2017-19 Class Presentation (a series of classes) for a University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 4th year undergraduate course: CULTURAL ASPECTS OF ENGLISH_SPEAKING COUNTRIES by Prof. Anuradha Mitra Ghemawat UB Dept. of Language & Literature

1. Culture & Gender
Issues
Anuradha Mitra Ghemawat
DAY5-6: 26 February and 02 March 2018
UB 2017-18

2. CULTURE
CULTURE is a complex of distinctive
spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features
that characterize a society or a social group
— modes of life
— fundamental rights of the human being
— value system,

3. Culture and Gender
— Culture is shaped by
— Expectations about attributes
— behaviours appropriate to or
— relations between and , i.e. Gender
— gender identities and gender relations shape the way daily life is lived
— in the family
— in the wider community
— in the workplace
— division of labour is related to gender
— “Women’s work” and “Men’s work” (household and community) have cultural
explanations.
— Patterns and explanations
— differ among societies
— change over time

4. Gender related to Culture
— have less personal autonomy
— fewer resources at their disposal, and
— limited influence over the decision-making processes
that shape their societies and their own lives
— ê
— Disparity based on Gender
— Human rights and Development issues
— But…..
— gender definitions change over time

5. Culture & Gender
Gender Roles
(gender-related behaviours to conform to within society)
ê
Personality
ê
Identity
— Example (most countries):
— aggression & assertiveness è males (+ve trait)
— submission & deference è females (+ve trait)

6. Gender Stereotypes
HARMFUL STEREOTYPES
— Female:
— loving, caring, nurturing
— feel beautiful and be sexy
— not dependable as a dedicated worker
— child-bearer
— Male: financial provider
— aggressive, competitive, courageous
— hold emotions in check
— initiate sex
Other STEREOTYPING traits
— Pink vs. Blue as preferred colour

7. CW: videos on Gender and
Culture
— Childhood Gender Roles in Adult Life. BuzzFeed
(31Mar2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=381belOZreA
— Hear Childrens Honest Opinions about Being a Boy or a
Girl around the world.
YouTube (2016). National Geographic (18 Dec
2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2B3ea7IGwLA
Watch these videos and discuss your thoughts and
ideas in class.

8. Cultural Change
— Responses to:
— social and economic shifts associated with
globalization,
— new technologies,
— environmental pressures,
— armed conflict,
— development projects,

9. CW1: Culture and Gender
Choose 15 words or expressions in your culture that typically describe
traits of:
femininity (5): masculinity (5); applicable to both sexes (5)
e.g. STRONG: feminine, masculine or generic keyword?
compassionate cut-throat eager open-minded mean
political macho timid dominant ambitious
superior docile innocent gossip-monger ruthless
argumentative warm manipulative strident Fashion-
conscious
submissive bossy fashion
conscious
homemaker affirmative
go-getter introvert rebellious sensitive Non-emotional
?? ?? ?? ?? ??

10. CW2-3: Gender Roles
Gender Roles conversation topics
— Choose one topic in your assigned groups. Discuss
for 5 min.
— Present your topic verbally (as a group) to the
class.
LISTENING: Always#Like a girl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs
— Perceptions of the expression ‘like a girl’.

11. Cultural & Gender
**Bangladesh**
— trade policies changes è garment industry (growth)
ê
— women entered the urban labour force
ê
— purdah norms (female seclusion) – reinterpretation
ê
— changes in public perception of female roles in family
and workplace

12. Cambodian saying
— are a piece of gold. are a piece of cloth.
— The piece of gold, when dropped in mud, is still a piece of gold.
— But a piece of cloth, once it’s stained, is stained forever.
— If you are a prostitute, if you have been raped, if you are a widow,
you are no longer that virginal piece of cloth.
— But , whether they are criminal or have cheated on their wives,
are still a piece of gold.
When there is such a perception, then there is something wrong
with that culture and that’s when you want to change.
— iii
— it.”

13. Culture, Gender
Religion & Politics
— religious and political movements è roles
— adherence to religious or cultural values &
resistance to “western” influences
— those advocating change labeled as
unpatriotic, irreligious or ‘’tainted by the West’’
ê
— review interpretations of religious texts
— reaffirm values & traditions è freedom & dignity

14. Culture & Gender
*English-speaking Caribbean*
— Labour & Migration
— paternity and maternity leave & minimum wages
— earn half as
— Family Life
— Common-law relationship vs. marriage
— monogamous; not monogamous
— Education
— outperform in primary & secondary school
— Politics
— Voting rights gained at same time; Men and women vote in equal numbers.
— Women are underrepresented in legislature.
— Dame Eugenia Charles (1919-2005), Dominican Republic (Dominica):
— (1980-1995): 1st woman lawyer & Prime Minister Iron Lady of the Caribbean
— 1st in Caribbean: Women’s Bureau involvement of women in development

