Yeah, I’m a Feminist… So What?
Posted on May 2nd, 2007 By laura at 3:19 pm (All, Dinosaurs)
Last night was 6th grade orientation. I am the first to admit, I am not the most enthusiastic parent when it comes to this type of thing. So, as I glazed over while being regaled with the dress code rules and the fact that “gym class is not a fashion show,” I started looking through a publication that was handed out along with the summary of the evening’s speakers. It’s a sort of a magazine called “Middle School EduGuide: Your roadmap to student success.” It’s put out by the Partnership for Learning with the Michigan Department of Education as a cosponsor. On the back cover is a piece called Help Your Child Avoid Trouble, by Jaime Millard.
Odds: 1-in-10 kids have had sex by age 13. Kids constantly hear about sex through television, music, and video games, but they rarely hear about the bad parts: pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and emotional problems.
Antidote: The biggest factors in stopping teen sex are you and the clock. When you can’t be with your child, make sure he is with another adult. Get your son involved with a program during the after school hours, which is when kids are most likely to have sex. Have your daughter volunteer to teach elementary students.
Have my daughter…. what??? Seriously, was this written in 1950? Don’t get me wrong, I agree that 13 year olds having sex is a problem and my BOTH of my kids are kept good and busy after school with lots of adult supervision, but what’s with the prescribed gender roles? Why weren’t we instructed to have our daughters in after school sports which are proven to raise girls’ self esteem (a great deterrent for early sexual experimentation)? Or in elective programs in science or math or computers? I guess I’m just too much of a femi-nazi.
So, Jaime and the Department of Education have spoken. Madeleine, you will no longer run track, ride horses, play your trumpet, or volunteer your time helping with equine assisted therapy after school. Monday we’ll be signing you up for that sewing class and picking out your finishing school.
Barb! said,
May 3, 2007 at 10:12 am
Yeah, those little girls, so slutty. Boys, on the other hand, little angels.
In addition to the sewing and picking a finishing school, she should probably also go get that sexist HPV vaccine.
Rebecca said,
May 3, 2007 at 11:01 am
Laura -
After a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, you should also remember to teach her proper needlepoint, so she can adorn her pockets correctly. This way men will be able to see her skills and know that she is ready for marriage.
WTF??
I think you can still ride, Madeleine, but you have to wear a skirt and ride side saddle…
Rebecca said,
May 3, 2007 at 11:06 am
AGGGGGGGHHH…
Read this:
http://www.partnershipforlearning.org/article.asp?ArticleID=2597
If I really want to go off the deep end, I could point out that Jaime uses the pronoun “she” when talking about privacy and communication and talking. Jaime uses the pronoun “he” when talking about taking your child to work, getting involved in their sporting and gaming activities, etc.
It’s irritating.
Kiley said,
May 3, 2007 at 11:18 am
I couldn’t agree with you more. I will also add in that we should mention to Coleman that if he has any interest in teaching elementary school that he is probably gay or a pedophile. Or both.
It’s About Making Babies! » Blog Archive » Michigan and gender role models said,
May 3, 2007 at 11:24 am
[...] at LJR Enterprises comments on ‘6th Grade Orientation‘. She points out the apparent gender bias in the school pamphlet. It’s a sort of a [...]
Barb! said,
May 3, 2007 at 10:06 pm
so…wait. Michigan’s new slogan is “The Upper Hand”?
I partly find that amusing, but otherwise I find it kind of, um, scary.
Robinson said,
May 3, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Rebecca, that article is so bad on so many levels. Do you think that there are people who actually feel enlightened when they read Jaime’s advice encouraging them to take their children to the library?
Barb, I didn’t even know Michigan had an old slogan. It’s sort of catchy since Michigan is shaped like a hand… well, a mitten really. I’m not sure what we have the upper hand at with our failing economy and all.
Kiley, no son of mine…. I tell ya.
Rebecca said,
May 4, 2007 at 10:13 am
Exactly. It’s so friggin’ condescending. Guess what, Jaime, I also spend time cooking with my…wait for it…SONS. We bake, we make meatballs, we make ravioli, oh my! What have I done???
Maybe we should write an article.
Kiley said,
May 5, 2007 at 2:04 pm
So, on the online version, Jamie switched the pronouns:
http://www.partnershipforlearning.org/article.asp?ArticleID=2579
Interesting.
Madeleine said,
May 6, 2007 at 7:42 pm
You wouldn’t want me to join any sports or other male activities. My after school activities will remain strictly female-oriented.
*gag* What the heck were they thinking?
I just love that article, I wish I had been there to gag a little bit and hate them even more.
I can’t wait until next year, the orientations get a little more sexist each time don’t they?
laura said,
May 6, 2007 at 10:54 pm
I’d like to know when he switched the pronouns. And why use pronouns at all? How about a simple, “get your kids signed up for some healthy after school activities like sports or volunteer work?”
Madeleine, get out your embroidery hoop and be quiet. Everyone knows girls should be seen and not heard. ;)
laura said,
May 7, 2007 at 11:23 am
To lazy to sign in as me (Madeleine)
Dinosaurs?
Brad K. said,
May 31, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Laura, Re-reading your message, and what I posted on my site, I wonder .. I am not sure whether you are a feminist or not. From this particular post, I don’t see the social activism usually associated with feminists. I see a caring parent, and a watchful member of the community, someone aware of recent social changes and how they impact us. Others, feminists, proved the point, and showed us the damage of bias and the power of balance. You may or may not be feminist, but all I see here is a legitimate question of what the school board is doing. Good catch, though!
Robinson said,
May 31, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Thanks for the affirmation, Brad.
Whether or not I’m a feminist really depends on how you define the word. Unfortunately it has become a word that brings up all kinds of negative images for a lot of people. Feminism, in the original sense of the word, just means that I think my daughter should have all the same opportunities and options as my son and that she deserves equal compensation for equal work.
It also means that I don’t brush aside the ingrained patriarchy of our society when I see it. Especially from someone who should have known better. You can’t treat a published article like an e-mail you’re zipping off to a friend. You have to consider the implications and the impact of the words that you use.
There’s more to my views on feminism, but this will be ten pages long if I go on with them.