Society and inequality, Gender roles and stereotypes

Unit 1: Society and inequality, Gender roles and stereotypes

This lesson addresses society and inequality, gender roles and stereotypes in the contemporary world.

Activities – First session: synchronous (90 minutes)

Duration: 10 min

Learning outcome:

+ Communication

+ Self-reflection

+ Speaking

Language skills:

Speaking i.e. Elaborating simple statements

Please, state 1 Truth and 2 Lies about yourself, preferably referencing your experience with social inequalities, if you are comfortable with it.

Duration: 10 min

Learning outcome:

+ Critical thinking

+ Empathy

+ Respect for others

+ Open-mindedness

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

Language skills:

Writing

Match the answers to the questions provided. Then check and compare your answers with peers or in small groups.

1. What is social stratification?
2. What is ableism?
3. Who is usually stereotyped?
4. What is the basis of inequality?
5. How can we solve the digital divide?

 

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Critical thinking

+ Open-mindedness

Language skills:

Vocabulary

Grammar: the verbs “to be/to have”

You are given a list of words pertaining to the sphere of social inclusion. You are  asked to form sentences using those words and the verbs “to be” or “to have” in different persons

List of suggested vocabulary.

Inequality

Gender Gap

Digital Divide

Social mobility

Prejudice

Sexism

Racism

Ethnocentrisms

Examples:
Gender inequality is __________.
I don’t have a prejudice towards __________.

Duration: 25 min

Learning outcome:

+ Recognising stereotypes and prejudices

+ Dealing with complexity

+ Changing perspectives

+ Critical thinking

+ Open-mindedness and responsibility

Language skills:

Speaking or Writing

In order to become more aware of gender-related issues and stereotypes, please answer some or all of the following questions. You can provide the answers either orally or in writing:

1. Do you see yourself as a typical man/woman?  Why or why not?  Can you name some “typical” characteristics of each?

2. Are a mother’s responsibilities the same as a father’s to the family? What are a mother’s responsibilities? What about a father’s? If both parents work outside the home, how should the housework be divided? What are some examples of man’s work around the house? What about women’s work? Are these stereotypes true for your family?

3. Are there different expectations for sons as opposed to daughters? Do you think that in general boys and girls are raised differently? How? Do you think girls and boys should be brought up differently? In what ways?

5. What habits or attitudes are deemed appropriate for women, but inappropriate for men? What about the other way around (appropriate for men and inappropriate for women)? Are men and women 100% equal? What things are men better at than women? What about women being better than men?

6.  Who do you think “has it easier,” men or women? Why?

7. What does it mean to be “machista”? Describe a machista person’s attitude, appearance, likes and dislikes. 

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Critical thinking

+ Teamwork and cooperation

+ Empathy

+ Open-mindedness

Language skills:

Reading

Vocabulary

Please, fill the Equality chart below with as many words or concepts as you can recall. Then, discuss the chart together with the class.

 

 

Equality

Inequality

Inclusion

Exclusion

Gender

E.g. Equal pay

E.g. pay gap

Race/ethnicity

E.g. segregated environments.

Sexual orientation

Age

Disability

E.g. wheelchair ramps in public buildings

Access to resources

Religion

E.g. right to the freedom of religion

Access to scholarization

E.g. underfunded schools in low-income communities

Duration: 10 min

Learning outcome:

+ Changing perspectives

+ Critical thinking

+ Empathy

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

+ Environmental responsibility

Language skills:

Reading

Vocabulary

Kahoot game!

Duration: 10 min

Learning outcome:

+ Creativity

+ Critical thinking

+ Empathy

+ Self-reflection

+ Respect for others

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

Language skills:

Writing

Please, brainstorm some key terms related to the concept of inequality. In addition, please write 3 sentences that describe “What is inequality for you?”.

You can use Wordreference (www.wordreference.com )  to help you write the sentences.

Activities – Second session: asynchronous (60 minutes)

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Changing perspectives

+ Empathy

+ Respect for others

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

Language skills:

Reading

Please watch the video “The Ability Factor: Employing people with disabilities makes good business sense“.  Then answer the questions:

1. People with disabilities do not have any additional barriers.
2. People with disabilities face barriers to finding jobs and getting promoted.
3. People with disabilities only face physical barriers.
4. Our attitudes also create barriers for people with disabilities.
5. 3% of people in the world are disabled.
6. People with disability create diversity in the workplace, and that’s good for business.
7. People with disability can be a resource of skills and talent.

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Recognising stereotypes and prejudices

+ Changing perspectives

+ Empathy

+ Respect for others              

Language skills:

Listening

Writing

Please, watch the video “Wanda Sykes Takes Us Through the History of LGBTQ+ — Now You Know”. 

Then, answer the questions:

1. Homophobia seemed to start in the Middle Ages and it became worse in the Renaissance.
2. In 1776, being gay in any of the Puritan colonies was permitted. 
3. During the 20th century, gay bars were opened in the major cities in America, but they were frequently raided by the police.  
4. Being gay was never illegal in any American State.
5. One of the most popular gay bars was the Stonewall Inn in New York City.
Fill in the blanks using the words given.

AIDS – black – transgender – LGBTQ – GRID

A ______ transgender woman named Marsha P. Johnson is the leader of the uprising that started the modern gay right movement.
Every November, _____ awareness week is celebrated.
In the early 80s, the world was hit by the _____ epidemic, and the gay community was hit hardest.
AIDS was known as a gay disease. In fact, it was originally called _____.
 The _____ community got organized, and many projects emerged.