15. Caribbean: English-
speaking countries*
*http://lazarus.elte.hu/~guszlev/gb/carib.htm

16. Gender, Culture & Development
*English-speaking Nigeria*
— Women hold traditional positions of power
(e.g. Yoruba tribe) -- tribal chieftains
— need permission from to get medical help
— suffer genital mutilation
— wear chastity belt

17. Gender, Culture & Development
*English-speaking Kenya*
— Inheritance rights:
— sons: exclusive rights to inherit from fathers
— wives/unmarried daughters: right to be maintained
— married daughters: no rights to paternal property
— Informal Credit for Female Entrepreneurs:
— Buying land
— Investment in children’s education
— Financing a business

18. Gender and ELT teaching
*East Timor – a case study*
— ELT classroom: Ensure equal time at computers for
male/female students
— Imposition of a western value?
— Domestic domain: In-class exercise (e.g. making pancakes)
— You want me to do the washing-up?
— class/race issue (NOT a gender one)
— Domestic Violence: Resisting gender intervention
— Students who were battered – taboo to comment upon
— Gender in different contact zones – ELT teacher, as cultural
‘outsider’, adapted the teaching to Timorese culture
Appleby, 2009

19. Lipstick Under My Burkha
(2016)
— Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016) film trailer.
— YouTube (2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=EpHqeHF8NM0
— Pandey, Geeta (2017). Lipstick under My Burkha:
India film director vows to fight ‘illogical’ film ban.
BBC News (03 Mar. 2017).
— http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-
india-39140420

20. HW: due 09 March 2018
— Write a short essay (200 words) with your opinion
of the (US) culture of video games as related to
gender, based on the article below. Voice your
personal opinion, if any, on this topic.
Gilsford, Ethan (2013) In Video Game Culture, It’s Still
‘No Girls Allowed’
http://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2013/08/08/sexism-
gaming-culture-ethan-gilsdorf

21. DAY5-6 compulsory readings
1. Tyll, Nicole (2016). Gender Roles: Today VS. Back Then.
Prezi.com (17 Mar. 2016).
https://prezi.com/qnjpicdaezlu/gender-roles-today-vs-back-
then/. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
— Summarize salient points of the above Prezi (2016) presentation
in 150 words. Discuss in detail only ONE cultural aspect presented
here. [Novel: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Movies (Disney):
Mulan and Beauty & the Beast.]
2. Case, Alex (2010). Gender in the language classroom.
EnglishClub.com (Dec. 2010). Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
https://www.englishclub.com/efl/tefl-articles/gender/
— What are the strategies suggested for teaching young
learners which are the same (or different) from those for very
young learners? Write your opinion in 150 words, based on
the above article.

22. References
— Appleby, Roselyn (2009). Do We Make a Difference? Gender and English
Language Teaching in International Development. Do We Make a Difference?
Gender and English Language Teaching in International Development.
Academia.edu, 2009. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
https://www.academia.edu/1884059/
Do_we_make_a_difference_Gender_and_English_language_teaching_in_intern
ational_development
— Case, Alex (2010). Gender in the language classroom. www.EnglishClub.com
(Dec. 2010). Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
https://www.englishclub.com/efl/tefl-articles/gender/
— Gilsford, Ethan (2013). In Video Game Culture, It’s Still ‘No Girls Allowed’.
Cognoscenti. WBUR.org, 08 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
http://cognoscenti.legacy.wbur.org/2013/08/08/sexism-gaming-culture-
ethan-gilsdorf
— Schalkwyk, Johanna (2000). Culture, Gender Equality and Development
Cooperation. http://www.oecd.org/social/gender-development/1896320.pdf
— Tyll, Nicole (2016). Gender Roles: Today VS. Back Then. Prezi.com
(17March2016).
https://prezi.com/qnjpicdaezlu/gender-roles-today-vs-back-then/. Web. 05
Mar. 2017.

23. Bibliography
Bibliography
— Beall, Abigail (2016). Genderstereotypes are holding strong. Mailonline (09 March 2016).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3482589/Gender-stereotypes-holding-strong-Beliefs-
roles-men-women-firmly-held-1980.html
— Pandey, Geeta (2017). Lipstick under My Burkha: India film director vows to fight ‘illogical’ film ban. BBC
News (03 Mar. 2017).
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39140420
— Vagianos, Alanna (2015). MenEngage video shows how old-school gender norms hold everyone back.
Huffington Post (09 Mar. 2015). Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/09/menengageorg-video-gender-norms-hurt-
everyone_n_6816586.html
— UNESCO (2015). The Power of Culture for Development.
http://en.unesco.org/post2015/power-culture-development
— United Nations Development Programme (2014). Womens Empowerment.
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/womenempowerment/overview.html.
— McGill Johnson, Alexis (2016). How Gender Roles, Implicit Bias and Stereotypes Affect Women and Girls. Institute for New
Economic Thinking (27Oct2016).
https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/how-gender-roles-implict-bias-and-stereotype-threat-affect-women-and-
girls