This is a picture of George Orwell (real name is Eric Blair), author of 1984.
Is there a gender bias in the way this class is constructed? Most of the authors and protagonists are male (Shaw--Higgins, Pickering; Kesey--Bromden, McMurphy; Shakespeare--Othello, Iago, Cassio; Golding--Ralph, Jack, Simon, Piggy; Orwell--Smith, O'Brien; Martel--Pi, Richard Parker). Or is it that much of the literary world is dominated by men? Can study of literature be female-based?
Do young women care more and try harder than young men in school? If so, is this a result of being discriminated based on gender for so long? Are young women trying to prove themselves?
34 comments:
Yes, there is a little bias in the books. As well as many others. Think about it, a literary canon was defined as/by dead white guys. Such as Shakespear, Poe, Plato, and many others. Here's a list of authors and their works http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/greatbks.html. more on the literary canon here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_canon.
I think that although it has been common throughout history for men to play the dominant role in society, women have become neck and neck in the gender horse race. Our 5th period college bound english 12 class is about 50/50 girls and guys so there isn't an overwhelming physical bias towards either gender. However I think it is percieved that girls have a higher aptitude for learning and generally get better GPAs. This of course doesn't mean that us guys are just walking brain dead zombies who are just here for the social aspect. I think it would be intresting to see how girl's and guy's ACT/SAT scores compared because I myself being of the male sex do considerably well on large tests but not always on school in general. If any of this is true or not who knows but as for bias in this class I have yet to see much evidence of it.
Do young women care more and try harder than young men in school? If so, is this a result of being discriminated based on gender for so long? Are young women trying to prove themselves?
yes i agree with jake here. i believe girls try harder in school just to get that GPA but overall i believe men have more intelligence when it comes to large tests such as the ACT/SAT and also streetsmarts...girls are just so nearsighted when it comes to streetsmarts. Streetsmarts is what will get you ahead in life not who invented the car...
I think what naten said was a very sexist commment. There is no scientific evidence that proves that men are of more intelligence than women. There are plenty of people of both sexes that do equally as well on there ACT/SAT, it doesnt depend on if you are a boy or a girl. And as far as saying that girls have less street smarts than boys I think that is a load of poo. An example would be my brother and I. He is very smart in school, but he is lacking commen sense. He has been in multiple car accidents, which were all his fault, and he has also made not the wisest decisions in other areas. Me on the other hand I have never got in an accident or gotten in trouble for doing stupid things. So I believe the comment naten made was very sexest and very inaccurate, because not all people of the same sex act the same or are of different intelligence, it depends on your genes and your determination, not whether or not you are a boy or a girl.
Girls are just as smart as guys are. Yes there are certain girls who are not as street smart as boys, but there is also just as many boys who are not streetsmart either. Girls are just thought to be whimps and cant's stand up for themselves, but that's not true. It may be partially true that girls work harder in school in boys. That might be just to prove that girls are just as good as guys, which was not believed many years ago. It helps both genders to have men and women working the same amount.
Are men more narcissistic, and therefore less diligent (because men are more concerned with themselves than with contributing to a cause)?
one question for naten... have you ever seen my algebra class? unfortionatly they are the perfect example of imperfections of both of the sexes. everyone in the class seems to be more worried about their own social lives then even attempting to do an assignment and i can tell you that MOST of the boys are busy disrupting the class, sleeping or talking to hear themselves talk. i'm serious, it dosnt have to do with the person's sex it just has to do with their deturmination to actually figure out that there is something to get done and get it done.
Are men more concerned about personal gain and women more concerned about communal success?
What are the men in The House on Mango Street like? What stereotypically masculine traits do they exhibit?
naten is being completely sexist. he is closed minded and does have any evidence behind what he is saying. some people are bad at taking test and some people are good at taking tests it has nothing to do with there sex. i agree with the other girls. smarts comes from determination and upbringing.
it really depends, like i said before both genders have their own little obsessions. some obsess over their bodys and some over writing, or artwork, or homework. i don't say that i am not imperfect myself but i am saying that no one is perfect and that many boys and girls are all obsessed with how they see themselves and how others see them.
