Middle School Students Challenging Gender Stereotypes: Pitfalls and Promises of Critical Media Literacy Education

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Issues of Race, Class, and Gender in the Classroom

Abstract

The study described in this paper analyzed video advertisements created by middle school students as the culminating assignment of a critical media literacy curriculum unit focused on gender stereotypes, especially as they relate to girls’ entrance into STEM professions. The study found that although the videos challenged stereotypes by portraying males in female roles and vice versa, the counter-stereotypical roles chosen by the students tended to be ones that were least incongruent with current social roles and relatively socially safe for students. Also, there were several videos in which females were portrayed as physically stronger than boys only after using the product advertised, illustrating an interesting misperception in how to challenge, as opposed to reinforce, gender stereotypes.

Authors

• Laurel D. Puchner, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

• Linda Markowitz, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

• Chantal Chandler