Reading the article on gender myths was eye opening to say the
least. In daily discourse, and even in the textbook, I have been lead to
believe boys are superior at learning in math and science disciplines while
girls have the upper hand in literature. The textbook is quick to reiterate
that correlations do not imply causation, but the focus on gender discrepancies
remains. Instead of echoing the stereotypes and falling back on correlational
studies, the Lise Eliot article actually attempts to uncover factors that cause
the gender discrepancy. I found two points particularly interesting. First,
boys play in physical activities at a young age while girls play
conversationally. Regardless of the motivation for this gendered play, the
result is boys develop spatial awareness, which is important in math and science,
while girls develop phonetic awareness, which is important in reading and
writing. Gendered play then works to maintain the stereotype. Second, and related
to the first point, Eliot points out that in locations with more gender
equality, the discrepancy lessens and in some cases disappears. The take home
from this article for me then is how gender is contrived and can be less
prominent if society ascribes less importance to it in daily discourse and
scientific studies.
The other groups’ presentations offered insights as well. For the
poverty group, I found the discussion of power, the racial nature of it, and
its effects in terms of race to be interesting. I also found the multicultural
education group’s discussion of equality in curricula to be insightful. I
enjoyed the class configuration during the forum. The relaxed nature of the
activity and the intimateness of the circle, owing to the relationship the
class has developed throughout the semester, facilitated discussion during the
forum. In terms of practicality, what I take most from the forum is to be aware
of differences, whether contrived or natural, and work to make the classroom as
egalitarian and fair as possible. The forum has cautioned me in another way
too. Because we used the forum to supplement our discussion of the textbook,
and because my own article pointed to problems in scientific research, I will
go on with my educational and professional career with a more healthy
skepticism of scientific studies, especially those that confirm stereotypes.