Women are generally seen as the ones that are more high maintenance and more into how they look. When i believe some men and women are equally obsessed with their looks and appearance. Most of the girls i see get ready for the day usually pick out their outfit, do their hair and do their makeup. Usually they only look in the mirror while performing these acts. When men get ready I've noticed they pick out what they are going to wear and sometimes do there hair, but i've noticed that some men look in the mirror more than some women do. An example would be the trophy cases in the hallway infront of the high school office. If you observe the people walking by you will see that most people look at themselves as they are passing. Today I was paying attention to this and i noticed i big group of girls walk by and not even glance at the trophy case, and i saw one boy walk by and take a look at himself. So when men say that women are way more high maintanance than men, they are being hypocrits because they take time to look at themselves and work out, to make themselves look better.
I try not to intentionally select only male authors for this class, but a lot of the books that were already owned by this high school were written by men. And a lot of the books I love are written by men, a wide majority. With Cuckoo's Nest, I tried to include a positive feminine voice by including those two female literary scholars, but I'm not sure it was enough. Many people argue that Kesey was an absolute sexist (no woman is "good" in his book).
I love David!
I think work ethic has nothing to do with gender, race, or age. The fact is people work when they are motivated to work. I believe more men these days are planning to fall back on a job that demands physical labor because a post-secondary education isn't needed here, and women (no offense) can't do the amount of physical labor men can. Maybe women realize this fact and therefore try harder to achieve in schoool.
Why would nate be so nieve...thinking women are stupid...he may only think that because Blondes give women a bad name not all girls are stupid and ditzie, maybe its the girls he hangs out with either way I hope Nate doesn't meet Emily in a dark back alley!
That is true in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest that a women turned out to be good but you have to look at the authors history if he had a bad experence with women me on the other hand love women
Through my observations I have noticed that men seem to be more interested in rough/dirty activities, and females with style and little children. There is definitely overlap, just leaning to one side or the other. The environment each was brought up in can have an effect on the way they behave. If a girl doesn't know about dolls etcetera and plays with her brothers in the mud, she may likely become a 'tom-girl'. There have been studies done to see if the behaviors of males and females are learned or instinctive. Psychologists put little kids into a room with toys such as toy cars, dolls, legos, easy-bake oven, balls and just let them loose. They then observed that the boys tended to play mostly with the toy cars, balls, and legos; while the girls played with the easy-bake oven and the dolls. There was of course some overlap, but that was a general observation. (when the boys played with the dolls they used them as more of an action figure and had battles with them, lol) It's the way we are wired. Although in the teenage years both sexes are definitely influenced by their surroundings, such as media and peers. The female and male brains are different structurally, which makes for noticeable differences in behavior. Girls enjoy deeper emotional conversations then most males who talk about sports and cars. This is thought to be due to a greater connection between the two hemispheres of the brain that females have in comparison with males. These differences are/were necessary to our survival. Everybody can't be good at everything, it is best to allow each to do what they do best. It is almost instinctive for guys to show off and do stupid things: girls might think this is dumb, but they also find it attractive. Guys are attracted to girls that care about their looks and can cook (a generalization). Guys seem to be more visual when choosing a partner, while females are not as strongly influenced by looks. It would be boring if we were all the same and had the same talents, there are supposed to be differences. There is almost always going to be someone that is better than you at a certain task, just do your best and accept it. Guys are better than girls at some things, and girls are better than guys at others. (with the exception of the occasional overlap)It is just the way things are supposed to be.
As for Nutz's comment, ("Women are Bad Drivers!!!!") I'll agree to the generalization that males are more knowledgeable about cars, and that might make them slightly better behind the wheel. MOST racers,(cars, dirt bikes, trucks, dragsters, snowmobiles, boats, planes) are male also... it just interests them more. So it is natural that they are the majority in those sports. Females could do it too, most just don't desire to. I will have to say that OLD People are Bad drivers though. The human brain's response time lengthens as it ages... so they drive slower and do 'stupid' things.
As for tests and school subjects- Girls generally enjoy/do better in English courses, and Males in Science & Math. Intelligence difference is negligible: it just resides in different areas and interests.
Of course you love women Beesley, and you're a SUCK UP. =P
I agree with ylime. Naten had a very sexist comment. Girls are just as smart as boys in anything. I believe girls do try harder in school because they want to accel. It will get them further in life. At least girls want to learn and advance to get high and better jobs than men then. Naten has absolutely NO evidence that guys have more intelligence when it comes to large tests. If he can prove that to me, then fine, but you need stats to back up your statement if your going to say something like that. Some girls and or boys are just not good test takers, like me. I could study for 5 hours on a big test, and know all the information, but still do badly on a test. This is not because of my race or how smart I am, its just that I am not very good at taking test. I will say that guys know more about cars and mechanical stuff. Ya they do, but girls know more about clothing items, makeup, and jewelry. These are items that girls should know. Cars and mechanical stuff is what guys should know. It’s just the way people portray girls and guys to be. There are certain girls who are not as street smart as boys, but it goes both ways.
