Difference Between Men and Women Matters

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Anita Chikkatur, in her study, states that school reinforces beliefs in the different nature of men and women. The scientist, who was an observer during lessons in the US high school, points out that teachers constantly stress that there are natural differences in behavioral patterns men and women have (Chikkatur). Thus, the school only intensifies the belief that men and women possess differences by nature, as it is given both implicitly and explicitly both during the informal interactions and within the curricular material. Teachers discuss these differences using examples from literature or history, stressing the different behavioral patterns and the manners of feeling expression men and women possess.

Masculinity is perceived at school as something normal both by the teachers and some students as well. Chikkatur notices that teenagers, especially males, are afraid of crossing gender boundaries, and if girls can demonstrate typically male compartment, boys are severely judged even for singing in falsetto (Chikkatur 91). This example confirms the thesis that men are often influenced by gender stereotypes as much as women are (Kimmel). Femininity in males is often associated with homosexuality, and that is why many teachers and masculine protecting male students are so categorical about feminine behavior in boys. At the same time, the masculine manner of dressing and behavior in girls often remains unnoticed, and sometimes girls are even mixed up with boys. In addition, girls are more tolerant of feminine-like behavior in boys and do not judge them for its manifestations.

The intersectional approach is used in the chapter to show how the gendered performance of black male students influences their peers’ perception of their race and academic expectations. Chikkatur states that students sometime have racist assumptions about gendered identity and behavior (Chikkatur 94). It is worth mentioning at this point that the problems and difficulties black males have are often more noticeable than the ones of the black women (Crenshaw). Many of them refused to consider one of their African American classmates a black male because his behavior and style were not typical of the stereotypical image of black men. Apart from that, black males were seen as less academically successful students, and that is why not so many of them attended advanced classes.