Performing Gender in the Classroom: What Female Silence Tells Us About Education

Info

When

Event is over.

Price

Free admission

Categories

Forums & Talks

What’s the connection between your gender and how well you do in school, at work, or at home? According to a substantial body of research, the way girls and boys are conditioned to speak may have a lot to do with it.

Dr. Allyson Jule will explore “female silence” in a variety of educational settings. The pattern is surprising given recent advances in feminist teaching methods and a shift away from gender generalizations and sex differences.

Dr. Jule will share some of her research, which shows that in the classroom, male students often “have the floor” while female students serve as attentive, silent listeners—ways in which they perform their gender. She’ll use three classrooms as case studies: a culturally specific Grade 2 classroom, two university classrooms, and an African classroom. These examples have implications for schools in general and for teachers in particular regarding what student silence tells us about the educational enterprise.