Lauren Rymal
05:300:401
Nora Hyland
12/8/11
Gender Roles within the Classroom
American culture today has a detrimental effect on women’s self esteem. Young
women in particular are exposed to the unrealistic expectations that our society places on
them to be thin, beautiful, submissive, and docile. For this reason, confidence and selfreliance are oftentimes pushed aside to make room for an excess of insecurities and
dependence on men. Their opinions are deemed unworthy of listening to and yet they are
expected to do well in school. Causing trouble of any kind or voicing a belief are
reprimanded as opposed to boys who are encouraged to speak out and take control. This
kind of imbalance of power greatly damages girl’s ability to do well in school and
maintain a healthy lifestyle during adolescence. Young women need to know that they
are being heard and respected just as much the boys; to do this one must acknowledge the
problem and be aware of its presence in the classroom. Through Peggy Orenstein’s book,
Schoolgirls, as well as several course articles and case studies, we are exposed to the
unfavorable and inequitable treatment of women and how it’s capacity to tear down one’s
self-esteem affects school performance.
Gender roles are introduced as early as birth and continue throughout ones life.
They hold firm the belief that girls should be exposed the color pink and play dolls while
boys should be surrounded by trains, sports, and activities that promote strength. It is
understandable then, why many people assume gender is something that we are born into;
however that is not the case. According to Judith Lorber in her article, “‘Night to His
Day’ The Social Construction of Gender”, gender is created by our society every day.
She says, “…It is hard to believe that gender is constantly created and re-created out of
human interaction, out of social life…Yet gender, like culture, is a human production that
depends on everyone constantly ‘doing gender’” (Lorber, 2010, p.321). “Doing gender”
is what we as a culture unnoticeably complies with daily; women wear dresses, skirts,
and heels, while men wear pant suits, ties, and work shoes. There are clearly exceptions
and we are learning to slowly branch out from these roles, but that does not change the
fact that we constantly promote these gendered behaviors. In Schoolgirls young women
are placed under these same ideas of what to wear, how to behave, and what is expected
of them. One of the qualities of girls that hinder their success is the ability to hold one’s
tongue, or stay quiet and listen. Orenstein notes how this puts them at a disadvantage in
school, “… Teachers are more likely to describe girls as ‘ideal’ pupils. Yet since, in
practice, educators reward assertiveness and aggression over docility, the very behavior
that is prized in girls becomes an obstacle to their success” (Orenstein, 1994, p.36). This
sets them up for failure and plays a large role in why their self-esteem is considerably low
compared to boys. Girl’s voices need to be heard just as much and to do this the teacher
must encourage participation from everyone.
Appearance is a challenge that young girls face every single day. Today’s society
promotes excessive thinness, beauty, and provocative clothing in order to look pleasing
the opposite sex. Those who do not comply with this image are considered separate from
their gender; they fail to be girls. Letting girls be girls and boys be boys is what
Orenstein is attempting to prove as detrimental to girl’s confidence as well as
performance in school. It also comes with harsh consequences such a sexual harassment,
eating disorders, and inflicting harm to one’s body. Boys feel that it is their right to stare
at girls and belittle them as less then human and more as an object to play with. Calling
them whores, sluts, and slapping their bodies are just some examples of how they show
this empowerment over the other sex. Orenstein makes a point of this by stating, “The
prevalence of sexual harassment reminds us that boys learn at a very young age to see
girls less capable and less worthy of respect” (Orenstein, 1994, p.116). She is correct
with her assertion; boys grow up believing they are the superior sex. This is not only
relevant at a young age; it remains a serious issue as women grow older as well. Because
they are taken less seriously, it is harder for women to get jobs that maintain any stance
of power. In Nicholas Kristof’s article, “When Women Rule”, he discusses the downside
of women trying to be in power, “…Studies have found that it’s actually a disadvantage
for women to be physically attractive when applying for a managerial job. Beautiful
applicants received lower ratings…they were subconsciously pegged as stereotypically
female and therefore unsuited for a job as a boss” (Kristof, 2008, p.2). Just as girls in the
classroom show weakness for not participating in discussions, they are discouraged to
have a voice and be a leader in the working world. Either way they cannot win.
As teachers we are relied on to generate discussion and interest in the subject
matter we are teaching. However, most girls find it impossible to make their thoughts
heard because of teacher neglect or fear of humiliation if they get an answer wrong.
