If you are familiar with the MMPI, you are aware of the various numbers, one of which is supposed to indicate sexual identity. Curiously, most addicts and alchoholics scored extremely well in such areas. In other words, well in excess of what were considered normal proclivities for the sexes. I often wondered if they were so attuned to that one area that they scored in such a way.

Sexism in Context

Introduction

Sexism is a deeply-rooted part of our psyche and even the most "Polictically Correct" of us are not immune to its influence. Both males and females are stereotyped in our society, our media, our language, and in our schools. Abundant material is available to document the negative influence it has, especially on females, and sufficient materials are already available to address this situation. Integral to all such solutions is the awareness that language is a primary force in consciousness raising.

The Appendixes

The appendixes are provided to illustrate how sexism works and Appendix A is meant to be consulted throughout. The text in Appendix A is interesting because it illuminates the discussion of sexism in schools and gives us something concrete to discuss. Granted it is one more anecdote of many that permeate discussions of this subject and anecdotal evidence is suspect in scientific circles; at the same time, a careful deconstruction of this example enables us to see more clearly the many issues involved. It is meant to be read before the following discussion. Appendix B is presented to help illustrate how sexism is not solely a feminist issue, but actually a humanistic one.

Sexism and Stereotypes

When first confronted with this anecdote, the first question that comes to mind is "who is the speaker?" Most readers, male or female, would assume that it is the mother, a female, but there is no conclusive evidence within the text in the appendix to establish the gender of the speaker. Earlier in the passage the following sentence gives a deceptive clue: "Mary and I, like most parents, were anxious for her first year of school to go well." (43) This would seem to indicate that the speaker is male as Mary is a female name and parents generally consist of husbands (male) and wives (female). Yet these parents could be adoptive parents and both female or male, perhaps with one playing the "father" and the other the "mother" role. These parents could also be transgendered.

The assumptions made by the readers who assume the speaker is female are numerous and based either upon the premise that the primary care giver is usually female or the notion that most agitation for nonsexist language and behavior emanates from females. These may well be correct assumptions but, in this case, lead to an unprovable conclusion. The salient point here is that all observers come to the text with preconceived notions in reference to phenomena in general and sexism in particular. Any attempt to deal with the issue must be subject to the past experience of the reader and thus misunderstood to the extent that the consciousness of the reader and writer diverge.

Even our basic assumption that prejudice is a unilateral conceptual construct with a variety of contributing or causal factors is suspect. (Young-Bruehi, 1996). In fact, there may be as many different prejudices as there are people, multiplied by the number of specific prejudices each person holds. This has serious implications in the areas of mental health (Willie, 1995) and Education (McCarthy (1993).

With such an amorphous foundation, discourse on the subject must deal overwhelmingly with perceptions, perceptions of the speaker, the listener, and society at large which, in turn, is comprised of a multitude of individuals each with their own perceptions. Still, a number of issues must transcend such perceptual differences because communication is impossible if there is no common human experience.

The Female Stereotype

Stereotyping according to sex or gender begins at birth, with both mothers and fathers using the same general frame of reference (females described as "more delicate," for example) to the same extent. (Karraker, 1995) This is primarily a social issue and there is no reason to assume it is a recent phenomena (somewhere, Aristotle describes woman as being "one rung" below man on the evolutionary ladder).

The stereotype is made more pervasive and even reified in its uniformity by mass media, the most pervasive of which today is television. (Theilheimer, 1995). Indeed, Murphy Brown, now Schmidt of Boston Legal, is allowed to be a strong, sympathetic woman only so long as she falls prey to female weaknesses from time to time. MTV and BET serve a steady diet of dominant males performing masculine feats while barely clad females admire and gyrate for them.

Males are not free from this stereotyping either as most of the ones I've seen in commercials are depicted as "hunkish" dolts who are unable to ascertain which is the best laundry detergent to use and are only rescued by a competent female with whom he immediately falls in love. Our reactions to the anecdote concerning Allison are germane here: the reason most identify the speaker as female is the stereotype that women are more caring, they are the ones who pick up the child and take her to school, ask her about school, become involved in feminist issues, etc.

Sexism in Our Schools

The literature in the field of gender equality in education is extensive and even seems to have an official canon of "useful" materials of over 600 items, carefully annotated (Stitt, 1994). All of the materials agree that gender inequality is bad and that females are the ones that need the most protection and encouragement. There seems to be unanimity of opinion on the basic subject as an extensive review of literature on this

subject has yielded no significant dissent. Such dissent is generally found in the popular press or on the internet.

In addition, the articles and books cited in this paper seem to hold the same view. Stein argues that in K-12 schools First Amendment rights are not extended to female students to the same extent as they are to males (1995) and Ramey indicates that the sexism continues up the administrative ladder to positions of power and responsibility in higher education (1995). Perhaps the definitive work in establishing the parameters of discussion is Sadker's Failing at fairness: How America's schools cheat girls. (1994) The major points, developed through 340 pages, are that girls actually start out ahead of boys and, as a result of systematic sexism, graduate far behind them.

