In this Assignment, you will react within, and then critically reflect on, your socialization to particular gender
stereotypes as a young anthropologist in the United States. Stereotypes
are restrictive expectations of qualities and behavior associated with
fundamental aspects of human identity, which are powerfully reinforced in material culture and social media.
Even if you consider yourself to be free-thinking, you will likely
discover the powerful seduction of mass media and your own unconscious
reactions to its gender coding. You will then have the opportunity to examine the role of social and commercial media in creating hegemonic (enforcing
the ideas of a particular group to the detriment of others)—and
ultimately dangerous—understandings of who we are supposed to be in the
United States, and compare our simplistic gender assumptions with the
rest of the human world.
Go to the online sociology blog and read “What is Socialization?”
to learn about the fundamental process of becoming and behaving in
socially expected ways in our culture. One of the most important and
powerful identities that we all have is “gender,” which is often defined
as the sociocultural interpretation of biological sex although it is
much more complex.
Consider these questions about how you view gender identity. Record
your ideas and reactions in your Journal for later reflection. (The
Journal is a safe place, so please use it to explore and examine
independently).
What do you consider to be the characteristics or qualities of an ideal “female?”
What do you consider to be the characteristics or qualities of an ideal “male?”
Now, this is the challenging
part. Please reflect on your representations of female and male
identity. What is the basis for them? How, when, and from whom/what did
you learn them?
In the mainstream United
States, it is common for gender to be viewed as a rigid “binary,” in
which “female” and “male” are contrasting opposites and there is no
acceptable middle ground (hence, the conflict over LBGTQ identities).
However, with a global cross-cultural anthropological perspective, we
know that human societies often have gender understandings that
represent a continuum of roles and behaviors, and this gender diversity
is highly valued, in stark contrast to conservative claims in the United
States. Explore the PBS web page Two Spirits: Native American Gender Diversity and learn about non-binary gender constructions across the globe (scroll down to the map).
The rigid gender binary in the United States and the mainstream
demand for conformity has been examined and critiqued by numerous
scholars and professionals, including Jean Kilbourne and Jackson Katz.
Documentaries about their research and perspectives are available for
streaming on Kanopy through the University Library. You can
access Kanopy via the University Library webpage. You will be required
to provide your University credentials. These are longer films than we
often view in this class, but they are worth it. Use your journal to
record ideas and information.
Watch the film Killing Us Softly by Jean Kilbourne (2010,
141 min) on Kanopy. Kilbourne is one of the most articulate critics of
binary female identity in the United States.
Watch the film Tough Guise (1999, 142 min) by Jackson Katz
on Kanopy (2hr22m). Katz presents his work on the problems associated
with binary male identity in the United States (Tough Guise 2 is also available).
Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964) (The color PDF is attached to these instructions; in this video,
the book is animated and read aloud in a female voice). This lovely
little “children’s” book has been criticized for its straightforward
presentation of gender stereotypes: the aloof and demanding boy (male)
and the self-sacrificing giving tree (female). I loved this book as a
child, and I still think fondly of it today, but that does not stop me
from asking questions about it (and about myself!) now. What do you
think?
Access your group discussion board. In your group, share your
thoughts about the films by Kilbourne and Katz and Silverstein’s book.
The films give you good background for considering how the book has been
used for generations to normalize stereotypical gender behavior,
especially among children.
Prepare a formal paper in which your respond to the following
prompts. The paper should be a minimum of 1.5 pages (about 750-800
words). Please follow the format and submission guidelines in the
syllabus and remember to properly cite your sources and list them at the
end of the paper.
Kilbourne and Katz take critical approaches to mainstream gender
assumptions and stereotypes in the United States. Kilbourne critiques
harmful female stereotypes and Katz critiques toxic masculinity. What do
you think about their arguments?
After watching the two critical films, what was your reaction to The Giving Tree? If you remember the book as a child, what is your impression of it now?
Let me know in your paper what you think overall about this Assignment. What did you learn from it?
HERE ARE THE LINKS
https://sociology.org/what-is-socialization/