Duration: 25 min

Learning outcome:

+ Changing perspectives

+ Creativity

+ Open-mindedness

Language skills:

Reading

Read the text below and answer the question.

Coming out

“So I got the idea to come out to my family via baked goods, ’cause who can be upset when there’s food. So in the middle of the night so that no one would know what I was doing, I began to bake a batch of cupcakes.

“At first everything’s going great, I’m being real careful not to be loud and wake anyone, but all of a sudden I realized there were no eggs. Not a problem, a banana could do just fine instead. Things were going great again, until I realized I didn’t have enough cocoa, I was beginning to panic just a little bit because it was too late to turn back. I calmed myself down and I just went with it; so what if the cupcakes were only a little chocolaty and tasted a bit like banana? I put them in the oven, I thought after that everything would be fine. I was wrong. I was about to start making some icing when I found out that I had absolutely no icing sugar. I was certain that I was most definitely screwed: How was I supposed to spell ‘I’m a lesbian’ on some cupcakes without any icing?

“I found out that you can make some makeshift icing sugar with some cornstarch and granulated sugar (thanks Google). The icing wasn’t really all that icing-like but I didn’t really care at that point. But yet again another ingredient was missing, great. I had no food colouring. After some thorough rummaging in the cupboards I found some Kool-Aid mix that had been in the cupboard for who knows how long. In the end I had slightly chocolate and slightly banana flavoured cupcakes with watermelon and strawberry flavoured faux icing. The coming out went great but the cupcakes were nasty — no one ate more than one of them. So remember, kids, check that you have all the proper ingredients before you make coming-out cupcakes.”

Questions:

1. How did the author want to come out?
2. What was the main problem?
3. What was wrong with cupcakes?
4. What is the author's sexual orientation?
5. What is the author's tip?

Activities – Third session: synchronous (60 minutes)

Duration: 30 min

Learning outcome:

+ Recognising stereotypes and prejudices

+ Changing perspectives

+ Critical thinking

+ Empathy

+ Self-reflection

Language skills:

Listening

Please watch the following videos and take notes, focusing on the themes of the GE skills and values listed above. Then discuss your notes all together or in small groups.

LATINO | How you see me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMTBhz92xvU

How to Practice Understanding | How You See Me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fls_W4PMJgA

The Victim Card | How You See Me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llc1DYCCn_U

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Critical thinking

+ Self-reflection

Language skills:

Writing

Grammar: Do and Don’t

Please, write a small paragraph on dos and don’ts with inequality issues.

(About 75 words, although the indicator is adaptable)

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Recognising inequalities

+ Changing perspectives

+ Empathy

+ Self-reflection

Language skills:

Writing

Listen to the song “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesli Gore and fill in the blanks in the lyrics.

You Don’t Own Me, Leslie Gore

The song came out in 1963 and it quickly became an anthem for the feminist movement. Later on, it was picked up as an anthem in the #MeToo movement. An anthem is a song identified with a particular group or cause. A feminist is any person, regardless of their gender, who believes in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.

Fill in the blanks in the lyrics.

You don’t own me

I’m not just one of your many toys

You don’t own me

Don’t say I can’t go with other

And don’t tell me what to do

Don’t tell me what to

And please, when I go out with you

Don’t put me on display ’cause

You don’t own me

Don’t try to me in any way

You don’t own me

Don’t tie me down ’cause I’d never stay

I don’t you what to say

I tell you what to do

So just let me be myself

That’s all I ask of you

I’m and I love to be young

I’m free and I love to be

To live my life the way I want

To say and do whatever I please

And don’t tell me what to

Oh, don’t me what to say

And please, when I with you

Don’t put me on display

I tell you what to say

Oh, don’t tell you what to do

So just let me be myself

That’s all I ask of you

I’m young and I to be young

I’m and I love to be free

Activities – Fourth session: synchronous (90 minutes)

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Recognising inequalities

+ Dealing with complexity

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

+ Proactivity in the community

Language skills:

Speaking

Grammar: Do/Don’t, Does/Doesn’t

Open dialogue on the topic of: “Things that should be done to promote equality for everyone in your community.”

Duration: 20 min

Learning outcome:

+ Recognising inequalities

+ Empathy

+ Critical thinking

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

Language skills:

Reading

Vocabulary

Kahoot Games:

 

Kahoot: Gender inequality. https://create.kahoot.it/details/4734f63b-94fc-43e8-a214-233c4e064dad  

 

Kahoot:  Ethnicity and Inequality. https://create.kahoot.it/details/a0a2e3bb-09c7-4e38-8e0a-50b78a95e264

 

Kahoot: Health and human development. https://create.kahoot.it/details/64b6acf8-d4c2-4dc1-8639-b13b664fd91510

Duration: 10 min

Learning outcome:

+  Recognising inequalities

+ Empathy

+ Dealing with complexity

Language skills:

Listening

Please watch the video on education inequality: “The problem of education inequality | CNBC Reports”.

Duration: 15 min

Learning outcome:

+ Self-reflection

+ Empathy

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

Language skills:

Vocabulary on equality related issues

Speaking

1. You  are presented a list of vocabulary items on cultural identity and tolerance. Your first task is to guess its meaning.

● Minority

● Feminism

● Opportunity

● Disability

● Pay gap

● Ethnicity

● Ally

● Queer

● Antisemitic

● Islamophobia

 

2. As a second task, try to use the vocabulary item in a sentence.

Duration: 30 min

Learning outcome:

+ Empathy

+ Self-reflection

+ Respect for other

+ Social responsibility and solidarity

+ Proactivity in the community

Language skills:

Speaking

Topic to discuss: “Try to speak about your experience of equality and inclusion in your community”.