~NuTz~ said...
Women are better then men hands down...they have to give birth!
i disagree w/ that statement! w/o men, women are not able to give birth...i understand that the pain behind childbirth is immense...but come on david...stop dissing your own gender.
What I am sick of is that women want equality because they will get paid just as much as boys but when it comes with jokes and rough housing we have to go to sensivity classes if we tell them a bad joke or go to jail if we touch them if they want equality they need to get stronger and used to the ronchy jokes...or don't complain and get paid less!
I dont think its the fact that women care more than men or even that they try harder it just they way most people are raised there are just as many bright women as there are men but some men are just more drawn to physical activits insted of book and things like that and women are more drawn twards the books and school type things not all but most.
I do not think it matters what gender you are. I think it matters on how you were raised and what rewards you get form it. Like if you are on a sports team you have to be passing all of you classes to particpate, so that will probably give you the incentive to do well in shcool. Also if your parents either reward you for good grades or punish you for doing poorly you will probably work hard for better grades. I think it all just depends on what your parents want and what they have taught you to become.
What denise dec said about "it all just depends on what your parents wand and what they have taught you to become", I'll have to disagree. My parents have never given me any incentive to do well in school. It seemed in my case to be the alternative; they really didn't care. It was my own desire and competitiveness that drove me to do well. Your parent's definitely influence you, but not completely. I also know quite a few kids whose parents offer them money for good grades and it doesn't help out at all. You yourself have to want to excel. Parents will be able to mold their children to an extent, but it is the child’s choice whether or not to succeed.
i do not feel that men or women wiil work harder than the other. it depends on the person, if a person is someone who just doesnt try hard to do well at school they are never going to try. it doesnt matter if they are male or female.
As nieve you may think it sound i would have to agree with nate, now days society has made a stereotype on girls and higher GPA's. but there is a proven study by Penn State graduates that the male population of the US does infact score higher on the ACT/SAT which intern proves his statement correct. I also would have include that you can tell in school whos the brains and who are just there to try and survive and it goes back to there personality and the way they carry themselves. good day to you all.
Jake, I do agree with what you say. Ylime your points are true as well. What i think is that girls seem to be better than guys when it comes to school. Then again (time for the contradictions) it doesnt matter what sex you are most try all they can to have a good grade. Then some don't, rarely do I hear males complain about their grades. Males do not really care that much.
I do not think that the world of literature is dominated by men, I enjoy and learn many things from female authors too. I've heard that studies show girls get better grades in school but boys score higher on the ACTs. I believe that because it does seem like girls try harder, not only in school but in sports and in the work place. I think this might be due to males always thinking they are dominant. It might also have something to do with the times when women had less of a position in society. Women probably feel like they have to prove themselves to defend what women before us have faught for. I believe that some women are smarter than men and some men are smarter than women. I don't think it depends on your gender whether or not you succeed at something, I believe it has to do with your ability and how hard you try.
I agree, I don't think gender has much to do with how smart you are, it's all about the effort you put into it. I know a few people that are really smart but they are failing or getting low grades because they are flat out lazy. That's not to say that everyone that fails is just lazy, some people struggle to learn. I am math person, I excel in math because I enjoy it. When it comes to government and social studies, I don't do so well because I don't try as hard. It's not as interesting to me and I don't enjoy it as much. Gender may play a role, but if it does it's not a very big one. Most of it has to do with the effort you put into learning and your surroudings of where you grew up. If you grew up in a family that loved politics, you would probably excel in government, the same thing with math and science and any other subjects. I know almost nothing about cars because I grew up not needing to first of all, and no one in my family really has an interest in cars, but I know a lot of other girls who know more about cars than some guys do. Like I said it's all about what a person finds interesting. If you want to learn it, you will.
I think that women think they need to excel in school more than men do. They try to make themselves seem or are really smart so they will be able to accomplish what their parents may want them to accomplish in life. That's even true for some men I would assume.
Post a Comment