AIBU - sexist science homework

[Litchick]

Lst night's science homework was to write a short passage about a famous scientist, what they discovered and its applications today.

Fine except that each question said 'he'.

Eg what was his name? What did he discover?

DD and I chose Marie Curie and changed everything to she.

AIBU to make the point on the prep sheet or just touchy?
Does it matter? It felt to me like it does. Grrrr

abetadad - as a student I went to Maurice Wilkins' 80th birthday party (the 3rd guy who got the DNA Nobel Prize with Watson and Crick).
We eventually asked him what working with Rosalind Franklin was like and he admitted that she wasn't treated well, and it was mainly because she was a woman - partly the 'standards of the time', partly because the three of them got on very well and wanted the credit. So yes, definitely sexism there, even if she couldn't get the Nobel anyway because she'd died by then.

I'm greatly in favour of 'pick your battles', but stereotyping and lazy writing aimed at young people is a battle worth picking, IMO.

My MIL told me in all seriousness that Bradford Council had banned Christmas decorations because it might offend Muslims, while standing directly under and enormous lit up Happy Christmas sign slung across the street!

I agree with notcitrus, these are important battles.
I'm sure that the example in the OP was simply a question of a rushed teacher producing something without any ill intentions in mind. It wouldn't be important if it weren't for the wider context. But the truth is that the wider context is of an education system where there is still a systemic gender divide, and an audience of young people who are in the process of finding their place in the world and using the social cues around them (yes, even including gender specific pronouns in science worksheets) to help form their ideas about where they fit in.
I'm feeling slightly touchy about all this stuff right now, as a 14 yr old girl I know (and like a lot) has just started college on one of these basic education + vocational skills courses. She signed up for college with the intention of taking the option in mechanics. Having been there a week, she's now switched to fashion design - despite being a farm girl who lives in jeans, has had no obvious interest in fashion, and is exceptionally handy (she built a chicken ark and run from scratch with her sister over the summer, for example). I'm absolutely certain that she will have received loads of encouragement from the staff to take mechanics - and equally certain that the reason she has switched is because every other girl on the course is taking fashion design or catering, but not mechanics.

Still waiting for that link, ABetaDad

Just like to add my tuppence worth.

Just because it is traditional to use he as a generic term, doesn't make it ok. Many traditions were harmful and subsequently binned.

Children need to simplify life to make sense of it so pick up clues to stick people in stereotypes. They are bombarded with subtle hints like the topic of this thread, about the roles attributed to men and women. That is why it is important to attempt to redress the balance.

Pick you battles - this is all a part of one big battle.

Loving the debate by the way

"To denounce the teachers action as "misogynistic" is bordering on ridiculous."

Don't think anyone did, did they?

(still waiting, by the way, ABetaDad)

The issue is that a nurse would probably be described as 'she" but a doctor (traditionally considered a higher status occupation) would be referred to as 'he'. The whole point of the thread is that a way could and should be found to avoid gender generalizations.

I've ducked out of this thread because it seemed to be going round in circles and haven't read the last several pages of threads, but just to say in support of cory and seeker here: 'Winterval' (coined by a council employee) in Birmingham was supposed to be a lovely, all-encompassing attempt to brighten the season from November to the New Year and get the shoppers rolling into the newly-renovated city centre, though imho they were a bit naive not to anticipate the tabloid reaction.

One of the most famous loony left stories of the eighties, 'Baa Baa Green Sheep' was cheerfully acknowledged to have been completely made up by The Sun.

And as far as I can remember from the early posts, the OP was going to correct the offending language on the homework sheet without fuss, and an interesting discussion ensued about the principle: I've not got the impression that the teacher in question was to be pinned against the wall and denounced, or even shot.

Perhaps it moved on a bit...

Just musing... if (for some strange reason) the question had been to write about a famous crystallographer, would it have been phrased differently? Because in that one particular field of science, I suspect more people are likely to be able to name a female (or two) than a male. But the question setter would probably recognise that there were males in the field...so be less likely to fall into a stereotype.

Language does reflect our mental models of the world.

Errr, I did get the fact that the "keeping my end up/ dominant male" thing was a joke, you know. That's why I quoted it with a LOL! Were you all too busty frothing at the mouth to actually notice that?!

I was never quite sure how much of all the "person-hole" stuff was invented by the Daily Mail, but it wouldn't surprise me if some of it were true from the more Loony Left councils.

Oh, and the Millie Tant reference was also a joke. Come on, haven't you got a sense of humour? (Sorry, too easy...)

I do apologise for my amusing typo in 11:40:58. If I could go back and change it, I would... oh dear....

the fact that one poster on this thread could lump women with other "minority groups" says it all for me

I am not prepared to accept that being half the population makes us into a minority

Yeah, I knew you realised it was a joke but I got the impression a few other people hadn't.

I nearly put something in my clarification about you being a big enough boy to take a joke but thought better of it.

However since you are now accusing me of 'being too busty' ...

we had one of those supposedly loony left councils

and we don't half miss them now they're gone

Oops, UQD.

Snow White and the Seven PORGs?

Busty.. ha ha ha!

With regards to:
"I'm sure that the example in the OP was simply a question of a rushed teacher producing something without any ill intentions in mind. It wouldn't be important if it weren't for the wider context. But the truth is that the wider context is of an education system where there is still a systemic gender divide, and an audience of young people who are in the process of finding their place in the world and using the social cues around them (yes, even including gender specific pronouns in science worksheets) to help form their ideas about where they fit in."

Being a sensitive teacher I just want to point out that the "systemic gender divide" is not just prevalent in the education system, it is prevalent everywhere and I'd say the biggest influence is actually at home, through speech and actions of the parents and others in their social circle. We teachers spend a lot of time challenging assumptions made by the children in school, not teaching them sexist ideas, but we cannot control what they are told at home.

I stand corrected, Harpy. It sounds like the sort of nervous overreaction that occasionally causes a school to ban running in the playground, which always excites the press so much. H&S is the new Equal Opps.

I'm sure it was never as widespread as reported, though, and it doesn't negate the need to practise reasonable care in use of language, or indeed in school safety.

I took my DD for a look round a local secondary with another girl and her parents last year: as we approached the textiles room, the deputy head showing us round said, 'You'll love this, girls', and indeed, there were some girls in there enjoying their sewing. Then we went next door to the DT room, full of boys and lathes, and she made no comment. I said, 'Are girls discouraged from taking DT then?' and she back-pedalled furiously. It was a careless slip, she recognized it, not the end of the world, but - my DD thinks she might like to be an engineer one day; I think it matters that a deputy head might make that sound like an odd career choice.

But, Pyrocanthus, I suspect this teacher was speaking from experience, where girls do enjoy the textiles, and boys do tend to enjoy the lathes more.

It raises the question as to whether traditionally female careers/interests are not as worthy as traditionally male ones. Is it better to be an engineer than a seamstress or fashion designer?