lChapter 4: Gender and Chapter 5 Sexual Orientation
Differences in the Sexes
During
the first eight years 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.
Brain-Based Differences
Some researchers have found differences in
functioning between boys and girls in mathematical, verbal, and spatial skills.
Some researchers suggest the differences are
attributable to biological differences related to hormones affecting
hemispheric specialization in the brain.
Gender and Sex
Sex
is biologically determined.
Chromosomes
determine how one is born.
Gender
is culturally determined.
Gender
is what society or culture thinks males and females should be, how they should
behave, and what constitutes masculine or feminine behaviors.
Gender
identity is a core part of one’s self-identity.
Gender Socialization
A culture’s elders (those in authority:
parents, relatives, teachers) socialize children.
Children are active participants in their own
socialization.
Males tend to be socialized to be
independent, assertive, and emotionally stable.
When an individual’s behavior is contrary to
society’s norms, challenges may occur.
Gender Roles and Identity
Gender roles are often stereotyped.
They are also influenced by the media and
textbooks.
They are influenced by a family’s ethnicity,
class, and religion.
Females are typically allowed more
flexibility in roles than males.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual
orientation is established early in life.
Heterosexuality
is the valued sexual orientation in the United States.
While
a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2003 overturned the last of anti-homosexual
laws, discrimination still exists in many areas of the country.
In
many areas, gays and lesbians are unable to find housing and jobs, and they are
physically attacked.
History of Homosexuality
The term first appeared in 1869.
Until the 1970’s, it was considered a
sickness, at best, and a condemnable offense, at worst.
Many people lost their jobs and were actively
discriminated against.
The Stonewall Riot in 1969 was a turning
point for LGBT rights.
Self-Identification
For obvious reasons, gay men and lesbian
women are hesitant to acknowledge sexual orientation.
Increasing numbers of individuals are
identifying themselves as homosexuals.
Estimates range from 5% to 10% of the general
population are homosexuals.
Gay and Lesbian Issues
Marriage
between same-sex couples continues to be argued in U.S. Courts.
Although
the public is becoming more accepting of gay and lesbian relationships,
powerful anti-gay movements still exist.
Gays
continue to be the group most targeted by hate crimes.
In the Schools
Reports
suggest that gay and lesbian students face considerable rejection, abuse, and
harassment in the schools.
Forty
percent of students surveyed indicate that they have been physically harassed
in school.
Some
feel unsafe in school and sometimes stop attending.
Educators’
Responsibilities
A disproportionate number of gay and lesbian
students have ended their lives by suicide.
Educators are entitled to their own beliefs
or religious convictions related to homosexuality.
It is important to emphasize
in all our teaching that we as teachers and leaders have a right to personal
beliefs in all the areas of life. Sometimes we start thinking we can’t have any beliefs or we have to
believe everything. This is not true.
Educators’
Responsibilities
Every educator has the moral, ethical, and
professional responsibility to provide a safe and accepting environment for
every student regardless of sexual orientation.
The school should be a safe
zone for everyone.
We can be different and varied, but we should be
SAFE and convey that sense of safety to all.
We can be different and varied, but we should be
SAFE and convey that sense of safety to all.
The Women’s Movement
Since the mid-nineteenth century, women’s
groups have continued to struggle for equality.
Initial struggles involved the rights to
divorce, to control property, to speak in public, and to vote.
Antifeminists
include men and women—political conservatives who believe a woman’s
responsibilities are to be a good wife and mother.
Sexism and Gender
Discrimination
Sexism is a belief that men are superior to
women and should dominate them in the home and at work.
Some women, even today, are encouraged to
advance themselves through marriage rather than through their own achievement
and independence.
Advances in the 1960s
The most significant advances occurred in the
1960s as feminists gained the support of more women and men, developing out of
the civil rights movement.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 required the same
pay for the same job for men and women.
Title VII, approved in 1964, prohibited
discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or sex.
Gender Discrimination
Sexism
is the belief that males are superior to females.
Sexism
is practiced in both personal and professional settings.
It is
supported by socialization patterns and in institutional policies and
practices.
Jobs and Wages
Both
women and men will earn higher incomes with increasing education.
Women
typically earn less than men when their educations are equal.
Women
with bachelor’s degrees or beyond have median incomes 63% of incomes earned by
males with the same education.
Gender and Occupation
Women workers are more heavily concentrated
in low-prestige, lower-income occupations.
Men in traditionally female fields (e.g.,
education) typically hold the higher-status, higher-paying, administrative
positions.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual
harassment is prevalent in schools, between students.
It is
often viewed as “just typical adolescent behavior,” however, the effects are
harmful.
l
Educators
are beginning to feel legal pressures to stop sexual harassment of students.
Classroom Focus
One’s chances to pursue postsecondary
education is greatly influenced by one’s elementary and secondary education.
Title IX (federal legislation) makes it
illegal for schools to discriminate against women and girls in educational
programs.
Gender gaps in tests scores have narrowed in
the past few decades.
Nonsexist classrooms incorporate curricula
that support the learning of both males and females.
Gender and Technology
Technology jobs are among the fastest growing
occupations.
l
Girls are more likely to be involved with
computer tools, whereas boys are more likely to program and
design technology.
Nonsexist Education
Teachers
can point out differences between genders, discuss how inequities are
portrayed, and provide a balanced view of the roles and contributions of both
men and women.
Required
readings should include works by women as well as men.
Non-stereotypical
male and female examples should appear on bulletin boards and in
teacher-prepared materials.
Gender and Classroom
Interactions
Research finds that educators treat boys and
girls differently in the classroom.
To overcome gender bias, educators must
recognize that subtle and unintentional biases exist.
Nonsexist education attempts to eliminate
classroom-based power relationships based on gender.
Rather than treating girls and boys the same, nonsexist education is focused on gender equity.
Gender and Classroom
Interactions
In preparation for content of the following slides keep the following guidelines in mind:
1) Sex education is a sensitive issue.
2) Be sure your presentations are age appropriate.
3) If you are planning to cover issues regarding sex, be sure you check the policies of your school, your district, and your state.
4) You may be required to notify parents and get written approval in advance, etc. Get administrator approval in writing.
Sexual Orientation and
Curriculum
lThe topic of sexual orientation is typically
included in health, sex education, and family life courses.
lIt could, however, be included in meaningful
ways in social studies, language arts, and literature curricula.
Curriculum that is sensitive to these issues
promotes a greater understanding of homosexuality among all students, and the
healthy development of self-identified homosexual students.
Single-Sex Education
This includes segregated classes, as well as,
in some instances, schools segregated based on sex.
Traditionally, schools were not legally
allowed to segregate based on sex.
However, in 2002, federal regulations
provided greater flexibility to schools to segregate based on sex.
l