Challenging Gender Roles

Categories

Description

High school students examine Post War American gender roles and then create their own collages from magazine and newspaper clippings.

Objective

Students will identify various gender roles.

Students will examine the effects of gender roles.

Students will explore how progress has been made by challenging traditional views.

Resources

ART
Frida Kahlo - Self Portrait with Cropped Hair
Nan Goldin - pictures of transvestites
Keith Haring - the Radiant Baby icon
Norman Rockwell paintings
Rosie the Riveter

VOCABULARY
Juxtaposition
Gender
Collage

Materials

Magazines
Newspapers
Bristol paper
Glue
Scissors
Oil pastels
Markers

Procedure

MOTIVATION
Hang up artwork and have the students make observations about what they see.

KEY QUESTIONS
What is meant by a gender role? How do these artist challenge gender roles? Why would an artist want to do that? What is an example of a gender role that you know?

PRESENTATION
After the students have had some time to examine the art and to make some comments on the works, begin to ask them questions about gender roles. As they identify different gender role write them down on the board. Maybe discuss how gender roles have been challenged in the past. Discuss the benefits of challenging gender roles.

MODELING
Demonstrate to the students that they are going to make a collage that explores gender roles. Demonstrate the juxtaposition of materials and how to overlap images to create a sense of space and depth in their work.

EXPLORING/RESPONDING
Encourage students to enrich they picture with oil pastel or markers to add other elements to their work.

CLOSURE
Discuss how gender roles have affected them. Did they have experiences where they were told not to do something because of their gender? How did that make them feel? What did they learn from this lesson?

ENRICHMENT
Have the students write a reflection about their topic and gender roles. Ask them to make references to traditional ideas that have been challenged. Is there a gender role that they would like challenge? Explain why.

ASSESSMENT
The assessment will be assessed on the students' work and their written assignment to see if they have developed an understanding of gender roles.

Questions

Why do magazines prescribe to more traditional gender roles in their marketing? What might be behind those decisions?

Extensions

The author of this lesson, Deidre Kenna, a Masters in Art Education student of the School of Visual Arts in NYC, is the 2003-2004 scholarship recipient of the Keith Haring Scholarship award. This project is a collaboration with The School of Visual Arts & a local NYC public high school.

To find out more about The Keith Haring Foundation Scholarship offered through the School of Visual Arts, please contact: Director, School of Visual Arts/Visual Arts Foundation, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC 10003 or SVA's web site.