gender in the classroom 2000

8/9/2019 Gender in the Classroom 2000

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GENDER INTERACTION IN THE CLASSROOM

Barbara L. Baker, Ph.D.Professor of Communication

Teaching Development Program/Excellence in Teaching

ugust !"""

OBJECTIVES:

#. To inform participants about $ifferent male%female communication st&les 'hich ma& beoperating in their classrooms(!. To increase participant a'areness of sexist communication practices that hin$er personal an$ professional effectiveness(). To assist participants in creating an inclusive, non%$iscriminator& classroom.

I. INTRODUCTION (approx. 3-5 m!"#$%&

n&thing relate$ to gen$er is a *hot* topic 'hich arouses strong emotions in people. + 'ant to makeit clear that 'hile + am a feminist%%in$ee$, its m& favorite *f* 'or$%%+ am not tr&ing to *convert*an&one, or be *politicall& correct.* or am + attacking in$ivi$ual men, or even men in general,since men also suffer from sex%role stereot&pes. +nstea$, + 'ant to explore 'ith &ou to$a&something about the research into $ifferent male%female communication st&les that might impact&ou in the classroom, as 'ell as certain problematic practices that coul$ be construe$ as$iscriminator& -to either sex. Part of m& task to$a& is to explicate some of the issues surroun$inggen$er, communication, an$ e$ucation. + believe it onl& makes sense to learn 'hat one can about$ifferent groups, so as to avoi$ hi$$en biases. s llen, Cantor, ra$& 0 1ill -#223 argue,

*a'areness of gen$er as it pla&s out in the learning process must inform our teaching,* if 'e are tosupport gen$er e4uit& -p. 56. 7till, &ou ma& resist hearing about this sub8ect, accor$ing to &our o'n $egrees of $iscomfort.

The fact is that 'e face a changing 'orl$, a much more $iverse 'orl$, than in the past. Currentl&,9": to 99: of college stu$ents across the nation are 'omen -as Dr. Peterson note$, 99: of C;7<stu$ents are 'omen, an$ #): persons of color. This tren$ is expecte$ to increase for a variet& of reasons. ;ore an$ more 'omen are moving into the 'orkplace, along 'ith more minorities. Thisis $ue primaril& to economic con$itions 'hich re4uire t'o%income families, along 'ith changing$emographics in the


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II. GENDER ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM

. CT+>+T? -approximatel& !" minutes

Beliefs about en$er Communication @uiA -attache$%%ask for responses, an$ then provi$e*generall& true* ans'er. acilitate a brief $iscussion about m&ths of gen$er -'ith han$out

B. TE;+L?

#. G$!'$rS$x%%ps&chological masculinit&/femininit& vs. biological sex as male/female-chromonsonal, hormonal, genital, an$ ph&sical characteristics!. G$!'$r '$!##) -sex%role). G$!'$r-'$a*% -expectations for sex%role behavior in a particular culture( often heavil&stereot&pe$5. S$x ro*$ %#ra! -. Pleck%%stress experience$ b& the $ifficulties of living up to a prescribe$

gen$er i$eal9. G$!'$r +*#$r%%perceptual screen ma$e up of genetic ten$encies, personalit&, attitu$es, values, beliefs, stereot&pes, experiences, etc. relate$ to gen$er%i$entit& an$ gen$er i$eals( assumptions an$expectations about the sexes.

C. ;LE%E;LE C;;


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authorit& -or for bo&s an$ men to recogniAe it. Peer relationships bet'een men an$ 'omentra$itionall& have been complementar& -male as lea$er, female as follo'er. The po'er hierarch&in e$ucation repro$uces this, 'ith far more a$ministrators being male than female. Because of this,an$ also because of the $ifferent 'a&s men an$ 'omen approach frien$ship an$ collegialit&, it issometimes $ifficult for men an$ 'omen to be in a positive s&mmetrical relationship.