One issue that I have not been able to find addressed is the status of boys in the K-12 system in relation to the actors within the structure itself, and this is still true in the 21^st century. For example, almost all authority figures a young male must deal with in his formative years are female. Granted, as one moves up the administrative ladder to Principal and above there is a much higher concentration of males, but the student spends far more time under the power and authority of either a female teacher or his mother than he does subject to the direct control of males. If the classroom atmosphere is such that it oppresses female students, the direct oppressors are primarily female. In Allison's case, for example, who was overseeing the game of dog? In this kindergarten situation, what might have happened if the overseer had imposed a reversal of roles, having the boys chase the stick instead of the girls? Would that be viewed as making the girls more passive and less active? The fact that the immediate purveyors of this sexist orientation are female simply yields the following general conclusion: gender is no guarantee of awareness, nor is awareness a guarantee of empowerment.

Sexism and Males

It seems fairly well-established that sexism has the primary adverse effect on females, but it is essential that we realize that it also has an adverse effect on males. The example of Bill (Appendix B) is a case in point. Once again, we see the complicity of the teachers in perpetuating and reinforcing the sexual stereotypes. The effects on Bill seem to have been extremely deleterious. Even more oppressive is the pressure on young boys to act in male roles, which include not crying, never to hit a girl (even if attacked by one of them), etc. In the game of "dog," Allison's case, she at least enjoyed the running and preferred that role. What would have happened to her if she wanted to throw the stick or to Bill if he wanted to chase the stick? How many of the boys involved would have rather been chasing the stick instead of throwing it? How many of the girls would have rather been throwing the stick?

The Game of Dog

The game of "dog" thus serves as a handy metaphor for all socially imposed roles. Other than the homocentric notion that humans are somehow superior to canines, there is no obvious social history to encumber it. In addition, every inflected language I've researched considers "dog" a masculine noun so even the argument concerning sexist language is moot in this case. What remains is a non-sexist game that has somehow taken on gender role significance by the fact that each gender has an artificially prescribed role. That is to say, the genders are separated by the roles imposed upon them. It reminds one of the great political wars described by Jonathan Swift in Gullivers Travels where the central contention between warring factions was which end of a hard-boiled egg should be cracked before peeling.

What would happen if it were decided that the girls should chew gum on the left side of the mouth and boys on the right? We would have debates over the connotations of left (awkward, evil, etc.) and right (correct, true, etc.). The term in French for left is gauche which means clumsy. Would we thus be saying girls are clumsy? It seems to be the roles themselves, the fact that different roles are allotted to different genders, which are at the core of the problem.

Approaches to the Problem

Obviously there is a need for leadership in the schools in dealing with sexism. The facts that the overwhelming majority of teachers are female and sexism persists are sufficient indication that the gender of authority figures is no remedy. Although there is a need for all individuals involved to be willing to change attitudes (Erickson, 1995), it is the culture within the educational system that needs the most direct and immediate attention (Stein, 1993) if these changes are to be possible. We remember that in Bill's case, even the teachers joined in the stereotyping. In fact, there is strong evidence that most of the impetus towards sex discrimination come from the teachers themselves (Lee, 1994). It is the system itself that perpetuates these roles (Phinney, 1994) and affects even the most gifted (Kitano, 1995).

The first step is to make it unambiguously clear that sexism will not be tolerated, but an even better approach would be some sort of school-wide program rewarding those who take leadership roles in combating sexism or promoting humanism. What sexism is and how to recognize it should be made clear. There are many materials available on this subject and Hilke provides a model that is simple and straightforward enough to be implemented just about anywhere (1994). McCormick (1994) even offers an entire curriculum. What is most important, however, is the daily attention to the subject in a way that is in harmony with the generally perceived and traditional role of the schools as an institution of learning.

Language is one force that is integral to our daily lives. While I do not ascribe to the notion that language is culture, it certainly reflects and is a part of a culture. In other words, every language is perfectly adequate to express its culture and is modified by its culture and, in turn, reflects modifications in that culture. In addition, one may call attention to another's use of sexist language in a non-threatening manner and it is certainly within the parameters of public education for a principal to call attention to improper use of language.

There are other policies that can be implemented without a great deal of community or faculty resentment once the basic policy of humanism is established as few would openly admit that they do not treat each person as a separate individual. Once the teachers and community accept this basic premise, a number of other guidelines can be established. Rudduck (1994) provides an excellent list which is adaptable to any coeducational setting which includes such things a paying attention to seating arrangements, making sure lists are not organized by gender, monitoring the amount of attention given to boys and girls, critically assessing the textbooks for gender stereotypes, and not assigning tasks in a stereotypical fashion. (118-119) This last may be one of the most critical as girls are usually assigned "caring" tasks and boys the ones that involve heavy lifting.

