Category Archives: Gender Socialization & Identities

Young, Gay, and Absolutely Singular

Friendship, Love, & Sexuality, Gender Socialization & Identities

“Perhaps the single most defining characteristic of sexual-minority youths’ intimate relationships is that they have no single defining characteristic: the types of casual, intimate, platonic, and romantic relationships these youths pursue with same-sex and other-sex peers are as diverse as the youths themselves.” (from Diamond and Savin-Williams)

This passage sums up the most important point of this article very simply. Sexual minority youth can, like any other group, be studied. However, sexuality across the lifespan cannot be examined categorically. There are countless factors in the formation of sexual identity, orientation, and relationships which exist on a sliding scale and not as yes/no answers. Continue reading Young, Gay, and Absolutely Singular →

Cultural differences related to identity issues

Culturally, Linguistically, and Socioeconomically Diverse Adolescents in Urban Contexts: Framing the Conversation, Gender Socialization & Identities

“Middle school students are not only ready to examine complex and sophisticated issues of identity but are already forced to tackle the on their own, if nowhere but in the hallways of our school. Racial typing and stereotyping, sexual harassment, and queer-bashing can be witnessed outside my classrooms every day (and this phenomenon is absolutely not specific to under-resources schools.)” (Loren Krywanczyk, 2009)

I was shocked by the fact that middle school students have to deal with this very sophisticated identity issue which I, as a teacher, never thought about addressing to my students. This queer pedagogy the author proposed and employed in his classroom is actually a whole new content for me because of the huge cultural differences related to this kind of issues. To be honest, I’ve never heard the words like “queer”, “dyke” and “fag” until I came to the U.S., and although I did talk about gay when I was in china, I have had some deeper thinking about it since I were here. Continue reading Cultural differences related to identity issues →

The Gender War in Education

Gender Socialization & Identities, ,

“We categorize for the sake of argument, clarity, and for ease of thinking, but sometimes our categories cause problems and keep us from seeing the students before us.”

While Chapter 5 in Adolescents at School dissects the psychological  as well as the gender norm differences between boy and girl students that teachers should be aware of, I was reminded of how hyper aware students are aware of these gender differences. Continue reading The Gender War in Education →