Gender Neutral Kindergarten in Sweden

[Novelafemme]

Nixing traditional gender roles, as applicable to small children, is what they are getting at. At least that is how I read it. The language is being adapted to read as "friends" rather than "him/her, etc" so as to accommodate the small people. The theoretical concept of creating a gender neutral space for children to experience life is fascinating to me. The logistics would be a bit tricky, but it looks like they are doing a great job!

[Novelafemme]

"Words can be manufactured, manipulated, misapplied and misappropriated, but bias resides in the heart not on the tongue."

Beautiful statement, truly...but try to keep in mind that at this age children are not biased. Biases come a bit later in life after (as you stated) language has been misappropriated and gendered.

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by Novelafemme

"Words can be manufactured, manipulated, misapplied and misappropriated, but bias resides in the heart not on the tongue."

Beautiful statement, truly...but try to keep in mind that at this age children are not biased. Biases come a bit later in life after (as you stated) language has been misappropriated and gendered.

Sure kids are "biased" at a young age - as young as 3-5 years old.

My EX's 4 year old called me, "Mr. Chazz", from day one.

Although the following excerpt is about race, not gender constructs, it makes the case for how children are, in fact, biased at a very young age.



Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race

"Toddlers as young as two years use racial categories to reason about people’s behaviors (Hirschfeld, 2008), and numerous studies show that three-to five-year-olds not only categorize people by race, but express bias based on race (Aboud, 2008; Hirschfeld, 2008; Katz, 2003; Patterson & Bigler, 2006). In a yearlong study, Van Ausdale & Feagin (2001) found that three- to five-year-olds in a racially and ethnically diverse day care center used racial categories to identify themselves and others, to include or exclude children from activities, and to negotiate power in their own social/play networks."(Erin N. Winkler, Ph.D. - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)


http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/africolog...colorblind.pdf

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by Chazz

Sure kids are "biased" at a young age - as young as 3-5 years old.

My EX's 4 year old called me, "Mr. Chazz", from day one.

Although the following excerpt is about race, not gender constructs, it makes the case for how children are, in fact, biased at a very young age.



Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race

"Toddlers as young as two years use racial categories to reason about people’s behaviors (Hirschfeld, 2008), and numerous studies show that three-to five-year-olds not only categorize people by race, but express bias based on race (Aboud, 2008; Hirschfeld, 2008; Katz, 2003; Patterson & Bigler, 2006). In a yearlong study, Van Ausdale & Feagin (2001) found that three- to five-year-olds in a racially and ethnically diverse day care center used racial categories to identify themselves and others, to include or exclude children from activities, and to negotiate power in their own social/play networks."(Erin N. Winkler, Ph.D. - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)


http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/africolog...colorblind.pdf

Correct you are. I was getting pre-school and kindergarten confused in my wee brain.

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by Novelafemme

Correct you are. I was getting pre-school and kindergarten confused in my wee brain.

Novelafemme, it never occurred to me to think of you as "wee brained".

[Chazz]

Well, there are differing schools of thought as to "gender roles, as applicable to small children" and adults.

Some argue that gender roles are innate regardless of sex; others that they are largely conditioned. This is largely a political debate as science has not, yet, spoken definitively on the matter. (The Swedes seem to be leaning towards the "conditioned" side of the debate.)

In any event, I'm discussing grammar, not politics.

I'll stick with non-erasure and changing gender constructs over wordplay, albeit, even on a part time basis.

Sex = male and female
Gender = masculine and feminine
Male = he, him
Female = she, her
(RE: The World Health Organization)

[ScandalAndy]

Originally Posted by Chazz

Well, there are differing schools of thought as to "gender roles, as applicable to small children" and adults.

Some argue that gender roles are innate regardless of sex; others that they are largely conditioned. This is largely a political debate as science has not, yet, spoken definitively on the matter. (The Swedes seem to be leaning towards the "conditioned" side of the debate.)

In any event, I'm discussing grammar, not politics.

I'll stick with non-erasure and changing gender constructs over wordplay, albeit, even on a part time basis.

Sex = male and female
Gender = masculine and feminine
Male = he, him
Female = she, her
(RE: The World Health Organization)

Okay, so wouldn't toy placement and encouragement of alternative family structures be considered changing gender constructs? If we're looking at masculine and feminine in terms of behaviors, that is.

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by ScandalAndy

Okay, so wouldn't toy placement and encouragement of alternative family structures be considered changing gender constructs? If we're looking at masculine and feminine in terms of behaviors, that is.

Nope.

Moving toys around a room from one set of hands to another isn't change - it's a reconfiguration of the same constructs. The constructs have to change.

If by "alternative family structures" you mean, LGBTQs "making" a nuclear family, no to that, too.

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by Chazz

Nope.

Moving toys around a room from one set of hands to another isn't change - it's a reconfiguration of the same constructs. The constructs have to change.

If by "alternative family structures" you mean, LGBTQs "making" a nuclear family, no to that, too.

This gave me a chuckle. In one of my spring classes the professor used the term "social construct" SO much that when it came time for me to give my oral presentation and she asked everyone to gather in a circle around me, I told her I felt the placement of the chairs was a social construct. hehehehe

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by Novelafemme

This gave me a chuckle. In one of my spring classes the professor used the term "social construct" SO much that when it came time for me to give my oral presentation and she asked everyone to gather in a circle around me, I told her I felt the placement of the chairs was a social construct. hehehehe

....coulda been a testament about snoozers and schmoozers.

[ScandalAndy]

Originally Posted by Chazz

Nope.

Moving toys around a room from one set of hands to another isn't change - it's a reconfiguration of the same constructs. The constructs have to change.

If by "alternative family structures" you mean, LGBTQs "making" a nuclear family, no to that, too.

I believe you misinterpret my point, here.

In the article the caregivers/teachers at the school encourage family structures with multiple moms/dads to break the assumption that families can only have one mom and one dad.

Construction toys and kitchen toys in the same area, to me, imply that there is not any reason to differentiate between both things as "toys". Are you saying that simply by having these toys the idea that male gender = construction and female gender = kitchen are being reinforced?