I was having a discussion with some of the readings I was doing for this class with my son. I had already taken an Introduction to Gender with Professor D'Angelo a couple of semesters' ago (and loved it) - him, not so much. Mind you, I would not consider myself a "feminist" - but I do have two girls and a boy (as I've mentioned before). I felt that I raised them - not gender neutral. I put dresses on my girls and pants on my boy. Saying that, I didn't buy weapons for either sex (I'm a former preschool teacher - don't believe in weapons - maybe water guns for outside fun at my house - not at school).
But when my son was "potty-training" years' ago, he saw this commercial for a doll who sat on a flushing toilet called "potty baby" and he wanted it. I think because he liked the sound of the flushing toilet. My husband at that time was appalled - "no son of mine was going to have a doll". Me, in my knowledge of children and toys, said, "he'll flush the toy toilet for a couple of weeks, get bored of the toy and that will be the end of it!" Which is exactly what happened!
Now, in 2009, that same son, who is planning on becoming a teacher, was saying that I was being bias in my thoughts about some Eureka moments I read in the blogs. I asked him how? He said, "you're just bad-mouthing guys". Again, "how". I explained that I couldn't think of any occupations that men weren't in the field of and not accepted (for the most part) and I could think of a number of occupations that women were not overly accepted in even in the year 2009.
So we had a debate, he said "teaching", and I said it wasn't that men weren't accepted, it was that men chose not to teach primary grades and yes there are few male teachers in grade K-5. I know in my own school - the only male teachers (except P.E. and Spanish) were general ed. in 4th grade. I used to work in a number of preschools and saw very few men. My son babysits - how many mothers do you think would hire a male babysitter? I don't see anything wrong in it - but I know a lot of my colleagues were surprised that my son babysits. Isn't that a stereotype against guy babysitters? When it came down to it - the only occupations I could think of that males are possibly stigmatized in are "stewards" on airplanes and nurses. I thought of a number of male dominated jobs, that women still have fight to work in, firefighters, police officers, military. I mentioned military to my son because I had heard that "no president wants to send a wife or mother home in a "body-bag" - but a son or husband it okay? What's with that?
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Robin,
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot more male teachers now in the elementary grades. Female teachers were probably the norm many years ago in the elementary grades. The children could relate to a “mother” figure when they are first starting out in school. But nowadays children are in daycare at a very early age and separation from their mothers is very small. However, there was one male teacher that had taught 1st grade when I went to school. His name was Mr. Bert and I think Bert was short for a really long name. All of the teachers; the kids; and the parents loved him. He seemed to be a great 1st grade teacher.
As for male babysitters, I don’t know of any. But I don't see anything wrong with it. It certainly is a stereotype against the male gender. Babysitters are usually girls but that’s good news that your son is breaking down the barrier to gender biases.
Being in the military is a difficult situation. No one wants to see their loved one in a body bag regardless of male or female. Both sexes are equally concerning when it comes to war and death. But women are just as capable as men in fighting for our country’s rights or defending our country. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to defend our country if they choose to regardless of gender.
-Nicole
You mentioned your son wanted a doll and it brought to mind my nephew when he was younger. My brother and sister-in-law went around about this for quite awhile. My brother though he would grow up "gay" and his wife did not see anything wrong with him expressing himself. My nephew ended up with the doll. As his boys were getting older his wife was constantly at my brother about hiding his Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. His response to this was if he had to hide his magazine, then she had to hide her Victoria Secret catalogs. It's funny, but he was right, considering they are as revealing, if not more so.
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteAs far as male teachers being in the elementary levels, yes there are more now, but are still very much out-numbered by the females - but by choice. The male fourth grade general ed. teacher I work with at a public school in Princeton, has a wife (who I worked with last year) who teaches Kindergarten. He said to me, "I don't know how she does it - the little ones are so demanding". Do I think that it's a coincidence that most male teachers who are in the elementary level usually teach the upper grades - no in my opinion, it's by choice. That was what I was trying to stress with my son when he said that males were discriminated as teachers. I said it was their choice to teach at the upper levels not that they were being discriminated against. It's just what I've seen in the schools I've worked at. Hopefully, more and more male teachers would decide to work at the elementary level. I feel it would be a good experience for both genders to have male teachers.
First, I had to mention that your post reminded me of my own childhood. I had an aunt who always gave me "boys" toys when I was growing up. Now, I did love the GI Joes and Hotwheels, and don't remember anyone objecting to my playing with them. Being an adult now, I know several families that would have an issue with this.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I work in healthcare and have to say that there are actually quite a few male nurses now. On a recent flight two out of the three flight attendants were male and the pilot was female! Still, I will admit there is some bias toward men in certain positions, although many of these "traditionally" female occupations resulted from WWI & WWII when women were left behind to fill the males roles. So therefore, they were traditionally male roles before when women where expected to be homemakers only.
Tonya has a strong point about the history of job employment post WW II. I too work in the healthcare industry for over 12 years now and there are a large number of male nurses and clinical care technicians in the field.However, I do have to admit that the female secretaries out number the male. The statement that you made that stood out to me the most was concerning male babysitters. At first, I'd have to admit that I may have had a small problem with a young boy wanting to watch my toddler daughter (if I had one)but I guess the same issues that could appear in that situation could appear with a female sitter as well. It's so hard to retrain your thinking..... Huh!
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