I believe that even more effective would be the subliminal messages conveyed by the atmosphere of the institution in general. Posters showing women in typically male roles and males in typically female roles would be effective, especially if they seemed to simply "be there," as opposed to having been put there to make a point.

Conclusion

We need people in positions of leadership who are able to recognize roles and stereotypes and communicate both to the faculty and the community how they tend to reduce people to objects. Sexism is so deeply ingrained in our institutions that we are often unaware of it as in the example of who is relating the story of Allison and this awareness is the first and necessary step towards any attempts to rectify this problem. Once the decision is made to combat sexism, the materials and approaches are ready.

APPENDIX A

The following excerpt is taken from Shoop (1994):

"What else did you like about school today?"

"Well, we played dog again."

"Dog? I don't think I know that game. How do you play it?"

"It's lots of fun. The girls that are playing stand next to one of the boys. Then a boy throws a stick across the playground, and the girls race each other to fetch it. The girl who gets the stick first brings it back to the boy."

Perhaps I was jumping to conclusions. I took a deep breath and said, "Oh. That's an interesting game. Do the girls ever get to throw the stick?"

"No, just the boys. It's fun. I like to run around."

I caught my breath and could feel myself becoming anxious. We had raised Allison to believe that boys and girls are equals. We had taught her that she can become whatever she wants to be. We tried to use only nonsexist language and to help her understand the consequences of sexism. Equity was not just talk in our house. Allison had helped stuff envelopes for women political candidates and had marched in NOW demonstrations. Now, after one week of kindergarten, she is fetching sticks thrown by boys!"

During the rest of my day that conversation kept running through my head. I could not stop thinking about how many lessons that are taught and learned in school are not in the curriculum guides. I became more and more concerned as I thought about how each lesson learned creates the foundation for future lessons. (44)

APPENDIX B

The following exerpt is taken from Shoop (1994):

Bill loved to dance. He took jazz and ballet classes from the time he was in the first grade. He was often the only boy in the class, but that never bothered him. When his friends put pictures of Montana and Jordan on their walls, Bill put up Nuryev and Baryshnikof posters.

Bill's problems began when he started millde school. Athletics were a very big part of the lives of most of his male friends. Although most were not on a team, they were very big fans of football and basketball. When they heard that bill was going to be in a dance recital, they started calling him "queer" and "homo." Even some of his teachers make jokes about his interest in dance.

Bill stopped going to his dance classes. He also stopped going to school.

REFERENCES

Hilke, Eileen Veronica. (1994). Gender equity in education. Fastback 372. Phi Delta Kappa. Bloomington, IN.

Karraker, Katherine Hildebrandt. (1995). Parents' gender- stereotyped perceptions of Newborns. The eye of the beholder revisited. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. 33 (9-10), 687-701.

Kitano, Margie K. (1995). Lessons from gifted women of color. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education. 6(2). 176-87.

Lee, Valerie E. (1994). Sexism in single-sex and coeducational independent secondary school classrooms. Sociology of Education. 67(2). 92-120.

McCarthy, Cameron, Ed. (1993). Race, identity, and representation in Education. New York: Routledge.

McCormick, Theresa Mickey. (1994). Creating the nonsexist classroom. A multicultural approach. New York: Teachers College Press.

Phinney, Greta. (1994). Sexual harassment: A dynamic element in the lives of middle school girls and teachers. Equity and Excellence in Education. 27(3). 5-10.

Ramey, Felicenne H. (1994). Obstacles faced by african american women adminstrators in higher education: How they cope. Western Journal of Black Studies. 19(2), 113-119.

Rudduck, J. (1994). Developing a gender policy in secondary schools. Buckinham: Open University Press.

Sadker, Myra. (1984). Failing at fairness: How America's schools cheat girls. New York: Macmillan

Shoop, Robert J. and D. L. Edwards. (1994). How to stop sexual harassment in our schools: A handbook and curriculum guide for administrators and teachers. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Stein, Nan. (1993). Secrets in full view: Sexual harassment in our K-12 schools. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Ontario. [I have only been able to obtain an abstract of this document and am relying on that.]

Stein, Nan. (1994). Is it sexually charged, sexually hostile, or the constitution? Sexual harassment in K-12 schools. Wests's Education Law Quarterly. 4(3), 488-98.

Stitt, Beverly A. (1994). Gender equity in education: An annotated bibliography. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press,

Theilheimer, Ish, ed. (1995). What's on? You, your family and the tube. Transition. 25(1), 1-33.

Willie, Charles V., ed. (1995). Mental Health, Racism, and Sexism. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburg Press.

Young-Bruehl, Elisabeth. (1996). The anatomy of Prejudices. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press.

Cognitive Dissonance

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Sexism in Context

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

REFERENCES

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