Teacher Students Traumatic Childhood Memories of Gender Negotiation

Author(s):

Thordis Thordardottir(presenting / submitting)Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir

Conference:

ECER 2016

Network:

01. Continuing Professional Development: Learning for Individuals, Leaders, and Organisations

Format:

Paper

Session Information

01 SES 10 B, Professional Learning and the Development of Knowledge (Part 2)

Paper Session continued from 01 SES 10 A

Time:

2016-08-25

15:30-17:00

Room:

OB-E2.18

Chair:

Kristin Helstad

Contribution

Recent changes in Icelandic society have increased the demands and responsibility of teachers, in adopting school activities, and to implement professionally the stipulations of education law and policy of school practice, established in new acts and legislations

The emphasis should be on equality, democratic cooperation…. well-being and education of each individual (The Compulsory school act no. 91 /2008), defined in six mutual education pillars for preschools, elementary schools and upper secondary education one of the pillars is Equality. Because of these increased demands of teachers responsibility for equality education The Center for Research on Equality, Gender and Education, School of Education, University of Iceland, are working on investigation of how teacher training students are prepared for this task.The center's main role and mission is, among other, to conduct research in the field of gender studies and equality in schools and teacher education. Promote development work in the academic field, both in teacher education, in preschools, primary and secondary schools, and in policymaking. Guðný Guðbjörnsdóttir and Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir (2012) findings indicate that the teachers educators understand of equality, is broad, and they see themselves as equality oriented. However, they seem to lack knowledge of gender studies fundamental concepts and tend either to ignore or show resistance to gender equality. Thordis Thordardottir and Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir (in process) findings indicate that teacher students have traumatic memories of their gender identity construction related to families, schools and peer pressure.

I argue that teacher students educators need to consider to take gender equality and general equality to thoroughly reconsideration in their curriculum and teaching, in order to make becoming teachers more capable to practice and teach equality in pre- elementary and high-schools

Method

The theoretical framework relies on the construction of gender identity, which refers to the ways that gender is rooted in and expressed through social systems, different responses, values, expectations, roles, and responsibilities given to individuals and groups according to gender. Connell (2014) consideration of how patterns of embodiment have displaced old essentialism (nature versus nurture) in gender studies and hers conceptualizing of hegemonic masculinity is a fruitful way to understand the students experience of negotiating gender relations in childhood together with Martin’s and Ruble’s (2004) description of how gender identity develops as children realize that they belong to one gender group rather than another. Simultaneously the quote “that once children know gender stereotypes their personal preferences become more gender typed (Martin and Ruble 2004:69) is an interesting approach in the analysis. The data is 126 freshman's anecdotes about their first memories of being boys and girls, 23 are becoming preschool teachers and 103 elementary teachers, 113 are females and 13 males. The memories were analysed qualitatively to identify the components of the student’s gender relation and negotiations. The lens was upon common (and diverse) patterns of experience.

Expected Outcomes

In the 126 anecdotes, written by the students 65% related their first memories to school experience and 35% to their homes. Social pressure was a common thread in the students’ descriptions. Their stories indicated a step by step process. In the beginning they believed on “free” gender identity, and they could develop every kind of gender identity in their own way. Secondly they recognized that free gender identity has its price, but it might be worth the cost. Finally they gave in, and adjusted to traditional gender relations, they received through the cultural messages.

References

Connell, R.W. & Messerschmidt, J. M. (2005). Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept. Gender and Society 19(6), 829-859. Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the person and sexual politics. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Connell, R. W. (1995). Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity Press. Martin, C. L. and Ruble, D. (2004). Children’s search for gender cues. Cognitive perspectives on gender development. Current Directions in Pscychological Science, 12(2), 67-70. Gudbjornsdóttir, G. & Lárusdóttir, S. H. (2012). Þotulið og setulið; kynjajafnrétti og kennaramenntun. [The jetset and the couchset: Gender equality and teacher education]. Netla – Online Journal on Pedagogy and Education. Thordardottir, Th. (2005/2012). Hvers vegna á kynjafræði erindi í kennaramenntun? [Why should gender studies be a part of teacher education?]. In A. H. Jónsdóttir, S. H. Lárusdóttir and Th. Thordardottir. (Eds.), Kynjamyndir í skólastarfi. [Gender images in schools] (pp. 33- 53). Reykjavík: Rannsóknarstofnun Kennaraháskóla Íslands. [The research Institute of Iceland University of Education]. Thordardottir, Th. (2012). Að læra til telpu og drengs: Kynjaðir lærdómar í leikskóla (Learning being boys and girls: Gendered learning in preschools]. Netla – Online Journal on Pedagogy and Education

Author Information

Thordis Thordardottir (presenting / submitting)

University of Iceland, Iceland

Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir