Sexual Anthropology, Tuesday, 6/9, Period 2

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

There were signs posted in the classroom today asking the boys in class to sit on one side of the aisle, and the girls on the other.

"Today," Brennan said, as she passed out posterboard and markers to the two groups, "we're talking about gender roles, identity and stereotypes. Those are really big subjects; I can't do much more than glance at the stereotypes here in class today. If you're interested and want to keep reading, I can recommend some books after class."

"Gender roles are the set of perceived behavioral norms associated particularly with males or females, in a given social group or system. It can be a form of division of labor by gender, as in classic hunter/gatherer societies in which men go out to hunt and women watch children and gather fruits and grains, or in a modern single-income family in which the woman stays at home and the man acts as a breadwinner. Almost all societies, to a certain effect, have a gender/sex system, although the components and workings of this system vary markedly from society to society." She went on to briefly review current research into the establishment and reinforcement of gender roles in society.

"Gender identity, meanwhile, is how a person defines him or herself in terms of gender. While this usually matches physical gender, some people identify as transgendered -- a male brain in a female body, or the reverse -- or as neither male nor female. Someone who believes their mental gender does not match their physical gender may be said to have gender identity disorder."

"The last thing we want to talk about, and the basis of your exercise today, is gender stereotypes. Stereotypes are simplistic generalizations about the roles of individuals in groups that help to feed into traditional gender roles. A simple gender stereotype is 'boys don't cry' or 'women can't drive.'"

"What I would like for you to do today is, working in your gender-segregated groups, come up with lists of male and female stereotypes and what reinforces them. For example, if your stereotype is that women are bad drivers, you might write down that popular jokes give that message. At the end of class we'll probably handwavily compare the lists and see where they differ and where they overlap. I'm around if you have questions."

Comments

Sign in [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

Wearing pink or blue

Re: Sign in [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela Montenegro

General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

Listen, take notes, all that stuff.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex took a few notes (mostly just the broad headings) before just deciding to listen. A lot of this stuff just seemed like common sense to him.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[joan-notjane.livejournal.com]

Joan took notes and was grateful that at least this week's class didn't seem embarrassing.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Anemone tried taking notes, but was wrinkling her nose in confusion at times. Human-Form Coralians only came in female - there was no male to compare against.

Unless you counted Gonzy, and he was... different.

She'd only become aware of gender roles and stereotypes once she'd come to Fandom, really, so she wasn't sure what was just the island, and what was this era in general.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Chuck was totally zoning out. Sam was probably taking enough notes for the both of them anyway.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[glacial_queen]

Karla didn't understand the lecture, so she was taking copious notes. The way Brennen was talking about gender norms, she made them sound like things that were artificially created, instead of, well, facts of existence.

Odd.

Karla raised her hand.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[likethegun]

Sam was, in fact, taking plenty of notes that could be shared with lazy people who weren't bothering to write anything down, because he was a good student like that.

Re: General Class Stuff [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[iamnotallgirl]

Jill started taking notes, but then she just started drawing question marks all over the page because, seriously, where did she and Jack fit into all of this?

Boys - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

For the XY half of class.

Re: Boys - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex felt like he was back in sex ed class from elementary school with the separate genders. All that was missing was some terribly narrated videotape by some guy that looked like he hadn't had sex in eighteen years.

He tapped his pen against the desk and idly considered the class activity.

Re: Boys - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

Chuck wasn't really intending on participating so he leaned forward at his desk and doodled in his notebook so it at least looked like he was working.

Re: Boys - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[likethegun]

Sam was already working on a list on his own. If people were nice, he might share what he was coming up with.

Re: Boys - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[wantstodirect]

"Men don't talk about emotions," Tony suggested.

Boys - Posterboard [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

Make your contributions to the lists o'stereotypes.

Girls - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

For the XXs.

Re: Girls - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[joan-notjane.livejournal.com]

Joan looked at her fellow female classmates. "Okay, so what stereotypes do we have to face?"

Re: Girls - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Boys are all closed off about their emotions," Angela said leaning forward on her elbows.

Not that she's got a particular situation on her mind, or anything.

Re: Girls - Mingle & Discuss [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Uh, women are not as suited for combat as males?" Anemone offered, trying to think of the things she'd seen on the television.

Girls - Posterboard [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

Make your contributions to the lists o'stereotypes.

End-of-Class Group Discussion [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

If anyone wants to read and comment on the other group's list.

Talk to the TAs [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

A girl and a boy. Sweet.

Re: Talk to the TAs [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[notasuiciderisk.livejournal.com]

Eric was there for anyone who needed him.

[His mun, however, is on extreme SP.]

Talk to Brennan [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

Who will happily give you an earful on how female stereotypes, while possibly true in some broad strokes, do not apply to her.

OOC [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[doesnt-vomit.livejournal.com]

I have no idea if this exercise will work, but it might be fun to try.

Re: OOC [Sex. Anth., 6/9]

[glacial_queen]

Ahahhahahahahahahaha

And again, ahahahahahahahahaha.

I apologize in advance for Karla's recalcitrance. She is NOT GOING TO GET IT. Gender roles ARE her canon.