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Topic: Feminism in high school
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spatrioter
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2299
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posted 16 February 2005 06:03 PM
Despite attending a Catholic high school, I too was fortunate enough to have feminist teachers who taught from a feminist perspective.My favourite was in my OAC Modern Western Civilization class, where we debated such things as whether Napoleon was an enlightened despot, given his less-than-enlightened attitudes towards women. I also noticed the hostility towards feminism in high school. I think it's seriously a problem, that many young people (including women) seem to have a hatred for the word. I honestly don't understand it, because the same people will fight to the death in favour of women's rights, but they just won't dare call themselves the dreaded 'f' word. I think it has to do with the characterization of feminists in popular culture, and ignorance of what feminism entails, as opposed to an ideological opposition to feminism.
From: Trinity-Spadina | Registered: Mar 2002
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
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posted 16 February 2005 07:57 PM
That's unfortunate, Papal_bull. I found the same thing when I went to university as a mature student (started when I was 27). So many of the women (some still girls - 17) were so defensive against feminism. And yet, if it weren't for feminists, they wouldn't even BE in university, and certainly not in programs like science, medicine, law, etc.I think I've pretty much come to the conclusion that it's a stage that many (if not most) teenage girls just have to go through. As long as peer acceptance and status for teenage girls is, for the most part, based on their acceptance by guys (whether as girlfriends or just as "cool girls"), I think most teenage girls will go through this stage where they go along to get along, and assimilate. Until they get sick of it. [ 16 February 2005: Message edited by: Michelle ]
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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Hailey
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6438
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posted 16 February 2005 11:46 PM
I appreciate that it's a feminist-centered thread so I'm not sure if I am welcoming to ask questions or not.With a brief exception for a year where I took some classes at the high school I was home-schooled so there are some things I do not understand. quote: Yup, I have met a teacher that is actually teaching proper feminist perspective in high school!
Is feminism taught as an option? Or are you meaning that that perspective is being integrated into core subjects? Is that curriculum based or is the teacher bringing her own perspectives to the table? quote: I'm the only person in it that feels that feminism is a necessary movement in today's society.
May I ask how this subject comes up in english literature? Is it a course on women in literature or ? quote: so I can't really answer your question unfortunately except to say that I suspect discussing individual feminist issues may be more successful than talking about feminism in a general way?
I would imagine that that is correct but I'm still trying to see how it fits into the class. Is it part of the curriculum approved by the province or is it a teacher's belief system? quote: We had a grade twelve course in women's studies at my highschool.
I've never heard of that! It makes sense as an option. And I did find a strong bias. I remember when I ever SAID I was taking a women's studies course assumptions that I wasnt comfortable with being made about me.
From: candyland | Registered: Jul 2004
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Papal Bull
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7050
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posted 17 February 2005 12:06 AM
quote: Originally posted by oldgoat: Hey P_B, I just asked Dave about your post. This is a class he's in, right? I've known that teacher for a few years now, and always liked her.
Yes, yonder Dave is in the course. Much heckling has ensued from the likes of your O'Neill paper editors. And a few genuinly good points have been brought up, but ask him in all honesty, how the female's have responded. Hailey: We're responding to things like Chaucer by critiquing them from various view points. I think we're eventually going to get down to the Marxist stuff soon. It isn't being forced on us, this is an optional course. And it says right on the course outline we will be studying "feminist criticism" [ 17 February 2005: Message edited by: Papal_Bull ]
From: Vatican's best darned ranch | Registered: Oct 2004
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Sandy Kemsley
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8319
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posted 01 March 2005 05:49 PM
There's a program on W Network next week (March 8th) called "I Was A Teenage Feminist", targetted mostly at young women but also those of us who were teenage feminists back in the 70's. The website here lists two of the target audience groups as: quote:
- The teenage girl, just as she is dropping in her self-esteem, just as she is confronted with conflicting messages of how girls are supposed to act, just as she is developing her own identity. The teenage boy just as he is learning how to become a man, how to relate to women.
- The college-age woman who, filled with images of man-hating activists from the 70s, who won't self-identify as a feminist because she believes it will make her "unfeminine" and unattractive to men.
There's some very interesting clips from the video on the site that ask about young women's opinions of what feminism is, and some have a strong feeling that it is something that will make them unattractive to men so are reluctant to identify with it. The program might be a good complement to whatever is being discussed in classrooms. I especially like the t-shirt that they have for sale, that says "I'll be post-feminist in the post-patriarchy". [ 01 March 2005: Message edited by: Sandy Kemsley ]
From: Toronto | Registered: Feb 2005
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