David and Myra Sadker wrote an article titled “Gender Bias: From Colonial America to
Today’s Classrooms”, in which they track the progression of our nation’s treatment of
women in the education system. One of the findings they saw in their research for
females today is, “Females…are less likely to be called on by name, are asked fewer
complex and abstract questions, receive less praise or constructive feedback, and are
given less direction on how to do things for themselves” (Sadker, 1989, p.129). This
kind of instruction results in girls getting the impression that they are unintelligent, hence
feeling ashamed if they get an answer incorrect.
Orenstein’s similarly addresses this issue when she notices that most of the boys
in the classroom’s she observes raise their hands high and yell out answers; there is no
fear about being reprimanded for this action. She states, “Girls’ hesitance to speak out
relative to boys is not mere stylistic difference; speaking out in class and being
acknowledged for it, is a constant reinforcement of a student’s right to be heard, to take
academic risks” (Orenstein, 1994, p.12). This right to be heard is taken from these young
girls by the power dynamic towards boys present in today’s school system. In addition to
this fear of failing girls also report, “higher levels of stress and depression and a lower
level of confidence” (Sadker, 1989, p.131). This has a lot to do with that fact that they
are invisible within much of the school’s instruction. Textbooks are comprised of mostly
men and very little emphasis is placed on women’s role in the math and science fields.
One way to handle this problem if the textbooks are bias towards men is to address it as a
class instead of pretending it does not exist. Sadker suggests it will, “…introduce them to
important social issues and help them develop critical reading skills as well” (Sadker,
1989, p.144). With the ability to recognize stereotyping and see things through a critical
viewpoint, they will better themselves and perhaps learn to move away from gender
discrimination.
It is essential to recognize that although women all face difficult challenges in
school, many aspects differ depending on one’s race and background. A girl’s family life
and ethnicity play a large role in their expectations and how others treat them. In
Schoolgirls we are presented with various examples of girl’s from different lifestyles who
are met with an abundance of abuse and prejudice. While African American girls are
better off when it comes to self- esteem, their expectations to well in school are much
lower than white girls. In reference to an African American girl named LaRhonda, a
teacher at her school, Danny Muriera, states his opinion on the matter, “‘She’s extremely
bright, yet she’s failing. The system is failing her. It’s condemning her to becoming
pregnant or landing in prison by age fifteen. There are no programs in this school to help
those kids develop in a positive way’” (Orenstein, 1994, p.165). What he is suggesting is
very accurate. Student’s like LaRhonda do not get the opportunities for success nearly as
much as white girls do. Although both groups face troubling circumstances, it is those
who come from low socio-economic class that truly suffer from the system. One’s socioeconomic class is the primary indicator of how well he or she will do in school. These
African American students’ in urban areas who have family in jail and little resources,
are deemed failures before they even get a chance to prove otherwise.
The other race that endures excessive hardships in the school system is Latino’s.
It is the young, Latino, women who have the lowest self-esteem and are forced to tolerate
horrific abuse. Gangs are very often present in Latino culture, in the poor, urban areas,
hence the need to join one to stay safe. In Luis Rodriguez’s article, “Understanding the
Needs of Youth: Who You Calling Violent?”, he recounts his experience meeting Pedro,
a 20-year old gang leader, and what he found as a result, “For many, a gang embraces
who they are, gives them the initiatory community they seek and the incipient authority
they need to eventually control their own lives. These are things other institutions,
including school and families, often fail to provide” (Rodriguez, 1998, p.103). Schools
and even families are many times ignorant to what a child is going through and what
dangers they place themselves in every day. For Latino girls this means that in addition
to feeling insecure about themselves, they are left with limited options to break away
from their lifestyle and as a result turn towards gangs.
It is the job of the educator’s to find a way to completely dispel any assumptions
that may be held about any one student. Whether they are female, male, white, black,
Latino, or Asian. Our jobs are to understand what each child needs to succeed and push
them towards that. In the cases where the students are from a low class, Rodriguez puts it
perfectly, “We must reverse their sense of helplessness…invest them with more authority
to run their own lives, their communities, and even their schools” (Rodriguez, 1998,
p.107). If they get a say in their education, such as what books they want to read, and
have the opportunity to voice their opinions, they are less likely to feel bad about
themselves and become more confident women in society.
