Growing up I struggled with math. By "struggled" I mean that it didn't come naturally to me, and I may have to attempt a problem more than once in order to get it right. I was never bad at it, but I didn't like it. My parents were always supportive. They never told me that certain jobs/toys/TV shows, etc were for boys while others were for girls. They encouraged me to be whatever I wanted when I grew up. If I wanted to be an auto mechanic (a field dominated by men) or a cosmetologist (dominated by women) it would have been OK with them. However, when it came to my mathematical struggles, I do remember them telling me that usually boys were better at math (and science) and girls were better at the language arts. You know what? I bought into it because it fit my situation. And it STILL does. In my house, my husband excels at math and enjoys reading about science. I enjoy reading fiction and writing. However, this idea of gender roles is particularly interesting to me as a parent and as a teacher. My daughter is breaking the stereotypes with her knack for math and her love for science (I often ask: Who IS this kid?!) Her dad and I have always told her that she can do anything as long as she puts her mind to it. As a teacher, I enjoy listening to my students talk about what they want to be when they get out of school. We have toured Woodruff Career and Technical Center in the past to expose our kids to the career experiences offered there. ALL students went to ALL schools. Our boys went to the cosmetology school, and did each other's nails. At first they were kind of silly and scoffed at it (remember, they're in 5th grade) but they eventually got into it, and took pride in the coats of polish they put down. Likewise, our girls were unsure of the carpentry department until they saw girls working in there. I think what's important for us to remember is that these stereotypes are all around us because it's just the way it is. It is up to us to expose our children (both those we teach and those who are our own) to those people who break the norm. We need to avoid the statements that I remember hearing. I know my parents meant me no ill will when they told me that boys were better at math, but it's important for us to avoid saying things like this. We need to encourage girls to get interested in those STEM activities and boys interested in writing and poetry and other "girl" subjects.
Question: Do you believe that gender stereotypes can be eliminated? Why or why not?
That is a difficult one to answer. Even though women have come a long way in the work force, we still do not get comparable salaries to men doing the same jobs. I tell my students that science is fun and try to get them started through simple experiments. Unfortunately, at the primary level, most teachers are too busy with reading and math to do very much science in their classes. On another sad note, I have also noticed that they either do not enjoy science or feel that it is too difficult to teach and so avoid it. Yes, the younger students can learn the joy for science and math, the more they will want to work in those fields. I hope that other things catch up as well.
ReplyDeleteI do not feel that the gender sterotypes will ever go away. I DO believe though that, like you have done, we can encourage our children or students to explore ALL options. Parents and teacher should not influence their young ones which direction to go. It is their choice. However, the more challenging aspect would be what society says. We can NOT control that. Although we can do our best to show gender equality, it may not happen all over.
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