Recently in my adolescent psychology class, we were required to go to a local middle school and do observations/feedback from adolescent students. I thought this would be a great opportunity to plant a seed of thought in young womens minds; well, it didn't work that way. I have spent up to 6 hours a week the past four weeks going over topics such as objectification, exploitation, media obsession with sexualizing young girls, etc. I even went into to topics like why it isn't ok to call anyone a bitch or the p word because why is the worst insult one could call another at a womens expense. I brought in powerpoints about how normalizing sexually explicit material in our culture only perpetuates inequalites nationally and globally. All these topics I thought were important and to increase self awareness.
Well, some parents had other ideas, and either the young women misinterpreted what I said, or the parents, in my traditional small town didn't agree with what was said. So I was called by an advisor at my local college and informed that I was not to set foot on the middle school campus. The college is telling me I overstepped my boundaries and are trying to somehow screw with my record; like I could never teach because of this. I feel I have not been given a chance to at least explain my goals and this has really discouraged me. I just wanted to rant because I feel like this is society reinforcing that if young women are given info that is contrary to popular belief, they couldn't possibly make or form opinions for themselves. What does everyone else think. And by the way, my instructor at college and the teachers at the middle school knew what I was talking about; I feel if this were another subject, nobody would have siad anything. Thoughts and opinions?
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Shell, I'm really sorry. I have no idea why you were treated that way. I am the mother of teenage daughters, and I would LOVE it if the schools were actively teaching my daughters to view themselves as whole people and not let society objectify them. I would love for my sons to be taught these things, too.
Stand up for yourself and keep asking WHY. Of course don't go back to the middle school, but I would definitely fight to keep my record clean if I were you. If you did nothing wrong, then you shouldn't be penalized for other people's stupidity.
It sounds like you have some allies. If the middle school teachers and your professor appreciate your efforts, then maybe they can put a good word in for you at your college. Colleges and universities are all about PR. Students are seen as representatives of the college and are only useful in getting more students to go there. Whenever a student toes the line, the administration would rather make the problem go away than look into the matter and work it out. I wouldn't worry too much about the college administration and the parents. Your professor and the middle school teachers are the people you want to impress, since they are more likely to recommend you and promote you in the teaching world.
Thanks for the positive comments! It is so discouraging when this happens; I want social change so bad, and I feel we really need to nurture this young group of fe/male adolescents to promote equality.
I'm a little confused. What were the specific objections about what you were doing and where did they come from? What "boundaries" did you overstep?
Maybe they thought the subjects were a little too mature? How old are middle school kids, 10 or 12? I don't know if I would've understood those things at that age. Talking about media objectification of young girls to kids who probably just learned what sex was a year ago is a bit of a leap.
I don't think it's that much of a leap. When I was 10 or 12 I might not have knew what objectification meant, but I did know what sex was and what sexualization was. I could have easily understood that making women out to be sex objects was dehumanizing.
In fact, now that I think about it when I was in middle school, I remember my teacher gave us a test with 20 comments/remarks to see whether we could recognize a sexist comment or remark. Like one of the comments would be "We greeted the accomplished, talented Senator and his attractive wife." I thought there was nothing wrong with the comment, but my friend raised his hand-- and then I realized that the comment was defining the Senator's wife by her looks, and defining the Senator by his actions. I guess that's when I first learned about objectification.
Teachig against sexism definitely shouldn't be out of bounds! I think one strategy might be to do it but without going all out with Powerpoint slides, just keep it simple and uncontroversial. It's not like religious conservatives approve of the hypersexualizatio of girls-- that's one thing we have in ncommon with them. If you aren't seen to be pushing your agenda too much then I don't think people will complain. If you do create a shorter lesson and still get disciplined for it-- well that's something to write about. You could be less apologetic and more angry. "All I was doing was trying to teach these kids that girls shouldn't be objectified/that kids shouldn't use the word bitch and I was disciplined by a complaining parent. What is society coming to?" A lot of people would support you there.
