Module 6 Reading Log
1.
An institution is a large set of customs and practices that govern political or social life. It is
reasonable to theorize that both RSA’s and ISA’s are forms of an institution as they essentially
form and enforce societal norms, laws, and rules. Since institutions serve as the primary
foundations for our culture and socialization, they can create dominant hierarchies that reward
individuals born into or who conform to the norms of that institution. Therefore, the
beneficiaries of this societal hierarchy enjoy the advantages the institution provides them. At
the same time, the oppression of those born outside of or who do not conform to the
institution is mainly invisible to the majority and is the living reality of the minority.
There currently does exist invisibility of oppression within the institution of the modern United
States educational system. One example of this oppression can be found in the racial
demographic of teachers within the United States. If the average person were to close their
eyes and were asked to picture a schoolteacher in their mind, they would most likely picture a
middle-aged white female. In 2016, according to the Department of Education, roughly 82% of
all teachers in public education were white. The prevalence of white teachers within the
United States that consists of a racially diverse student population reinforce the belief that
these teachers will likely directly or indirectly communicate their views on race from the
perspective of the dominant institution. Students are not being able to receive a diverse
education by being exposed to teachers from multiple races. The lack of diversity amongst
educators is an invisible issue as education institutions tend to model the traditional teacher as
a white female.
Another example of the invisibility of oppression with the educational institution is the under-
allocation of resources to low-income, minority school districts. This issue is rendered invisible
because a majority of the decision-makers for school funding are lawmakers on the state and
national level who mostly come from the dominant positions of highly educated and upper-
middle-income families. These lawmakers and their children grew up attending schools in
wealthier school districts where the oppressive challenges that lower-income schools face were
out of sight and out of mind. The institutional advantages they receive mean that the
oppression is not a part of their daily life. It is somewhat of a natural reaction for these
individuals to fail to recognize or acknowledge oppression for which they have no personal
stake.
References
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy
and Program Studies Service. The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce.
Washington, D.C. 2016. Retrieved from
[Link]
[Link]
2.
The first argument made by the authors that sexism is difficult to see is that society focuses
more on individuals rather than the patterns of society at large. This particular reason theorizes
sexism (or any -ism for that matter) can be relegated to the belief that the problem is
constrained to only a few extreme examples within the society. For example, suppose an
individual was to turn on their local news station and hear a news story communicating a
recent sexual assault story. In that case, they might compartmentalize the issue of sexual
assault to that one particular incident without recognizing the institutional problem that sexual
assault presents for our present society. They could internalize that the one "bad apple"
perpetrator did a horrible thing to the victim and would be rightfully punished for their actions,
end of story. The individual might also not consider the hundreds or thousands of sexual
assault victims who remain silent out of fear that the justice system will fail them or that they
will be wrongfully judged by society for the assault committed against them.
The second argument made by the authors is that sexism is difficult to see because of the
influence of corporate culture. This argument theorizes that sexism results from the popular
produced culture that is communicated to the populous starting at a young age. The exposure
to and immersion within our culture then subconsciously indoctrinates the populous with
traditional male and female sex roles. These traditionalist gender roles for males reinforce that
men should be dominant and even, in some cases, violent. When I consider the most popular
toys for my generation growing up were toys like G.I. Joes, Power Rangers, and Nerf Guns, all of
which generally involve the child "play fighting." Traditionalist toys for young girls during my
generation would involve toys such as Barbie or the easy-bake oven. Toys that reinforce in
young girls both the desired image of feminine beauty and gender role as homemaker.
Therefore, it is entirely reasonable to understand how young boys and girls are culturally
indoctrinated to assume traditionalist male and female roles and behaviors at an early age and
understand why many men choose to act violently towards others and women.
The final argument made by the authors is that sexism is obscured by the ideology of civilized
versus uncivilized persons in the world. This argument uses extreme examples of sexism
present in other cultures worldwide to justify that western culture is not genuinely sexist. For
example, an individual in the United States might read about the cases of female genital
mutilation that is forced upon some young girls in Africa and reason that that part of the world
is sexist, and because female genital mutilation is not nearly as publicized or prevalent in the
western world that the western world is therefore not sexist. The flaw in this logic is that it
deals in absolutes, that if the case of sexism is not as extreme as genital mutilation, Chinese
foot-binding, or Islamic oppression of women, then it is not truly sexism and does not warrant
attention. The lack of cultural extremes can explain the invisibility of sexism within the western
world as the populous is not shocked into being attentive on the issue and then taking action.
However, it is also okay to admit that although sexism is a prevalent issue in the western world
and all sexism in the world needs to be addressed, women in the western world experience far
less oppression than women in some cultures worldwide.
3.
