April 15th, Gender Equality and Leadership Club members had a discussion about Gender Bias around us. First we tackled instances where we were a gender minority in specific spaces. One of the first and most powerful examples that we encountered was our very own club. Within our club spaces there are majority female identifying individuals, making any non-woman a gender minority within our club. We found this by a raise of hands—when those who were non-woman raised their hands we found there were two within those in the meeting, speaking towards ways in which we can unconsciously contribute towards the general discomfort of being a minority within various spaces. Another example was one of our members—who is largely involved in STEM activities—noting that in her activities, she was typically a gender minority. She went on to give the example of her AP Calculus class, stating that there were only ten girls in her class. To which another member noted that we can see this throughout the classes at Green Level, with the higher level arts classes typically having more female identifying students. We constantly find ourselves within situations where the programs are either tailored or more saturated in one gender, leaving us in a more divided community and society. It is important to uplift others as we move through our extracurriculars and note the ways in which we may either benefit or be at a disadvantage. It is having conversions and discussions about these topics that help us progress as a society.
Stay tuned for our next meeting/discussion!
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Gender reveal parties have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially ones involving a creative reveal, such as cutting into a cake, releasing balloons, or even having a firework show. However, a lot of the time these parties involve elaborate decorations and props which contribute to waste and resource consumption. One of the primary environmental concerns is the use of balloons, banners and confetti that often end up in landfills or litter natural environments. This disposal contributes to pollution that harms wildlife, especially marine animals that mistake the waste as food. These parties that involve fireworks or smoke bombs have negative effects on our air quality and wildlife habitats. The harmful chemicals that are released during these reveals can contribute to air/water pollution and damage our environment. In some cases, wildfires have been sparked by these parties, a well known example is the El Dorado Fire. On September 5th 2020, the Jimenez family set off a pyrotechnic device to reveal the gender of their new baby, the smoke ignited the surrounding dry brush and sparked a fire that burned through 22,000 acres of land across Southern California. The extremely dry conditions tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight, making them more frequent and destructive. So although gender reveal parties are a fun way to celebrate a new life before they’re born, we should keep the environment in mind when planning them so we can help to protect our Earth.
Sources: “Man behind gender reveal that sparked El Dorado fire in Southern California pleads guilty.” USA Today, 12 February 2024, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/12/2020-el-dorado-fire-gender-reveal-guilty-plea/72568332007/. Accessed 14 March 2024. Syed, Zayna. “Gender reveal parties are a bad trend for nature.” Popular Science, 15 February 2023, https://www.popsci.com/environment/gender-reveal-party-accidents/. Accessed 14 March 2024 By: Eva Fishburn Before more modern years, there was a strict distinction between toys for girls and for boys. For example, nurturing related toys like dolls were marketed towards girls, and trucks, action figures, and aggressive toys were marketed towards boys. These gendered toys are blamed at reinforcing society's expectations and limiting children's exposure to a diverse range of activities/future jobs. However as there was an increase in awareness of harmful gender stereotypes in the world, activists began to question limitations that stemmed from gendered toys. Nowadays, gender-neutral toys like building sets or hands on activities are gaining popularity, many believe that labels on toys can be harmful for child development as gendered toys are thought to increase anxiety amongst children (who worry about playing with the wrong toy). But, should gender neutral toys exist? Many critics of these toys often point to obvious biological differences between boys and girls which can lead them to naturally prefer gender-specific toys. This ongoing debate raises important questions about the balance between traditional norms and inclusivity. Finding a middle ground is important to respect diversity without dismissing childrens personal preferences.
Source: Blakemore, Judith. “What the Research Says: Gender-Typed Toys | NAEYC.” Naeyc.org, National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2019, www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/play/gender-typed-toys. By: Eva Fishburn |
AuthorStudents of Green Level High School Archives
April 2024
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