Another idea is to form communities groups that focus specifically on women and
allows them to voice their feelings and get their opinions out in the open. In the article
entitled, “Girl Power”, by Lisa Berndt, Amy Epstein, and Valerie Minor, these three
women discuss how they developed a workshop called Girl Power, in which gives girls
the chance to come together and share their experiences as women. One aspect of this
group involves writing statements about each girl’s experience, “Boys disrespect you and
act like it’s all a joke. People say it’s gross for girls to have muscles and be strong.
People say get good grades but don’t want to hear what you think” (Berndt, Epstein, &
Minor, 1998, p.368). This is an issue with girls of any race or class. Addressing these
issues in a communal group setting is an ideal way to alleviate this problem in the
classrooms. The more the girls discuss and share their feelings, the more likely they will
learn to stick up for themselves and get involved in class. A similar situation took place
at Audubon Middle School where Orenstein observed. The girl’s were able to talk
amongst themselves about how they are treated and what they found to be true about the
differences in the treatment of boys and girls. Orenstein states, “…over the few weeks
they have met, the girls have become more talkative” (Orenstein, 1994, p.225). This
suggests that it is working and can be useful for getting even the shyest girls to come out
of their shell. It is essential to have the girls feel like they can have a place to feel safe
and removed from any judgment.
Schoolgirls provides insight into situations that only someone with a keen eye
and a good understanding of students would really provide. Because teachers usually
have at least 20 or so students to watch over at one time, some of these gender issues can
be overlooked. This book really exposes the nature of gendered roles and how many
challenges young women face in order to fit their expectations. As a teacher, a
fundamental part of the job is making sure that every student feels that their opinion
matters and that they are comfortable with asking questions and being involved.
However, that is evidently not always the case with girls and something must be done to
address it. As mentioned before, one way to ensure that this gender stereotyping does not
exist in class is to address it in textbooks, ads, and articles. They should be made aware
that it does exist and how as a class we can prevent it. It is also important that you act as
a role model for these students by getting involved in activities that one would not
usually associate with your gender. For instance, female teachers should get involved
with athletics, males should cook and clean. These will assure the students that adults do
not have to conform to the gendered roles and neither do they.
In addition, there should be zero tolerance for any bullying, name calling, or
harassment in the classroom. Praising the students for doing a great job and working
with one another can be helpful as well. Girls need to hear that they are on the right track
a little more than boys, particularly when they are older and become more aware of their
prospects. Finally, as a teacher I would ensure that there is a lot of group work, mixing
the boys and girls together, so that they can learn from each other and hopefully the boys
will see just how much the girls can offer intellectually. Having them help one another
will also create new friendships that are essential for a successful classroom. Girls are
less confident, less likely to speak during class, and put themselves through an immense
amount of pain and sacrifice to achieve what they believe to be their roles as females. In
order for them to break away from these stereotypes, teachers must recognize that they
have a voice and that they are just as if not more intelligent then many boys. Teachers
must realize that just because they are not raising their hands does not mean that are
dumb and incapable of learning the material. The most important lesson that reading
Schoolgirls has provided is that as a teacher it is vital that you get to know your students
and realize that there are other outside circumstances that could be affecting their
schoolwork. Through dedication and encouragement, girls can become more confident,
better students, and finally find their voice.
Bibliography
Berndt, L., Epstein A., & Minor V. (1998). Girl Power. In E. Lee, D. Menkart, & M.
Okazawa-Rey, Beyond Heroes and Holidays (pp. 368-372). Washington: Teaching for
Change.
Kristof, N. (2008). When Women Rule. Herald Tribune.
Lorber, J. (2010). Night To His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. Adams M. &
Blumenfeld W, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. (pp. 321-326). New York, NY:
Routledge.
Orenstein, P. (1994). Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap.
New York, NY: Random House Inc.
Rodriguez, L. (1998). Understanding the Needs of Youth: Who You Calling Violent? In
E. Lee, D. Menkart, & M. Okazawa-Rey, Beyond Heroes and Holidays (pp.103-107).
Washington: Teaching for Change.
Sadker D & Sadker M. (1989). Gender Bias: From Colonial America to Today’s
Classrooms. In A. & B. Needham, Multicultural Education Issues and Perspectives
(pp.125-151). Heights, MA: Banks & Banks.