The interesting part came around when she actually started inverting the order: “The land is owned by Mrs. Joan Smith and her husband Frank Smith.” The staff in the office were so taken aback by this that they had to call in extra backup before they would register the deed.
While I’m not going to advocate changing the spellings of words, I do find it interesting how many times the main character in a book or film is male. Since I want to keep gender stereotyping to a minimum in Stella’s life, I’ve adopted a little work-around for this issue.
When Stella and I read books, we look at the page and describe what is going on, while I make up some kind of story to go along with the illustrations. This way, it’s not quite so boring for me to read the same story 47 times, and it’s a bit more interactive. This becomes significant because when reading the stories, I have been asking Stella to tell me if the main character is a boy or a girl, and to give the character a name.
It’s been interesting to see that Stella will choose about 80% of her books to have a female main character. The same character in the same book will always be the same gender, but in several cases, what used to be boy is now a girl. For example, the following books have been gender-adjusted by Stella:
- Where the Wild Things Are
- The Giving Tree
- The Little Engine that Could (the train is a she)
- Things Dads Can’t Do (actually a very cute book, not really about what the title sounds like)
- Winnie the Pooh
12 comments:
Since the point of any story is to live vicariously through the character, I'm not surprised she projects herself into them as a female. Methnks it might have been cause to wonder otherwise :)
Interesting, the comic strip I have been developing has a main character that is a girl about 6-12 years old.
What a smart kid. I think I'm going to share your post with my feminist theories class if you don't mind. I think they'll get a kick out of it.
Joumana,
Very true. Perhaps there might be something to having gender balanced booksfor that very reason.
Kat,
Feel free.
so being stupid is a male charactaristic? I am all for it....make sure she knows Winnie the bear of little brain is a boy....hahaha!
Karin
the more i think about feminism the badder the taste in my mouth gets. because i'm sexist? maybe, but if sexist is what i am, then there are bigger problems in the world. i keep telling myself that this post was somehow hyperbole, but i suppose you're serious about it.
i guess your former coworker's illustrations were as significant to her as my recent obsession with mathematical paradoxes is to me, but beyond either of, neither is very significant.
Last week my company had a training session on a new vendor's website; the trainer, on speaker phone, asked, "Do we have the billing girls in the room?" At first there was stunned silence (it's an LGBT organization, after all), and then I said, "Yes, his name is Raymond."
I don't see it so much as feminism (although that's a lot of it) as sexism -- the idea that by some set of "natural" laws, Men can Only do some things and Women can Only do others, based on no criteria other than gender. Outside of a few obvious, physically dictated instances, time has demonstrated this ain't necessarily so. But it's a creeping, insidious thing that we sometimes stumble upon accidentaly, when we realize just how indoctrinated we are. I've come nose-to-wall with it in so many surprising places (not just from the female side, but also examining the "men don't/can't do that" side) that I think I'm a little hyper aware.
So, yay you and yay Stella!
after i posted my previous comment, i worried that it would be taken wrong. i agree with sherri that it's (and i'm paraphrasing) ridiculous to assume that women can't do certain things (aside from peeing standing up, which i explicity reserve for my own sex). i watch and play football with my daughter and teach her to do things based on the level of potential fun, not on gender stereotypes. however, stereotypes exist for reasons. the reasons usually involve tradition (as in andy's example... i assume the billing people have traditionally been girls). it's an easy mistake to make, but one that could be avoided with a little thought and awareness. so, while i want my daughter to be aware of her potential as a person regardless of gender, i also want her to understand the gender stereotypes she will have to deal with. one of the things that i attribute any success and happiness that i have is my perspective. perspective is a realistic outlook, which often includes some hurt feelings. my feeling do get hurt sometimes, but i've learned to adapt to that and overcome any weaknesses that hurt feelings could create. sorry to ramble, but this post isn't on top anymore, and i wanted to clarify my mean-sounding comment.
who says a woman can't pee standing? hahaha! Iam a nurse, and I have seen it, I know they can! Altough I admit it doesn't seem tobe accomplished as gracefully...and...I am a true believer in the differences of gender and I take them to be an advantage, not a disatvantage!
KArin
My boss just told me about a former employee who thought "Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Men" was sexist. What is wrong with some people?
That'S what I wonder sometimes too. When a friend of mine asked why I let guys open doors for me I said:" I KNOW I CAN do it. I don't have to proof it ever time" If people want to be nice to me, why not let the just because they are male?
Karin
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