Response
In chapter six, the author addresses gender issues among the male and female students through independent reading. An excerpt of interview with Nikki is used. Indeed, from the readings most females are placed at dangerous situations and depict women in submissive ways. This is especially even in our current society and most novels, where women are deemed weak, helpless, and as a result should give in to the desires of their male counterparts. Gender plays out as prominent throughout the chapter.
The society addressed in this chapter has made it normal that the feminine gender is weak. The regular consumption of the narrative storyline that portray girls as the victims serves to normalize this position as the most natural one for the girls to inhabit. It becomes normal that the boy carries the day while the girls are always submissive. This is a matter of supremacy illustrating that the female gender is always placed low and the status quo remains.
In Julia’s classroom, the students used independent reading to appropriate elements of the gender to get a broader view. This is a method of teaching where students are given books related to gender to go and read on their own while indicating the insights from the readings. On gender studies related to literacy, the chapter refers to work that argues, “Children come to literacy in contexts that support in word, action, and ideology gendered ways of reading “(pg 153)
Throughout the chapter, women kept in situations to look like they are under the mercies of men. They are more often placed at the level of children who always have to seek refuge and help from their parents whenever a problem arises. This brings out the issue of gender disparity and respect accorded to both genders in the society, where a woman opinion does not count. It now creates a picture that women cannot do anything on their own without relying on men.
The classroom example used in this book gives a picture of a male dominated culture. This culture teaches men to turn violent towards girls for instance, a boy talked of one of an instance in one of the readings where a woman was chopped off her head, and other male students in the class did not oppose this story. This is gender violence and has become common in the society we live in today. Such kind of gender impunity continues to hurt the females as they always suffer but remains calm regardless of the physical trauma they suffer in the hands of their male counterparts. The boys found that through such experiences people in the society have developed certain beliefs on how women should be treated. From the examples provided it is clear that boys are generally attracted to violent activities and love violent situations, which clearly distinguish them from females who are not inclined towards such character and behavior.
On her part Julia believed that watching violence made people “more prone to violence” and that reading terrifying material made for more “terrified people”(pg 157). This puts the blame on the female students that they are responsible for the gender discriminations they are going through. Most readings claimed that the reason why most females are being despised is that they enjoy watching people who engage in such acts.
Most girls are extroverts; outspoken, outgoing and very interested in making new contacts contrary to the boys who are usually introverts ; reserved, rarely talk and do not like working in groups. Without proper encouragement from the teachers, they may not even participate in-group discussion. In terms of sharing oneself therefore, both genders tend to differ from each other.
Male students like horror and other dreadful readings and they seem more animated than the females. “The boys were more very animated for most of the discussion, and there was a good deal of overlapping background talk related to the primary dialogue” (pg 58). Here the masculine nature of the male gender dominates over the females. Most female students love reading soft stories that do not engage its characters in inhuman activities.
Gender issues also come out in the people’s discussion and opinions on what constitute a popular culture. Almost every society, community, and people group sees their culture, as the commonly known and as such should be adopted by all people. As it plays out in the school environment, this is a representation of what is currently happening that people lives in today. The boys’ perspective, arguments and ways of life gives out the hurting problem that has persisted in the society of impunity and male chauvinisms. The horror movies, books and video clips which depict men as superior is a clear show of this fact.
Reference
Power, Status and Cultural Norms in the Classroom (1st Ed.). (2008). New York: TAYLOR.
