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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

I regret not giving my DCs unisex names

203 replies

darleneoconnor · 20/05/2011 23:06

do other feminists?

After reading some stuff on how exam markers/recruiters discriminate based on perceived gender I feel like I've let my DC down.

DD does have a kind of strong sounding name but it's no Morgan.

OP posts:
SerapisBey · 20/05/2011 23:08

lesley?

IHeartKingThistle · 20/05/2011 23:18

I thought exam markers couldn't see names any more? TBH if it's examiners you're worried about I'd make sure they had unisex handwriting. I'm not being sarcastic: I teach English and there's a particular kind of round girly handwriting that makes my heart sink because I'm sure it makes examiners perceive certain things about the student's gender and intelligence regardless of ability.

I'm actually more concerned about students who write like that than about the ones (boys, mainly) who write messily.

I haven't posted in Feminism before and I'm uncomfortably aware that I've made some fairly sweeping generalisations in this post. There are of course lots of exceptions to this but I'm just relating my observations from 10 years of marking - I've seen a LOT of handwriting!

And don't even get me started on little circles (or worse, HEARTS) above letter 'i's....

Sorry, I've gone off on a tangent from your actual subject!

Grumpla · 20/05/2011 23:24

I was just thinking about this earlier! Halfway through ' Delusions of Gender' which prompted it.

My favourites would be George or Sam. Not that I'm trying to turn this into a Feminist Baby Names Thread or owt Wink

Ponders · 20/05/2011 23:26

exam papers are only numbered so markers have no idea (except, as IHKT says, from girly hand-writing...)

recruiters are different I suppose.

MavisG · 20/05/2011 23:28

Me too Grumpia - am half way through DofG and any future daughter is now to be unisexually named - I like Morgan. Can't think of many more.

AyeRobot · 20/05/2011 23:29

Markers can still see names.

I was quite shocked when I discovered this.

Original poster
darleneoconnor · 20/05/2011 23:37

lol, I've just read DoG too!

lots of markers do still see names

but it's not just that, i think it alters the way peers etc see a child

gendered names are as bad as gendered clothes

there should be a pink stinks equi for names

most of the unisex ones are consider 'chav' - see 'bailey' thread

OP posts:
Ponders · 20/05/2011 23:37

so they do (just checked with DS)

I honestly thought it was numbers only - it should be Hmm

of course markers/recruiters should not discriminate anyway, but hard to prove Angry

Ponders · 20/05/2011 23:38

what is DoG btw?

MillyR · 20/05/2011 23:40

I like Rowan as a unisex name.

I was called a boy's name as a nickname as a child and have mixed feelings about it.

MavisG · 20/05/2011 23:41

Delusions of Gender by Coedelia Fine, a very extremely excellent book.

MavisG · 20/05/2011 23:42

Ooh yes, Rowan's nice.

MavisG · 20/05/2011 23:44

And Finn.

I am doing the baby names thing. Oops.

I heard of a Dame Stephanie - Steve - Shirley who took to calling herself Steve (before she became a dame) because people then returned her business calls (in 60s I think).

DontHassleTheBOF · 20/05/2011 23:47

I love Rowan- I have met male and female Rowans. I rather like the idea of a feminist Baby Names thread Blush

Ponders · 20/05/2011 23:56

thanks, Mavis Smile

There are plenty of vaguely unisex names, if the kids are trained to use the short form (eg George, Jo, Sam, Henri, Frankie, Ali, Bobby, Alex) as well as completely unisex names like Rowan

& with foreign names, how are they going to know??

am sad though that it's even an issue now

MillyR · 21/05/2011 00:01

I have just looked up both my children's unisex middle names on a baby name site and found that DD's middle name is more commonly a boy's name and DS's is more commonly a girl's name. So that will confuse markers and employers in years to come.

Original poster
darleneoconnor · 21/05/2011 00:30

if lots of girls start getting called a name then it ceases to be a unisex name as parents are scared of their son being called a 'sissy' see- Marion and Shirley

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 21/05/2011 06:55

I thought girls generally outscored boys in all school examinations? If there is any discrimination going on, it doesn't appear to be negatively affecting the outcome.

jenniec79 · 21/05/2011 07:03

I wouldn't worry too much - all of my recent written exams have involved either only labelling paper with student number or folding and sticking something over your other details. Unless she wears a mask to practical/viva/oral exams they'll work out that she's a girl in those anyway.

By recent I mean this and last academic year btw

exoticfruits · 21/05/2011 07:05

What a strange post-why does a name possibly matter?
Gilrs are out performing boys in exams so the names aren't doing them too much harm.
I wuld have thought that examiners, employers etc are more likely to discriminate against the actual name, as in Charlotte would be more favourable than Courtney.

SuchProspects · 21/05/2011 09:26

Cogito and Exotic Experiments have shown that in general markers mark down papers associated with girls names compared to boys names. The fact that girls are out performing boys in many exams does not mean they aren't being discriminated against. It's quite possible they should be doing better than they are.

exoticfruits · 21/05/2011 09:39

As the mother of boys I simply don't believe it!

exoticfruits · 21/05/2011 09:40

I think that boys get a hard deal in school, and if anything needs to be addressed, it is the boy's performances.

exoticfruits · 21/05/2011 09:40

For a start the curriculum is more suited to girls.

TrillianAstra · 21/05/2011 09:43

My brother and I accidentally have unisex short-form names. My mum spent probably a few hours of her life in total saying "no this one is XXXX and this one is YYYY".

As it turns out my unisex name is 99% a boy's name in the US, so I've spoken to a few slightly-surprised people on the phone (for work) who were clearly expecting a man. I haven't noticed that they treated me any differently after knowing that I was female.