2. Comm"!a#o! '++$r$!$% $#4$$! 4om$! a!' m$! (approxma#$*) 2 m!"#$%&.

Communication involves both a verbal co$e -language an$ non%verbal co$es. Language an$ non%verbal communication inevitabl& color ho' 'e see realit&( in$ee$%%'e might claim that, for allintents an$ purposes, it is our realit&. +t is ver& $ifficult, for example, to think of things 'ithouthaving a language or other s&mbol for it -example%%the term *sexual harassment*.

a. Gomen=s relationships are t&picall& centere$ in conversation -females often prefer talking toaction even at an earl& age, accor$ing to research. Gomen together $iscuss more personal

matters, focusing on famil&, relationship problems, an$ men( there is a cultivation of

interpersonal intimac& through $ialogue, sharing personal stories, etc.

b. ;en=s relationships are characteriAe$ b& $oing as a prere4uisite -or substitute for talking( men=sfrien$ships often focus on activities, *having fun together,* sometimes 'ith instrumental goals-e.g. buil$ing something together, other times 8ust *hanging out.* ;en together seek comfortablecompanionship -intimate in a $ifferent 'a& than through continual $ialogue( *si$e b& si$e* ratherthan 'omen=s *face to face*( men gain connection from an intermingling of lives through share$activities, such as basketball, fishing, etc.

c. Gomen generall& ten$ to be more interpersonall& competent in their communication st&les%%to beable to *take on the role of the other* -a measure of empath&, to be polite, to smooth the interaction process, to be nice to others, to provi$e more *back channel cues* -attentiveness. +n conversation,especiall& 'ith other 'omen, 'omen exhibit lo'er levels of $ominance -more cooperative 0s&nergistic.

$. Gomen 'ho $on=t fit the stereot&pe, 'ho speak a lot -but still less than 9": of the time, an$'ho are serious -e.g. not smiling all the time are vie'e$ as ru$e an$ $omineering b& both men an$other 'omen.

e. ;en generall& ten$ to be more communicative competent in the public sphere%%to be moreassertive, to be more competitive, to argue, etc.

3. 1a##$r!% o+ ma*$-+$ma*$ !#$ra#o!--Rappor#-#a*6 /%. R$por#-#a*6

-from Deborah Tannen, ?ou ust Don=t


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from ra&%%she sa&s *+=m so tire$%%+ 8ust 'ant to forget ever&thing about*( he respon$s *+f &ou$on=t like &our 8ob, then 4uit.*

c. information/feelings -lecture/listening %%;en respon$ more 'ith content, versus focusing onrelational aspects of messages. ;en also ma& respon$ to a 'oman=s self%$isclosure b& provi$ing

more information on a topic, rather than a reciprocal self%$isclosure or empath&. Example -fromra&%% she sa&s *Ge never go out*, he ans'ers *That=s not true, 'e 'ent out last 'eek.*

$. ritual/literal %%e.g. apologies use$ b& 'omen as both con$olence an$ ritual -in her book, Talkingrom 2 to 9, about gen$er communication $ifferences in the 'orkplace, Tannen note$ that some'omen apologiAe 'hen the& run into furniture( men see apologies as a$mitting 'eaknesses, etc.

e. Cooperation/competition -Communit&/contest%%Gomen use cooperative problem%solvingtechni4ues -share information an$ negotiate $ecisions( men ten$ to be in competition 'ith eachother, an$ seek to *'in* in conflicts.

These patterns have implications for an& female%male communication interaction. ften the st&lesthat 'omen use are seen as 'ish&%'ash&, overl& tentative, an$ non%assertive b& men, especiall& inthe 'orkplace. n$ &et, if 'omen a$opt male st&les of communication -e.g. more $irect speech'ill be perceive$ b& both men an$ 'omen as overl& aggressive, perhaps even *col$.*

7ee also C. Clark -#225 *;asculine* an$ *eminine* learning st&les.

D. D+7C+;+T+ + T1E CL77;

esearch in$icates the follo'ing ma& be true for regar$ing the sexes -an$ also for minorit& groupsin


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eventuall& successful( males are more likel& to be $isillusione$ an$ $rop out.

5. Despite high aspirations, man& females have more $ifficult& than males in asserting authorit&-an$ believing themselves to be authorit&, an$ in gaining respect for their i$eas -even to$a&, man&'omen an$ girls aren=t listene$ to 'hen the& present i$eas, especiall& if in a non%tra$itional area

such as science or math.

9. ften, female facult&, staff, an$ stu$ents are seen to be less competent, especiall& in moretechnical areas -e.g. science, math, computer science, although this can also happen in politicall&charge$ classes, such as 'omen=s stu$ies( such 'omen must 'ork har$er to establish their cre$ibilit&. Conversel&, male facult&, staff, an$ stu$ents often are seen as less competent in morerelational or female%$ominant areas -such as nursing, elementar& school teaching, social 'ork, an$language arts.6. emale facult& an$ staff can get less favorable evaluations if $o T conform to stereot&pe$expectations for feminine behavior -if, for example, the& are not especiall& nurturing or un$erstan$ing of stu$ents( male facult& an$ staff ma& be praise$ for not conforming to their male

sex%role -e.g. being more sensitive the& ma& be seen as 'imps.

