LBS 301: Socratic Discussion Leader Form

Name:​ Celina Frausto

Date:​ Monday, April 3, 2017
Section:​ 01
Assigned Reading(s):​ “Unintentional Gender Lessons in the Schools” by Andrew P. Smiler and
“Seduced by Images: Identity and Schooling in the Lives of Puerto Rican Girls” by Rosalie
Rolon-Dow

I.​ ​Introduction​ ​ repare an engaging introduction to this week’s readings.

–P
a.​ S​ ummary: ​In “Unintentional Gender Lessons in the Schools” by Andrew P.
Smiler, the author explains the roles that society identifies as “appropriate” and
“expected” for girls and boys. Smiler states that society expects “American girls
to be kind, caring, focused on their appearance, enacting a positive or reactive
approach to dating and sexuality, and become caregivers in their families.”
However, Smiler also states the expectations that society has for boys. Society
expects “boys to be independent, unemotional, seek status and power, take an
active role in the dating and sexual realms, and become the man of the house, the
person who has all the power in the house.” In other words, as children grow up,
they already have all these expectations, gender roles, that they have to meet in
order for them to be socially accepted. Smiler also mentions the ways in which
schools contribute to and reinforce these expectations or gender roles. For
instance, he mentioned that based on the social expectations for girls and boys,
educators see girls different from boys. Smiler argues that in schools girls are
encouraged to take English courses and boys Math courses. This shows that
schools are treating girls and boys based on society’s expectations. Since society
sees boys as more powerful and smart, schools encouraged boys to take math
courses. Smiler also explained the outcomes of conformity and non-conformity to
gender roles, femininity and masculinity, the consequences for those who didn’t
follow the assigned gender roles, and some ways in which gendered-expectations
can be minimized. Hence, this reading made me wonder if we'll ever going to end
gender prejudice and discrimination?
Moreover, “Seduced by Images: Identity and Schooling in the Lives of
Puerto Rican Girls” by Rosalie Rolon-Dow was about how ethnicity and gender
intersect to influence schooling for Puerto Rican girls. Rosaline argues that
images used to describe Puerto Rican girls at school focus on their sexualiy and
are cast in opposition to cultural productions of what educated or educable girls
should be. In addition, Rosalie conducted a study at James Middle school located
in a working class/poor, racially and ethnically diverse urban neighborhood in the
northeastern United States. She focused her study on the lives of 9 second
generation, Puerto Rican, low-income girls. During her study, she interviewed
 some of the Puerto Rican girls’ teachers. Through those interviews, Rolon-Dow
found out how some of the teachers at James Middle school saw Puerto Rican
girls. Teachers described Puerto Rican girls as hypersexual girls. As girls who
spent too much time on their hair, make-up, and appearance. They also described
their way of dressing as provocative and overly sexual. Overall, teachers believed
that the way these girls dressed reflected their culture, and they also linked girls’
performance in school with girls’ interest in boys. In this reading, I learned that
stereotypes are powerful because they served as false representations for what is
real, and people still tend to judge others based on their racial stereotypes.

b.​ ​It is important for teachers to have a more in depth understanding of gender
roles and stereotypes to better understand why some students are acting the way
they do, and encourage their students to start thinking critically about stereotypes.

c.​ O
​ pening Activity: I will show the group a quote and explain it.

“There is no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances
of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus, judge
not.” There are always people who have been criticized for their actions,
appearance, gender, or race.

II.​ ​Development of Topic #1

a.​ ​First Topic: Gender roles
b.​ ​Question to get peers’ initial thoughts/opinions about the issue: Do you believe
that there are any gender roles that people should be taught to follow?

c.​ ​DEPTH:​ ​3​ ​questions that prod deeper into the topic.
​i.​ ​ ​What influence does gender roles have on people’s lives?

​ii.​ ​ ​Are gender differences mainly because of biology or more because of

​ ​socialization?

iii.​ ​Who should determine gender roles?

Iv. How does gender roles impact education?

​ READTH:​ ​2 questions that bring up multiple perspectives.

d.​ B
​i.​ ​ ​Why do you think it is socially accepted for females to be masculine than

for males to be feminine?

​ii.​ ​Do you think that the way that a person is raised can affect their gender

identity?

e.​ S​ IGNIFICANCE:​ 1 ​ question about the bigger picture. Why discuss this?
​i.​ ​ ​Would we ever end gender prejudice and discrimination?
 III.​ ​Development of Topic #2
a.​ I​ dentify the second topic: Stereotypes

b.​ ​Question to get peers’ initial thoughts/opinions about the issue: Do you think
identity influences schooling experiences?

c.​ ​DEPTH:​ ​3​ ​questions that prod deeper into the topic.
​i.​ ​ ​What are stereotypes?

​ii.​ ​ ​ Why do you think achievement continues to be affected by identity

characteristics such as ethnicity, social class, and gender?

​iii.​ ​Who can change these problems?

​ READTH​: ​2 questions that bring up multiple perspectives.

d.​ B
​i.​ ​ ​What would education look like without stereotypes?

​ii.​ ​Do you think certain groups are more subject to stereotyping than

others?

e.​ S​ IGNIFICANCE:​ 1 ​ question about the bigger picture. Why discuss this?
​i.​ ​ ​Would stereotyping ever end?

IV.​ ​Closure​ – ​Prepare an engaging closing activity for the discussion.

a.​ ​Summarize key ideas that emerged during the discussion.
·​ ​Review what was said about gender roles and stereotyping. State how
we can teach gender equality in schools.

b.​ ​Closing Activity: Have students write down three things that they learn about
gender roles and stereotypes.