Gender Stereotyping

[Guest]

I am currently in my second year of my FDa and I am embarking in a small scale inquiry - here are my thoughts;

I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A DISCUSSION, OPINIONS, THOUGHTS ON GENDER STEREOTYPING, specifically the following;

I am looking at my small scale inquiry and I am considering investigating the influence of an all female practitioner setting on how we set up the environment and whether subliminally we set up based on gender?

For example; is the construction area set up with more focus based on boys and the creative area set up for girls? - this is not my opinion just my suggestions.

Also we receive supporting documents for "Engaging Boys in the Early Years" and "A Place to Talk for Boys" but where are the documents for supporting girls?

Do we naturally treat girls and boys differently when engaging them in play?

Please feel free to comment and discuss.

Many thanks in advance

Kelly

[zigzag]

At the moment my group is about 75% boys. When planning or setting up I never think about gender, I also think that both genders use the equipment and activities equally. The only time we do experience any difference is for large physical play ie, the majority of the boys need to have a run/physical activity very early in the session before they can settle. The girls we have at the moment do not need this, but they do enjoy being outside and using the bikes throughout the session. It may be totally different with the group next year however!!

[Mouseketeer]

We also aim to be unbiased towards girls/boys when planning resources/activities, occasionally I have to remind a member of staff who might say something like "maybe the girls would like.....) but to be honest i think the children are conditioned before they ever get to us..the boys err towards the "boys" toys and the girls to "girls" toys...and it isn't unusual for a 3 year old boy to have a breakdown because the cups have been handed out and he's been given a pink one .....not often the girls worry if they have a blue one though.

 

2 little girls yesterday were having a disagreement over who should be 'mummy'....so doing my bit for non- stereotyping I asked why they couldn't both be mummy, explaining that some families have 2 mummies and some have 2 daddies, one said 'not in my family they don't' and the other gave it some thought and said "ok, you can be a mummy from Australia and I'll be a mummy from Spain" LoL

[catma]

But given what is known after all the research about the differences in brain development in boys and girls and physical development in boys and girls why wouldn't we be taking that into account and providing differently? That isn't about being unfair or biased, it's about providing the right things for the children.

Statistically boys do less well than girls in the EYFSP - if they've been treated the same then why would that be? So the argument for better gender differentiation is quite strong in my opinion. Hence the documentation to support a positive proactive approach to raising boys, and the courses for parenting focused on raising boys.

[eyfs1966]

I think that as practitioners we are generally quite good at ensuring we are not overtly stereotyping, however it is more diificult to spot and eliminate the almost subliminal sterotyping of "oh don't you look pretty today" and "what a big,strong boy you are" type comments. Many books aimed at the early years agegroup are also guilty of stereotyping.

Edited March 1, 2013 by eyfs1966

[Guest]

We do consider gender but in the ways Catma mentioned...boys mark making opportunities tend to need to be more large scale active and in some cases motivation is just non existent for a spell so we work on manipulation, shoulder arm hand finger strength and suppleness etc so when the time comes they are physically able to hold implements etc

 

We are gender 'neutral' in other ways...who cares if the boys want the pink wellies (well usually the dads but we've won them round now!) ABC covers gender well throughout his blog

 

Agree with Eyfs1966 that the more subtle messages are the harder to change because you naturally want to boost esteem... But 'you look pretty today' is not the only way to do it...but habits die hard!

I'm sure someone linked to an article about how we speak to girls (huffington post I think) if anybody could link again I would be grateful as I lost my copy of it and want it for some student training...my 'Williams doll' book has been very thought provoking too!

 

I'm not a fan of Disney...loved GI Jane just for the fact of being determined to prove them wrong! I grew up a tomboy so would have hated being excluded from all that I loved that in those days was seen as 'boys things'!

 

Our mud pit is enjoyed more by the girls which was fascinating when we were reflecting so we learned to just think in terms of styles of learning for the individual...and if the alien wants to come and play..well we'd get to know him too and welcome him in! Gender does need considering, I feel, it's understanding the reasons you're considering it that makes the difference

Edited March 2, 2013 by gingerbreadman

[SueJ]

I did a bit of gender research for my degree and particularly enjoyed Pink Brain Blue Brain by Lise Elliot (Lise Eliot is Associate Professor of Neuroscience at The Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science. A Chicago native, she received an A.B. degree from Harvard University, a Ph.D. from Columbia University, and did post-doctoral research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Eliot lectures widely on children’s brain and mental development.)

 

It made for v. interesting reading about gender stereotyping.

[HappyMaz]

I'm sure someone linked to an article about how we speak to girls (huffington post I think) if anybody could link again I would be grateful

Was it this one? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html

[Guest]

It is!! Thank you HappyMaz!!!...tis now saved in several places!