fandomhigh | Sexual Anthropology, Tuesday, 6/9, Period 2

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."

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

"Hey, look," Chuck said, lifting up his notebook. "It's you (http://i41.tinypic.com/2ecdpax.jpg)."

Sam wasn't sure whether to be insulted or amused. Honestly, he was leaning a little towards the latter, and the way he snickered proved it. "My hair isn't that bad," he said. "Is it?"

"When you first wake up, yeah," Chuck said, smirking. "Could be worse. At least you don't have wispy man bangs. That's not a good look on anybody. Except Zac Efron."

Hint hint, Nate.

"You shouldn't be thinking about what I look like when I wake up," Sam said. "Although I do have to agree that bangs only look good on girls."

"I'll think about whatever I want to," Chuck said. "And Peter has emo bangs."

"Those aren't like regular bangs," Sam insisted. "They're better. Cuter. Especially on him."

"Please stop, Winchester, you'll make me sick."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot that the sight of love makes you nauseous," Sam replied.

"Try to remember next time," Chuck said. "I'd hate to have to retaliate by sharing dirty stuff about your brother."

"Nausea for nausea, huh?" Sam asked, making a grossed out face. "All right, I'll be good, for now."

"For now? It better be for forever," Chuck said. "Bad enough I'm forced to report that stuff on radio."

"You don't have to talk about me on the radio, you know," Sam said. "I notice you mention me even when I haven't really done much all day."

"I only mention you when I have to," Chuck said. "I think you're just cherishing each time I do talk about you so much that it's gotten to the point where it seems like all I'm doing is talking about you."

"Oh yeah," Sam said sarcastically. "I especially love when you say things to really make it seem like we're together."

"Hey, I didn't say anything last week," Chuck pointed out. "That was Emmett. And the squirrels writing what they see."

Chuck really loved those squirrels sometimes.

"The squirrels are evil. It's your job to interpret what they say to be as correct as possible," Sam insisted.

"But their lies make for more exciting broadcasts," Chuck said. "Don't you want to keep the masses entertained?"

"I want to keep the masses from thinking I'm screwing you," Sam replied.

"I think I'd be the one doing the screwing, actually," Chuck said.

"In your dreams," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "And if you have actually dreamed about that, I'm not sure if I want to know."

"You know I've thought about it. I think about it with everybody, whether I'm attracted to them or not," Chuck said. He couldn't help it. "And you would so be the one getting screwed. Everybody knows it. That's why nobody is surprised by what is said about us on radio."

Sam narrowed his eyes at Chuck. "Except for the people who know me and know I would never do that to Peter," he said, before looking down at his paper for a moment. Stereotype: Boys think about sex all the time, he wrote. Reinforcement: Chuck Bass.

"Fine. That may be true. But in hypothetical world, you would be on the bottom," Chuck insisted. "What are you writing?"

"Just more notes for class," Sam said nonchalantly.

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

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