3. esearch b& the 7a$kers, Cooper, an$ others $ocuments ho' both male 0 female teachers callon male stu$ents more fre4uentl&, ask more complex 4uestions of male stu$ents, provi$e moreexplanation of assignments to male stu$ents, an$ generall& give male stu$ents more concrete praisean$ criticism -both verball& an$ nonverball&, at all levels of e$ucation.

H. ;ale stu$ents are likel& to respon$ 4uicker to 4uestions, to interrupt or call out a response, toassume lea$ership roles in class, an$ to 'ork in$epen$entl& -males are less likel& to seek outsi$ehelp, for example( female stu$ents are more likel& to use *feminine* linguistic patterns such as useof $isclaimers, hesitations, an$ tag 4uestions.

2. esearch also suggests that both male an$ female teachers continue to use sexist language, or language that $enigrates, $emeans, or exclu$es a particular sex -e.g. the *generic he,* using onl&male examples, using stereot&pe$ evaluative terms such as *chick* or *stu$,* making sexist 8okes,using sex%stereot&pe$ imager& in overhea$s, etc.( 'omen 'ith Ph.D=s often *lose* their $octorates, being calle$ *;rs.*

#". lthough slo'l& changing, contributions of 'omen an$ minorit& groups still are marginaliAe$or ignore$ in man& of the textbooks use$ in the


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#). emale facult&, staff, an$ stu$ents are more likel& to experience harassment an$ or subtle$iscrimination b& facult& or a$ministration, e.g. hearing sexist *8okes,* inappropriate touching, being spotlighte$ as a *token,* etc.( in a$$ition, female facult&, staff, an$ stu$ents ma& be sub8ecte$more to sexual harassment b& male stu$ents, e.g. sexualiAe$ name%calling, sexist *8okes,*

inappropriate touching, harassing phone calls, being aske$ out for $ates, etc. +t sometimes happensin reverse, but far less likel&.

#5. ;ale facult&, staff, an$ stu$ents are more likel& to be perceive$ as acting inappropriatel& -of being sexist, of harassing stu$ents, etc., b& stu$ents, regar$less of sex/gen$er( ho'ever, a femaleteacher ma& be accuse$ of man%bashing if she brings up an& topic relate$ to gen$er, or claims to bea feminist.

#9. emale facult& an$ staff ma& be pai$ less than male facult& an$ staff( although there has beenimprovement in establishing pa& e4uit& across the nation, females still earn onl& about 32 cents toI#."" for males -if pai$ e4ual, females ma& be aske$ to $o more for their buck%%e.g. course

overloa$s, extra service re4uirements, etc.

IV. SUGGESTIONS 7OR CHANGE

#. C;;


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c. Emplo& non%sexist or inclusive language.

+f our thoughts are influence$ b& language, then 'h& not aim for an inclusive,non%$iscriminator& 'orl$J +f &ou $oubt this, tr& to go one $a& using 'oman an$ her/she asgeneric terms, an$ see the reactions &ou get. +n a$$ition, using inclusive language in$icates

a receiver orientation -being concerne$ about &our listener, 'hich 'ill empo'er others b&making them feel inclu$e$.

$. voi$ stereot&ping men an$ 'omen, 'hether in $iscussions or in consultation 'ithstu$ents. emember 'e are all uni4ue.

e. 7elect examples, rea$ings, etc. that are more inclusive of $ifferent groups, to provi$estu$ents 'ith a broa$er perspective on merican culture.

f. Emplo& a 'i$e range of teaching strategies that pla& to the strengths of all learning st&les,to maximiAe chances for success in &our classroom.


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GENDER COMMUNICATION M8THS

#. Gomen are more empathetic than men.-;en can be as empathetic as 'omen, in the sense that the& care an$ have feelings( the& express itin a $ifferent 'a&

!. Gomen talk more than men.-7tu$ies in$icate that men talk more in most settings. 1o'ever, because 'omen are expressive, itma& seem that 'omen talk more, esp. 'hen talking to another 'oman. Gomen are more likel& touse in$irect language, face%saving talk, empathetic stories, an$ other feelings oriente$communication instea$ of the more $irect, to the point st&le of men

). eneric 'or$s such as *mankin$* an$ *he* are hear$ b& people as inclusive of both sexes.-7tu$& after stu$& over the past t'ent& &ears clearl& has $ocumente$ that these so%calle$*generics* are not inclusive( people automaticall& picture men first 'hen the& hear these terms( ifthe& a$$ 'omen, it is as an afterthought.

