance in one's personal story is factor, however, people are also more supportive or passionate about a cause if they are close to it (friend, family etc). Soon tolerance becomes acceptance, which becomes solidarity, which becomes action. As an ally in solidarity, you hit a point when you realize that silence is consent.
Rox
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRox, interesting post! A lot of this information is new to me as I continue my development throughout this program. I was introduced to "Queer Theory" last semester and it really evoked some thought. The historical views of sexuality, and something I examined was the multiple masculinities of adolescent males, by Wesley Imms. In Physical Education class, this is an important aspect for designing activities and curriculum based on individuals who possess different interests in the class. The historical views of masculinity and sexuality is not doing justice to individuals today. Not all males meet the classic view of masculinity as being aggressive, powerful, and competitive. I know I haven't touched much on the information more directly related to your post but this is one area that has relevance that I have a bit of experience with.
ReplyDeleteHad to delete my previous post, had a spelling error that was bothing me!
Travis Gibbons
Hey Travo,
DeleteThanks for your reply!! I'm glad that this is new information, and you are soaking it all in:)
I think the main concept from your post that I think about is the whole idea of assuming sexuality. That if a male student is not the "typical" constructed alpha male, his sexuality is questioned right away. I have witnessed this first hand. Every male Dramatic Arts student at Brock is questioned about their sexuality on a daily basis.
Rox
Hey Rox,
ReplyDeleteThis is so new to me that I am not sure how to put my thoughts into words. I don't feel that I yet have a base to begin commenting or responding in respectful terms. Even this last phrase sounds dated and judgemental, yet it is not meant to be. I simply do not feel equipped with terminology or background. I can say that my career has taught me never to assume. I was once told that a parent sends us (teachers) the very best they have. I think this can be applied to what students bring with them. Who are we to judge it as unacceptable?
I look forward to learning more. Thank you for taking on the tough issues. I am amazed by your blogging skill. You are the example I will try to follow.
Hey Judy,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your response. I know it was a lot to take in, and I'm sorry about that. I know I could have made this post into about 3 different things but I really wanted to get to the heart of it. Everyone is able to formulate their own opinions based on theories, facts, evidence, or anything else for that matter. For me, life is about understanding others.
Rox