An inquiry into the relationship between language, gender, power, and social position.
Language Topics: Gender roles, patriarchy, gender representation in fairy tales from the classics to contemporary retellings in a variety of media.
Language Topics: Gender roles, patriarchy, gender representation in fairy tales from the classics to contemporary retellings in a variety of media.
Read the article entitled "Learning to be Gendered."
Pages 55-58 in the source book: Language in Cultural Context source book.pdf
Take notes on the following questions:
- According to the article, how are men "made"?
- According to the article, how are women "made"?
Task: Read at least one of the articles below and write down any thoughts or questions you have about the topic.
Ideas:
BBC: Gender Free Pronouns
He, She, It
Sweden’s ‘gender neutral’ preschool
Making letters and emails gender inclusive: Government of Canada
Ideas:
- What does the article discuss about gendered language?
- Do you agree or disagree with the approach? Why?
- What about the approach seems controversial, if any?
BBC: Gender Free Pronouns
He, She, It
Sweden’s ‘gender neutral’ preschool
Making letters and emails gender inclusive: Government of Canada
Task: Choose a task and take notes. You will be teaching your group about the ideas presented in the text:
Questions to consider:
Questions to consider:
- What is the text about? What is the main argument about masculinity?
- What elements of masculinity are discussed? How are they discussed?
- What new ideas stand out to you as being important and why?
- Is there anything in the text you disagree with, find startling, or think are controversial? Explain.
Emma Watson: Gender equality is your issue too
The Difference Between Toxic Masculinity and Being A Man
- Transcript available here
The Difference Between Toxic Masculinity and Being A Man
- Explores language, campus rape culture, and ways forward for this epidemic

construction_of_masculine_identities.pdf | |
File Size: | 1461 kb |
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- A look at two types of masculinity, the 'retributive man' and the 'new man' - A study that looks at the way different groups of boys in a UK high school speak and what this reveals about different types of masculinity.

men_masculinity_and_language.pdf | |
File Size: | 349 kb |
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- Focus on the following sections: What is Masculinity? (p 656-660); Dominance (p. 662-665); Competing Discourse (p. 665-666); Men and Politeness (p. 666-667); Men, gossip and heterosexuality (p. 669)
Task: Read as many children’s books as you can and note your observations about gender identities for females and males.
Click HERE to access the note document
Click HERE to access the note document
My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
Target audience: 4-5 year olds
This book has been challenged in many communities, with the loudest challenges coming from Texas, USA. Why?
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Readings for Tuesday's Class
- "Things Walt Disney Never Told Us"
- Your assigned Brother's Grimm fairy tale
Make notes about the following:
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Further reading:
Psychoanalytic and Gender Theory
Further readings
- "The Meaning of the Phallus in Lacanian Theory" - published on Academia.edu
- Psychological Criticism - chapter from a textbook

feminist_criticism.pdf | |
File Size: | 3751 kb |
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Essential Question:
Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
"The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers and authors who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the 19th century." Cinderella Rapunzel Little Brier Rose Rumpelstiltskin Little Red Cap Hansel and Gretel |
Activity:
- As a group, read your given fairy tale
- Summarize the plot and discuss the characters
- Complete the question chart for your group's fairy tale. Be ready to share responses and teach the class about your tale. We will use the individual information to answer the questions below. Google Doc
Mother Figures
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Role of the father
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Female Protagonist
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Male Hero
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Patriarchy
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Messages or Themes
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Essential Question:
What evidence is there to suggest that Cinderella and Ariel are living in a patriarchal system?
What evidence is there to suggest that Cinderella and Ariel are living in a patriarchal system?
Walt Disney's Cinderella (1950)
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- How could the courtship ritual of the prince’s ball be seen as potentially misogynistic?
- How is a patriarchal society represented? Focus on the choice (or lack thereof) available to the prince and women.
- What is the basis of the prince's “love at first sight” with Cinderella? How could this add to the idea of patriarchy?
- A psychoanalytical theorist might analyze the sword, cigar, and shoe as sexual symbols. Explain the symbolism and how it could be interpreted.
Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989)
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Questions for analysis
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little_mermaid_poor_unfortunate_souls.docx | |
File Size: | 113 kb |
File Type: | docx |
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TED TALK: Cartoons for Change
What is the traditional image of women that Liza Donnelly wants to challenge? How does she show us this tradition? How does she challenge this traditional image in her cartoons? Which cartoons do you find humorous? Why? Not all of Liza Donnelly's cartoons are humorous. Many are autobiographical. How might these cartoons inspire the audience at TEDwomen? |
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Download this chart to use in your analysis
Task: Choose a cartoon to analyze in detail. Fill out the corresponding chart and consider how the images and words work together to critique a larger issue. Use the cartoon analysis document on the P1 site to help with specific features for cartoons. |