Sexism
in
Based on the novel
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
“The thing women have
yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”
~Roseanne Barr
Sexism is discrimination or devaluation based on a
person’s gender.
A
WebQuest by Lea J. Brown
11th
Grade English
The
Introduction:
Women
have always been prejudged, misinterpreted, and categorized erroneously as the
weaker sex. Since the beginning of time,
they have played the role of inferior creatures, adversely limited by their
very gender. Often labeled as
incompetent, uninformed, or naturally too imbecilic to know any better, the
female generation has traditionally taken a seat in third class while men were
the ultimate pilots. Historically, women
living in a man’s world remained silent, unequal partners, doomed to bear the
burden of an unfulfilled life, often living in intimate associations with their
oppressors.
The heroine Hester Prynne in Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s classic The Scarlet Letter,
committed
adultery and
bore a child out of wedlock, which led to her physical and emotional ostracism
from her
Puritan community. However, her lover, the
esteemed Reverend Dimmesdale,
co-existed in
anonymity, despite his self-inflicted shame and overwhelming guilt. Although
Hester’s inner strength compelled her to
survive against insurmountable odds and even
resulted in the
townspeople’s admiration of her commitment to the less fortunate in her
community, her
illustrious partner in crime eventually succumbed to the pressures of his
guilt. Nevertheless, he was regarded as the pillar of
righteousness and conviction.
Similarly, today, men often benefit
from preferential treatment associated with
gender. Nationally as well as internationally, men
have traditionally enjoyed the
advantages of
acquiring roles of leadership, subsequent higher wages, and determining
decisions for
mankind, while women sit idly on the sidelines, hoping for some semblance
of
recognition. The inequality of sexism
has permeated most occupations, thus preventing
women from breaking the ceiling of limited education,
employment, and status in our
society. In the twenty first century, women are still being
judged by their superficial
qualifications
such as physical attributes, as opposed to their intellectual aptitude.
Men continue to dominate the political
arena. However, with key players such as
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the
game is now
shifting, paving the way for more women of distinction. In the entertainment
industry, women
combat the battle of the bulge, often struggling with anorexia in order
to be
considered worthy for various movie roles.
However, several portly or obese male
actors, rappers,
and musicians have managed to maintain their careers. We still live in
a society where
the bearing of a child could also lead to immediate termination from
employment. In
the religious arena, many parishioners, both male and female, prefer that
men lead the
flock, and some denominations bar females from acquiring roles of
leadership
altogether. Although some progress has
been made, sexism is unequivocally
detrimental to
women in our society.
Because I am a woman, I
must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say,
"She doesn't have what it takes." They will say, "Women
don't have what it takes." ~Clare Boothe
Luce
Task:
In order to expose the unfairness of
sexism among women in
investigate examples
of discriminatory practices, societal values that promote sexism,
and the proliferation
of biased or preferential treatment in occupations, religious
corporations, as well
as institutions of higher learning. In
groups of five, provide specific
examples of sexism against
women based on your research, as well as methods that prevent
sexism from
occurring. You are encouraged to make
text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-
world connections
wherever they are applicable. Your group
will be responsible for making
a five minute, oral
PowerPoint presentation, which must demonstrate your understanding
of the topic and the
public policy analyst model.
Process:
Step 1: Your teacher will assign one of the following
roles to each group member:
Group Leader-you
will coordinate all activities, facilitate group conferences, review research,
and ensure adherence to all guidelines and deadlines (i.e. completion of all
six worksheets, scheduled conferences with teacher, etc.)
Researcher-you
will ensure that all members in the group are responsible for completing their
own research, compile data for review, report findings to the group, and that
the research is included in the PowerPoint presentation
Presenter-you will facilitate the five minute
PowerPoint presentation and supervise the
follow-up Question and Answer session
PowerPoint Creator-you will be responsible for
working with all members in the group
and
make slides that display the work of the group (i.e. provide drawings,
sketches, flowcharts, summary tables, cartoons, etc.)
