Gender Identity and Cross-Cultural Expressions: Puppets as Story Props
Conference Strand
Identity Formation
Abstract
This presentation will address ideas about gender identity in young children. It will especially focus on gender expression as a larger social justice issue. We will look at how puppets impact children’s interactions in read-alouds in early childhood settings. Gender inequity issues develop through societal constructs. Puppets help young children grow up feelings less encumbered by unfair social expectations.
Evidence
Forman and Fyfe (2012): How human capacity evolves and how children’s gender stereotypes are malleable, “We hold that knowledge is gradually constructed by becoming one another’s student, by taking an inquiry stance toward one another’s constructs, and by sincere attempts to assimilate or reconcile one another’s initial perspective.
Forman, G. & Fyfe, B. (Negotiated learning through design documentation and discourse.) Chapter 14 in The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edition, Santa Barbara, CA: Prager
Format
Panel Presentations
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Paulette Harris holds the Cree-Walker Endowed Chair and is the founder/director of the Augusta University Literacy Center in Augusta, GA. She is the author of Leading Literacy Programs.
Mrs. Linda Smith holds a M.Ed. in Education Leadership from Augusta University in Augusta, GA. She has conducted state and national workshops. Also, Linda has presented at state and national conferences. Linda is the co-creator of the Mother Phonics Program and co-author of Clappity-Clap All Through the Town.
Ms. Sarah Wong holds a M.Ed. in Counselor Education with a focus in school counseling from Augusta University in Augusta, GA. Sarah is a post-graduate assistant, early childhood educator, and the current vice president of the Student Georgia Educators Association at Augusta University.
Location
Room 115
Start Date
2-18-2017 8:30 AM
End Date
2-18-2017 9:45 AM
Recommended Citation
Harris, Paulette Dr.; Smith, Linda Mrs.; and Wong, Sarah E. Ms., "Gender Identity and Cross-Cultural Expressions: Puppets as Story Props" (2017). National Cross-Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, and Change. 15.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ccec/2017/2017/15
Gender Identity and Cross-Cultural Expressions: Puppets as Story Props
Room 115
This presentation will address ideas about gender identity in young children. It will especially focus on gender expression as a larger social justice issue. We will look at how puppets impact children’s interactions in read-alouds in early childhood settings. Gender inequity issues develop through societal constructs. Puppets help young children grow up feelings less encumbered by unfair social expectations.
Description
How to build a puppet-based curriculum that addresses the developmental needs of young children that take into account cross-cultural gender-development issues will be the central focus of this presentation. The puppets allow the children to meet the following objectives: 1. Using puppets young girls can express their interest in historically categorized masculine features such as joyfully getting dirty, using hand tools, and STEM related learning activities early on, 2. Exploring how a particular phonics-based curriculum may encourage and support young children (especially girls) to behave outside of society’s gender construct, 3. Offering a curriculum that provides children with additional opportunities for acting outside of traditional gender roles, 4. Going beyond reinforcing through existing stereotypes by challenging the status quo- for example, through puppets, stories, and props.