Mass cultural media places a massive role in shaping our cultural and individual views on
various areas that impact gendered communities. As mentioned in an earlier response, one
way the mass cultural media impacts the way gendered communities experience life is through
media to assign and reinforce traditionalist gender roles. Advertising, movies, musical lyrics,
and videos traditionally communicate traditionalist behavior desired for both males and
females. Women in media can be traditionally portrayed as housewives, submissive, and
reflective of traditionalist feminine idolized beauty, while men in media can be portrayed as
dominant. I love movies and even took some classes covering movies as an undergrad, and it is
fascinating to see how men have traditionally been portrayed throughout cinematic history in a
way that women would never have been permitted to do. For example, films throughout the
1970s and 80s continuously reinforced the sexist dominance of males and can be reasoned to
have contributed to the violent expression of that dominance through sexual assault. Films
such as Porky’s, Animal House, Sixteen Candles, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Revenge of
the Nerds all contain scenes that would constitute sexual assault portrayed in a comedic tone
with the male committing the sexual assault is portrayed positively, heroically, and desirable. In
fact, in almost every case, the female victim of the sexual assault ends up "falling in love with"
the male perpetrator of the assault. Some critics of the influence media can have on sexism
may dismiss these films as fictional portrayals and that a real man would know the difference
and make the right decision. However, according to the FBI, from 1970 to 1990, during this
golden age of male-dominated comedic portrayals of sexual assault, the number of cases of
forceable rape per 100,000 people in the United States increased from 18.7 to 41.2, a growth of
220%. Those numbers began to decrease during the 1990s and early 2000s but have begun to
rise again in the 2010s, with 2018 having the highest recorded cases of forceable rape per
100,000 in recorded United States history.
Media has also shaped the way genders experience sexual relationships. The podcast “It Starts
in Middle School” did an excellent job of communicating how media and culture shape our
views on sex and relationships when we begin to experience the onset of puberty and the new
feelings that derive from this change. Males and females begin to develop sexually both
biologically and psychologically, and both genders need guidance to help them through this
process. However, the problem within our society is that males and females turn to unhealthy
sources of guidance mainly found through the propagation of masculine and feminine sexuality
through media. One expert on the podcast made a good point in that during puberty, the
pleasure-seeking centers of the brain are proliferating, while the decision-making centers of the
brain are growing slowly. Therefore, it is reasonable to understand how these young persons
will gravitate and attach to any understanding of sexual pleasure presented to them through
media without fully understanding and comprehending what that particular pleasure
represents or how it may be somewhat fictionalized. One example of the destructive nature
media can have on healthy sexual views amongst genders is the prevalence of pornography
within our society. According to the podcast, most people are first introduced to pornography
between the ages of 10-12, meaning that what they are visually seeing is likely their first real
exposure to the concept of sex. Young males can view pornography and be somewhat
brainwashed into believing that they view a realistic portrayal of sex that will mirror what they
personal experience during their first sexual encounter. This belief can lead these young men
to have unreasonable expectations of their sexual partner that their partner may be
uncomfortable with or treat their sexual partner as an object of personal pleasure instead of a
relational lover. Young women may view pornography and be brainwashed into believing that
they are expected to act or look like the pornstar while performing the same sexual acts even if
they are uncomfortable with the act. These young persons need guidance as they start
experiencing these biological changes and viewing gender and sexuality through the media.
Within an educational context, schools must serve as a way for students to receive pertinent
information about gender and sexuality. Sexuality is wrongfully considered to be taboo within
our society and schools. I once had a project for my Anthropology students squashed by my
school's administration because one student group had constructed an anonymous student
survey that measured the current student body's views on sexuality, as well as sexual behaviors
and practices. I decided to clear it by the administration before it was administered, and the
survey was deemed to be inappropriate for a school setting and potentially controversial, even
though it was a senior class full of 17 and 18 year old's who were about to go off to college, the
military, or full-time jobs. Without providing a safe and healthy space for students to discuss
their sexuality with adults, professionals, and one another, then it is unreasonable to expect
these traditionalist views and clashes on sexuality ever to change.
Gender can be better represented within an educational context in a variety of ways. First,
more representation and communication about the transgender community within schools.
However, I personally believe that this should not be communicated to elementary schools as
children at that age would likely be confused by the concept of transgenderism. Middle and
High Schools should have regular communication with their student bodies about what it
means to be transgender and properly respect transgender individuals and their rights. Schools
can also do a better job of helping the student body understand the complexities of being male
and female within that school. The podcast expert shared a good idea of having an open forum
with students to describe their experiences and challenges as males and females at the school.
This forum would be a great way to have open communication and a better understanding of
how the school environment and youth culture can better represent and respect each gender.
Side note apart from the response: I was concerned by the NPR podcast about the transgender
child Q, as it was communicated that he knew he was transgender at three years old. It is
illogical to expect a three-year-old who cannot speak complex sentences or write their name to
understand the complexities of gender fluidity. I am worried that this child's parents reinforced
their child's confusion in the name of social justice, which shaped what he then experienced as
normal (his transgenderism) without ever really deciding for himself. This reinforcement was
evident when the child mentioned that the only advice they would listen to about hormone
therapy would be from his parents and a transgender youth camp community. In the same
way, culture would reinforce traditionalist gender; this child has been surrounded by culture to
reinforce his transgenderism.
References
2019 Crime in the United States. (2019). U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Retrieved from
[Link]
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