BECOMING A GENDERED BODY: PRACTICES OF PRESCHOOLS (Response by. Ryland Hormel)

          Karin A. Martin’s study poses many questions about the pre-school system and curriculum it follows.  I found the study very interesting; it helped me look at pre-school in a different perspective.  It is a tricky subject to read about, because I am trying to compare my pre-school experience to that of which she talks about.  The tough part is that I do not have very vivid memories of pre-school.  Sure, little things here and there come to mind, but it is hard to narrow down an experience that was from the “hidden curriculum” Martin writes about.  I guess that’s why they call it hidden.  The messages that come across are so subtle and so quick, that I feel someone would only notice it if they were looking out for them.  The “hidden curriculum” I feel like is implemented by society and not necessarily just the teachers.  After reading the article I mostly agree with Martin and she does provide convincing evidence, I would just be curious to see more of it.  What would the results look like in different parts of the country?  Martin stated that all of the teachers in the experiment were women.  I remember there being a male teacher at my pre-school and I am curious how the results would differ if male teachers were involved in the experiment.  Would gender roles be more or less apparent? Overall the article brings up a very important issue that is not often talked about. 

            I found a few points that Martin touched on particularly interesting.  First, when she explains how there were some instances when girls would ask their teacher to tie up their shirtsleeves so they could not use their arms.  Martin mentioned that not once did she see a boy ask for this same thing.  It is like what we were talking about in class.  Generally women sit with their legs crossed or more up right, while men lounge out and take up more space.  Martin suggests that by tying up there shirts, these girls are subconsciously thinking that they are taking up less space.  This amazes me that at such a small age a gender-enforced stereotype can find its way in to a child’s mind.  I do not necessarily believe that all of this comes from the pre-school and it’s teachers.  This is something that is conditioned through ones parents and society.  The second thing that caught my eye was one of the rules the catholic school had written down.  The rule stating: the older children must be off bikes when toddlers arrive.  This is not necessarily a gender related rule or issue, but it seems strange to me that at an age where so little seems to matter, the school system would put titles on the age separation.  This has been something that I have always thought of growing up.  In middle school I always wondered why I couldn’t hang out with the older guys and why I was looked down at.  I now see how the separation of age and grade was conditioned to me at an age where I really had no clue what was actually going on.  Karin A. Martin’s study helps us understand that if we want to be a society that preaches freedom, free thinking and equality, than we have to take a big look at what we teach the youth in arguably the most important age that ultimately shapes the foundation of who we are.