Feminism+in+Curriculum

__ Feminism in Curriculum __ What is feminism? Feminism has been defined in a variety of ways to a variety of ends. As with all ideologies, continued discourse leads to a fluid, ever-changing definition as feminism is viewed in historical contexts and from cultural, ethnic, social and economic points of view. Perhaps the simplest way to look at feminism is that it is the study of how “women endure systemic social injustices simply because of their gender. Feminist theories seek to understand the root causes of this situation” (Santovec, 2007, p. 7).

How does feminism apply to curriculum? There are a number of ideas about how feminism should affect curriculum, both in content and in delivery. Many agree that curricular content in all areas should move towards including materials and perspectives of women from a variety of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. This includes everything from textbook and course revisions to the inclusion of personal stories of immigrant women (Ruddy, 2008, p. 14). In addition, feminism in the classroom involves a shifting of the power structure within classrooms. A student-centered classroom “wherein student voices are engaged and validated, and wherein hierarchy is broken down” (Seymour, p. 189) and where “experiential learning, social transformation, an ethic of care and different ways of knowing” are all validated are seen as the ideal in the feminist classroom.

Feminism in the Classroom –A Consideration of Content

If we define feminism in the classroom as using a student-centered approach to teaching, with hierarchal and patriarchal organizations minimized and student’s experiences, voices and opinions valued, then we could hardly argue against feminism’s vital nature in the classroom, although we could argue that feminism shares the goals of other educational reform ideas. If we look at the content of the curriculum, however, do we see inclusion of feminist ideas in the content of materials offered? Within this feminist content, do we see a diverse range of feminist ideas from both culturally-dominant and minority women? Are women seen as strong and vital or portrayed in victim roles? Consider the following excerpt from the American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) article entitled, “How Schools Shortchange Girls: Three Perspectives on Curriculum”: A 1980 review of research on how books influence children cited twenty-three studies that demonstrated that books do transmit values to young readers… that academic achievement for all students was positively correlated with use of nonsexist and multicultural curriculum materials, and that sex-role stereotyping was reduced in those students whose curriculum portrayed females and males in nonstereotypical roles. (2009, p. 215) The implication is clear: a careful examination of materials for gender bias needs to happen before these messages can be internalized by children. The same article lists types of sex-bias in educational materials. The following is a partial list of these biases: (AAUW, 2009, p. 216)
 * 1) exclusion of girls
 * 2) stereotyping members of both sexes
 * 3) subordination or degradation of girls
 * 4) superficiality of attention to contemporary issues or social problems
 * 5) cultural inaccuracy
 * 6) double standards for males and females
 * 7) denial of achieved status
 * 8) backlash against women who succeed in improving their status

Will school novels stand up to scrutiny based on the above list of sex-biases? The following is a list of novels my school currently has in the textbook room. The novels are used by individual teachers in novel studies and literature circles in the fourth and fifth grade level. I have included a quick summary or video (often a trailer for a movie based on the book) with each listing. Please choose one or two books and consider the nature of (or lack of) sex-bias in the book. This could be based on your prior knowledge of the book or something you saw in the video clip or read in the summary. If you would like to share your thoughts, please use the discussion area to comment.

The story of a boy who creates a new word for pen, frindle, and the uproar it causes.
 * __ Frindle __**

Set during WWII, the story is about a Danish family who helps smuggle their Jewish neighbors out of the country during Nazi occupation. The story is told from the point of view of the family’s daughter.
 * __ Number the Stars __**

This is a novel about a young Japanese girl who gets Leukemia because of the atomic bombs dropped onJapan. She tries to fold 1000 paper cranes so that she will be granted a wish, which she would use to cure herself. She dies before she reaches 1000 cranes, but her message touches many.
 * __ Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes __**

This is a novel about a country cricket,Chester, who accidentally ends up inTimes Square. He is captured and kept as a pet by a boy named Mario. He makes friends with a cat and a mouse who live inTimes Square.Chesterlearns he can play music and performs concerts to help Mario’s family make money. In the end,Chesterdecides to go back to the country.
 * __ The Cricket in Times Square __**

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 * __ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory __**

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 * __ Charlotte __****__ ’s Web __**

Homemade but describes the central premise well. []
 * __ The Breadwinner __**

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 * __ The Lightning Thief __**

Kelly and Pomerantz, in their novel, “Mean, Wild and Alienated: Girls and the State of Feminism in Popular Culture” posit a theory that extends the AAUW’s theory described above to include representations of popular culture. The idea is that gender-bias in movies, as well as in other popular culture venues, permeates the thinking of the general public. Take a look at the movie clip below. Do you see any of the12 sex-biases? Do you think that this clip could influence a teenage girl’s view of herself and her role in society? Please feel free to comment if you choose.

Please stop watching at 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
 * __ Twilight: New Moon __**

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