Web Exercises

Web Exercise #1: Cultural Influences on Gender Development in Infants and Toddlers

LO 13.1 Describe the progression of gender development from infancy through late adulthood, including common stereotypes and sex differences.

In this exercise, students should pick a country other than their own, research how infants and toddlers are raised, and develop a PowerPoint presentation to discuss the contextual and cultural influences on the gender development of infants and toddlers in that culture. Share your presentation with your classmates. Write responses to three of your classmates’ PowerPoint presentations. What did you like? What did you learn? What would you still like to know?

 

Web Exercise #2: Gender-Neutral Parenting

LO 13.2 Compare and contrast biological, cognitive, and contextual accounts of gender role development.

Directions: This assignment can be done independently. Chapter 13 discusses gender role development and the biological, cognitive, and contextual theoretical explanations of gender role development. Throughout the world, the ideas of gender roles are changing. Some people argue for gender-neutral parenting: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/09/04/gender-neutral-parenting-letting-kids-choose

or for gender-neutral pronouns: https://genderneutralpronoun.wordpress.com/. Some people even suggest children should be educated in gender-neutral schools: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-14038419 and https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/pushing-prams-with-boys-at-stockholms-first-gender-neutral-pre-school. Others argue bathrooms should be gender neutral, and one school in San Francisco already introduced this concept: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/miraloma-elementary-school-gender-neutral-bathrooms_55eef9bde4b03784e2767cb0

  1. What do you think about gender-neutral parenting?
  2. What do you think about the use of gender-neutral pronouns?
  3. Would you send your child to a gender-neutral school? Why or why not?

 

Web Exercise #3: Depression, Suicide, and LGBT Adolescents

LO 13.3 Discuss the development of sexuality and sexual orientation.

Directions: This activity may be done individually or in small groups. Chapter 13 introduces students to the fact that some adolescents are attracted to the same sex or feel as if they are living in a body of the wrong gender. This influences self-conceptions, self-esteem, and identity development in different ways than adolescents who are straight. US citizens have argued for years whether or not same-sex marriages should be recognized, and many people continue to stigmatize non-heterosexual relationships. The purpose of this assignment is to explore the difficulties some LGBT adolescents face, the depression it may lead to, and examples of adolescents who committed suicide due to the difficulties.  Watch the following videos and then answer the questions:

Several organizations have been developed to try to raise awareness of the issues LGBT adolescents face and prevent discrimination and bullying.

  1. What were your reactions when watching the videos in this exercise?
  2. Do you think schools should do more to stop discrimination and bullying against LGBT students? Why or why not?
  3. What are your suggestions to decrease the suicide rate in LGBT adolescents?