I don't think age 10 or 12 is too early at all. I may not have understood what objectification meant at that age but I certainly understood what sex was and what sexualization was, and I would have understood if someone pointed out to me that treating a girl as a sex object was dehumanizing.
In fact now that I think of it, when I was in eighth grade my English teacher gave my class a 20 page sheet with 20 comments/remarks. We went down the sheet and for each one we had to raise our hand if the comment was sexist. The point was to teach us to identify discrimination. One of the sentences was, "We greeted the smart and accomplished Senator and his beautiful wife." I didn't raise my hand but my friend sitting next to me did. It made me look at the comment again, and how it was describing the Senator's wife only by her looks, while describing the Senator by his actions and character. I guess that's the first time I learned what 'objectification' meant, even though the word was not used.
Well, I think part of the issue was, it sounds like you were trying to get in a lot of lessons, and it might seem like you're pushing an agenda. If you just tried to teach some noncontroversial things like saying, boys and girls are valuable regardless of how their body happens to look at any moment,... I don't know just be more subtle. You probably wouldn't get complaints then. It's not like religious conservatives approve of the sexualization of girls or the use of words like bitch. If you still get complaints then, it would be something to write about. You could be more angry than defensive like, "Look, all I was trying to do was teach these girls not to let media images define their self esteem, and the parents didn't find it acceptable. What is our society coming to?" A lot of people would probably be on your side there.
The age range was 13-14. The photos I used were of the new Dora image, others were various ads as seen in cosmo, seventeen, etc. One photo was the paris hilton hardees with her in practically nothing with a burger; I asked the girls what that had to do with selling burgers. Ads like that. I also explained objectification along with those ads. As far as boundires go, I'm not sure how I crossed them when subject matter was discussed with teachers. I feel as far as the subject matter, it was anything that can be seen on Disney Channel or primetime tv, along with mags such as people and us weekly.
What was your actual assignment? "do observations/feedback" seems a little vague. From that phrasing I might think that you were just supposed to observe the class, but it sounds like you were teaching a class. What were you supposed to be doing there?
I had to observe the students in typical classroom setting, and then I could also bring to the table issues that are current and encourage critical thinking. This wasn't a whole class, the teachers I worked with pulled groups of 2 or 4 for me to talk with, and each time I only spent at the most ten to fifteen minutes with a few girls. The assisgnment was vague and pretty open.
They do not have the right to mess with your record. You've been there for four weeks already and had the ok from the middle school and your college. You are totally in the right but probably need to protect yourself anyways. A conversation with a lawyer would be a good idea, on the chance of them coming after you. Small conservative towns can be crazy and litigious, a nasty combination.
What's the 'p' word?
Pussy?
really great idea in the sexist comments sentences; I will remeber this for the future. Thanks for the positive feeedback ;)
does your school have a student union? can you go to an ombudsperson? a lay advocacy? Woman's/gender studies department? Because, like it or not, THIS represents a feminist issue much larger than the individual instance itself.
JupiterAmmon, I couldn't agree more. I have a meeting monday with the head of the education department at my college and from there I'll decide if further action needs to be taken.
Honestly - I would be pleased if you did that at the middle school my kids attend.
That being said, I have always had to sign something when my kids study something at school that may have values inserted into it or at least is controversial. Sex education - had to sign. Evolution - had to sign. I am guessing the parent signing gives the parents a chance to point out what they believe to the child. Maybe that is what I use it for.
Is that your schools concern? That you have opened the school or the school you were at to a potential shit storm? Public schools ( I am assumming the middle school is a public) serve all segments of the population -- even the yucky ones I don't agree with.
After having the meeting today with the head of the education department, I'm not in any sort of trouble; I explained my mission, and how I felt encouraged by the teachers I was working with in their classes that these were ok ideas to talk about. The woman I spoke with admired my passion and spirit for womens issue, but felt I could have gone it about it differently. So the public middle school is upset with me, but I think I can live with that ; )