A CASE STUDY: A PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILD MAKES- MEANING OF GENDERED WORLD AROUND HIM/HER
BY: BAHSIR AHMED KHAN (PDT)
INTRODUCTION
Gender
is considered as socially constructed phenomena which shape the roles,
identities and positions for male and female in the society. Different factors
such as family, friends, media and schools are responsible for the perpetuating
gender norms in the society. Leach (2003) states that school experience are very
crucial in gender identity formation. In terms of gender socialization, primary
schools play a very important role because they are the first formal education
setting for the children (Qureshi, Pirzado, &Nasim, 2007).Similarly, parents
are the primary influence on gender role development during the early years of
children lives (Kimmel, 2004, Santrock, 1994). In early years of socialization
process, children learn and construct their gender identity, different social
roles, responsibilities, attributes and opportunities associated with male and
female in the society. As a result, children develop a stereotype behavior
towards male and female. Being a student of the course ‘Gender in Education’, it is very
important for me to understand the underpinning factors which influence children
to develop gendered bias behavior for male and female in the society.
However,
to deepen the critical understanding of the CPs, different concepts and notions
of gender were introduced in the classroom. Similarly, the CPs were also engaged
in meaningful discussions to re-conceptualize and reflect the gender phenomena
in their context. Furthermore, to develop a balance understanding on theory and
practices on gender concept, CPs are assigned a case-study with a child to
understand the factors which influence children to make meaning of gendered
world around them. This case study will help me to understand how children
perceive gendered world around them.
This
paper addresses purpose of the study, questions and methods used for the study.
The paper also discusses findings and discussion and followed with conclusion of
the study.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of the study is to explore and understand how a primary school child
makes meaning of gendered world around him/her. The study also aims to
understand and examine critically the children sense making of gender
relationship around him/her.
MAIN QUESTION
How
a child of primary school makes meaning of gendered world around
him/her.
Subsidiary questions
·
What
are the child perceptions about gender identities?
·
How
does a child perceive gender roles and responsibilities?
·
How
gender perceptions influence a child interests and future
aspirations?
METHODOLOGY
The
qualitative case-study method is chosen as one of the most suitable approach to
explore the child perceptions about gendered world around him/her. Convenience
sampling is opted to select the participant for the study. I selected a primary
school boy of eight years as my study participant. I used semi-structured
interview (see appendix A) as main source of data collection. Informal
conversation and audio tape was also used as tools for data collection. Consent
form (see appendix B) is duly signed by parent of the participant and assured
that the data would be used only for academic paper on gender in education
course.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The
data is transcribed and findings are categorized into different themes.
Gender identity
Children
learn the gender identity as a personal conception of oneself as male or female.
The study reveals that the child differentiates male and female by their hair,
dress and shoes. The child also shared that his parents told him that he is a
boy. Lauer and Lauer (1994) stated that a child’s earliest exposure to what it
means to be male and female comes from parents. However, different tasks and
roles in their families also help children to aware with their gender identity.
The findings show that notion of gender is socially constructed and the child
has learned his gender identity during socialization process. Gender identity
begins at birth and continues throughout our lives (Kimmel, 2004).Similarly,
parents and teachers treat boys and girls differently, dressing infants, giving
gender-differentiated toys and expecting different behavior form boys and girls
which help children in learning their gender identity (Thorne, 1993).
Gender roles
The
society assigns specific tasks, responsibilities and obligations for boys and
girls. Children learn those associated tasks from their family or schools. The
data also reveals that there are different tasks, roles and responsibilities for
male and female in the society. Male are mostly associated with productive work
while female are given reproductive work. Form example the child shared that
male are going out for work while female stay at home and doing their domestic
work such as cooking, cleaning, looking after children and washing clothes.
While male are working in offices and factories. In each society, certain tasks
are deemed suitable for men and women; sometimes there is no clear distinction
(Leach, 2003). But associating productive roles with male and reproductive role
with female shows that the child believes in dominant gender ideology that they
consider themselves future providers of the family (Ashraf, 2009).The study also
shows that the power of decision-making is in the hand of males. Leach (2003)
states that male are usually exercise more powerful roles. These findings
indicate that the child has learned the gender division of labor from society.
The child takes more interest in his studies because his has to play productive
roles in future. Therefore, the value of education is different for boys due to
their productive roles (Ashraf, 2009).
Gender interests
The
data reveal that the child likes to play only with boys because boys can play
better than girls. The child is studying in a co-education school but he is not
happy there. He argues that “I can not
share my ideas openly in the presence of girls because I feel shy therefore I
prefer to study in a boys school”. This hater attitude of the child is
developed from his family or influence of media in the society. Throughout
childhood, gender different interests and gender stereotype behavior is created
and reinforced through family, media and the schools (Kimmel, 2004).The study
also shows that the favorite teacher of the child is a male teacher and he does
not like to study from female teachers because they punish boys more than girls.
Humphreys (2008) mentioned that some male students resist in receiving corporal
punishment from some female teachers. The child thinks that female teachers
impose their authority on male which is not acceptable for him. Similarly he
perceives that boys are superior than girls. This stereotype behavior of the
child is developed through socialization process. However, the child was
reluctant to share further explanations. This behavior of the child will
increase gender disparities in access to resources, power structure and
relationships in the school whereas; one of the purposes of education is to
provide opportunities for male and female on the basis of equity and equality.
CONCLUSION
Overall,
the child has gendered views world around him which is depicted by his
perceptions about roles, responsibilities and attributes related to males and
females. Family and media are the primary factors which influence children to
develop a gendered stereotype behavior towards male and female. Educational
leaders and school teachers can play an important role to sensitize children
about gendered society around them. As a result, children will exercise their
roles on equity and equality basis in the society. This will have an impact on
family and wider society.
Ashraf, D.(2009). Making Gender Sense in Schools
Pakistan. Unpublished Report. Aga Khan University Institute for
Educational Development Karachi Pakistan.
Humphreys,
S. (2008). Gendering corporal punishment: beyond the discourse of human rights.
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527-540
Kimmel,
M. S. (2004). The gendered society
(2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Lauer,
R. H., & Lauer, J. C. (1994). Marriage and family: The quest for intimacy.
Madison: Brown & Benchmark.
Leach, F. (2003). Practicing gender analysis in education. Oxford: Oxfam
Qureshi, R., Pirzado, P., & Nasim, S. (2007). Schooling in rural Sindh. In Qureshi, R., & Rarieya, J.
F. A. (Eds.), Gender and education in Pakistan (pp.
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Santrock, J. (1994). Child development (6th ed.).
Madison: Brown & Benchmark.
Thorne,
B. (1993). Gender play: Girls and boys in
school. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
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