Researcher-you
will ensure that all members in the group are responsible for completing their
own research, compile data for review, report findings to the group, and that
the research is included in the PowerPoint presentation
Time Keeper-You
will ensure that all members of the group are completing their tasks in a timely
manner, as well as take notes during group meetings in order to determine
allotment
of
time for subsequent conferences within the group
Step 2: Your group will complete the six-steps of a Public
Policy Analyst in order to investigate issues of sexism and challenges for
women who currently live in
Using
the PPA website,
follow the tutorial guidelines to complete the following worksheets:
Identify the nature
of a social problem
Gather evidence to
support the existence of the problem
Determine the
causes and factors contributing to the problem
Evaluate existing
public policies
Develop public
policy solutions
Select the best
public policy solution
Step 3: Using the public policy solution
determined by your group, you will now present an oral PowerPoint presentation
to the class. Designated group leaders
will be responsible for organizing the PowerPoint presentation, deciding which
research to include, and working closely with each group member to make sure that specific tasks by each group member is completed. The class will then score your performance
based on the rubric provided.
Make
sure that you support your solution with internet findings and examples from
the text,
The Scarlet Letter.
Step 4: As a Public Policy Analyst, you will:
·
Discuss factors that may lead to sexism
·
Inform the public of probable signs of sexism
·
Provide statistics (i.e. the percentages of women who are denied
employment or
paid less than men within the last ten years)
·
Suggest methods to prevent sexism
·
Provide contact information of agencies, organizations, and individuals
that offer professional help for women who are at risk
Resources:
http://www.leftofcollegestation.com/2009/09/everyday-sexism-stereotyping-of-women.html
Take
Action - Feminist Majority Foundation
Our
Values | Young Women’s Empowerment Project
Women's History
Then & Now - Feminist Art Victorian to present
Evaluation:
Oral Presentation Rubric
|
CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Content |
Shows a full understanding of the
topic and uses many textual examples. |
Shows a good understanding of the
topic and uses some textual examples. |
Shows a good understanding of parts of
the topic and uses few textual examples. |
Does not seem to understand the topic
very well. |
|
PowerPoint Slides |
Student uses multiple slides that show
considerable work/creativity and which make the presentation better. |
Student uses many slides that shows
considerable work/creativity and which make the presentation better. |
Student uses several slides which
makes the presentation better. |
The student uses no slides OR the slides
chosen detract from the presentation. |
|
Speaks Clearly |
Speaks clearly and distinctly all the
time, and mispronounces no words. |
Speaks clearly and distinctly all the
time, but mispronounces one word. |
Speaks clearly and distinctly most of
the time. Mispronounces no more than one word. |
Often mumbles or can not be understood
OR mispronounces more than one word. |
|
Collaboration with Peers |
Almost always listens to, shares with,
and supports the efforts of others in the group. Tries to keep people working
well together. |
Usually listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group. Does not cause "waves"
in the group. |
Often listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group but sometimes is not a good team
member. |
Rarely listens to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of others in the group. Often is not a good team member. |
Standards
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write
for information and understanding; they will collect data, facts, and ideas and
use electronically produced texts.
Standard 3: Students will
read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation;
They will analyze
experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety
of criteria. As speakers, they will
present, in oral language, their opinions, and judgments on experiences, ideas,
information, and issues.
Standard 4: Students will listen, speak, read, and write
for social interaction. They will use
the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and
their views.
Social Studies
Standard 1: Students will use a variety of intellectual
skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes,
developments, and turning points in the history of the
Standard 5: Students will use a variety of intellectual
skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing the
basic civic values of American constitutional democracy, as well as the roles,
rights, and responsibilities of citizenship.
Math, Science, and Technology
Standard 2: Students will access, generate,
process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.
Standard 5: Students will apply technological
knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and
systems to satisfy various needs.
Standard 7: Students will apply the knowledge and
thinking skills of technology to address real-life problems and make informed
decisions.
Conclusion:
Congratulations! Based on your active and collaborative participation,
you now have a greater appreciation and understanding of the biased, unfair
practices imposed on women in our society.
You have learned how to utilize the procedure of a Public Policy Analyst
in order to identify and devise solutions to problems that impede our progress
as a nation. You have learned the skills
of a dynamic intellectual, empowered by knowledge and a desire to engage in
dialogue about persistent problems that demand our attention.