According to Sue (2010) no individual born or raised
in a society is immune from acquiring the racial, gender and sexual orientation
biases of that society. More so, biases
are perpetuated through assimilation to the attitudes of the dominant culture
as well as the mass media (Teaching Tolerance, n.d.). Therefore, it is imperative that early
childhood centers teach children tolerance and acceptance.
One way in which such biases are permeated is
through young children’s books, toys, movies.
Christmas is quickly approaching and as I look at the toy commercials
almost every toy is specifically marked to boys or girls. Looking at a young
child’s book; The Princess and the Frog: Tiana’s Cookbook, recipes for kids I realized
that it is gender bias. Although it
begins with an introduction which speaks of a father cooking, most of the pages
are covered with pretty girls in tiaras.
This to me sends the message that a girl’s job is in the kitchen. Even the title and the cover (decorations)
shouts out “this book is for girls”.
Likewise, looking at the children’s movie Toy Story 3, portrays
heterosexuals as it depicts Barbie and Ken.
If a parent/family member was to inform me that they
did not want anyone who is perceived or self- reported homosexual or
transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child.,
I would first inform them that LGBTs are human beings who possess the all the
positive qualities that it is assumed heterosexuals possess. Therefore, they should be given the same
attitudes and privileges that heterosexual receive. Additionally, I would inform them that a
person’s anatomy nor their sexual orientation has any bearing on how well they
can do their job. Essentially nothing
makes a person gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, neither does it have
bearing on their mental and or emotional stability (Advocate for Youth, n.d.).
References
Advocates for Youth (n.d.). Frequently
Asked Questions about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Retrieved
from: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/topics-issues/glbtq/606?task=view
Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions
in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. New York, NY: Wiley
Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). Test
yourself for hidden bias. Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/test-yourself-hidden-bias
Zephirina,
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with you that schools need to teach acceptance and tolerance. If they are not receiving the correct messages at home, they need to here them at school/programs. I take notice as well to the toys that present the girls doing the household chores and like you said shouts out "this is for girls". Everything is still pretty much labeled-without being said boy and girl toys. This to me shows how society still puts labels on things that should be done by girls and things that should be experienced by boys. As Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) states "supporting all children to develop their fullest range of abilities and skills is one of the key principles of the early childhood education field; learning environments and activities that are gender equitable put this principle into practice". It is so important that educators give the children a chance to experience and play with all that they would like. I would be appalled if one of my parents did not want a homosexual individual caring for or interacting with their child. They are human beings just like everyone else and should be given like you said the same privileges as heterosexuals should receive. It blows my mind that individuals would feel this way and prohibit their child from receiving amazing care and quality education because of his/her feelings regarding homosexuals or transgenders. Thank you for a great post!
Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.