5. Gomen generall& value frien$ships more than men.-Both men an$ 'omen values frien$ships, but ten$ to get $ifferent *relational goo$ies* from suchfrien$ships%%men are instrumental( 'omen expressive

9. Gomen are more *naturall&* nurturing than men.-both men an$ 'omen are e4uall& nurturing, $epen$ing on ho' that is $efine$( nurturing is asmuch a learne$ behavior as a genetic one. ;en are often given short shrift in custo$& cases because of the belief that 'omen are the more *natural* parent

6. Gomen are more likel& to touch others than men.-Contrar& to *common sense* notions, several stu$ies sho' that men touch others more, esp. mentouching 'omen an$ subor$inates. The t&pe of touch is important to consi$er%%men $o moreritualistic touching, such as han$shakes( more protective touching( more task%oriente$ touching(more $ominance touching. There is some evi$ence that 'omen $o more nurturing/emotionaltouching, esp. of chil$ren

3. Gomen are *moo$ier* than men.-lthough P;7 gets lots of coverage, the truth is that both men an$ 'omen have hormonal moo$s'ings on regular basis( although more 'omen are treate$ for $epression, men are more likel& tocommit suici$e

H. ;ore men than 'omen are $&slexic.-7ha&'itA et al, #22" foun$ that more bo&s than girls are reporte$ as having $&slexia, but actual prevalence is the same

2. ;en are more aggressive because of testosterone.-ecent research in$icates that testosterone $oes not make men more violent( increase$testosterone in both sexes is associate$ 'ith increase$ pro$uctivit& an$ creativit&


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GENDER9 COMMUNICATION9 AND EDUCATION

A SELECTED BIBLIOGRA1H8

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Bem, 7an$ra. The Lenses of en$erF Transforming the Debate on 7exual +ne4ualit& -?ale . 0 . . eagin. ;o$ern 7exismF Blatant, 7ubtle, an$ Covert Discrimination-Prentice%1all, #2H6.

Borisoff, Deborah 0 Lisa ;errill. The Po'er to CommunicateF en$er Differences s Barriers.)r$ E$. -Gavelan$, #22H.


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Briere, . 0 Lanktree, C. *7ex%role elate$ Effects of 7ex Bias in Language.* 7ex oles, 2-#2H)F 6!9%6)!.

Butler, Dore 0 lorence L. eis. *onverbal ffect esponses to ;ale an$ emale Lea$ersF

+mplications for Lea$ership Evaluations.* ournal of Personalit& an$ 7ocial Ps&cholog& 9HF#-#22"F 5H%92.

Caplan, Paula . Lifting Ton of eathersF Goman=s ui$e to 7urviving in the ca$emic Gorl$-an$er 1aegen. *Pe$agog& an$ Pre8u$iceF 7trategies for Confronting1omophobia in the Classroom.* Gomen=s 7tu$ies @uarterl& #9F)%5 -#2H3F 69%3).

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Elgin, 7uAette 1a$en. en$erspeakF ;en, Gomen, an$ the entle rt of >erbal 7elf%Defense-Gile& 0 7ons, #22).

Ell&son, 7. L. 0 Dovi$io, . ., E$s. Po'er, Dominance, an$ onverbal Behavior -7pringer %>erlag, #2H9.


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Epperson, 7. E. *7tu$ies Link 7ubtle 7ex Bias in 7chools Gith Gomen=s Behavior in theGorkplace.* Gall 7treet ournal, 7ept. #6, #2HH, p. !3.

olsom, . *Teaching bout 7exism an$ Language in a Tra$itional 7ettingF 7urmounting thebstacles.* Gomen=s 7tu$ies @uarterl&, ## -#2H)F #!%#9.

abriel, 7usan L. an$ +saiah 7mithson, E$s. en$er in the ClassroomF Po'er an$ Pe$agog&-oiceF Ps&chological Theor& an$ Gomen=s Development -1arvar$erlag, #2H2F 92%39.

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