新编大学英语4原文GenderRolesfromaCulturalPerspective[修改版]

第一篇：新编大学英语4原文Gender Roles from a Cultural PerspectiveGender Roles from a Cultural Perspective1 Over

4GenderRolesfromaCultural 第一篇：新编大学英语原文 Perspective GenderRolesfromaCulturalPerspective 1Overthepastfewdecades,ithasbeenproveninnumerabletimesthatthevarioustypes ofbehavior,emotions,andintereststhatconstitutebeingmasculineandfemininearepatternedby bothheredityandculture.Intheprocessofgrowingup,eachchildlearnshundredsofculturally patterneddetailsofbehaviorthatbecomeincorporatedintoitsgenderidentity.Someofthis learningtakesplacedirectly.Inotherwords,thechildistoldbyothershowtoactinan appropriatelyfeminineormasculineway.Otherdetailsofgenderbehavioraretaught unconsciously,orindirectly,asthecultureprovidesdifferentimages,aspirations,andadultmodels forgirlsandboys. 2Recently,forexample,astudyofAmericanpublicschoolsshowedthatthereisacultural biasineducationthatfavorsboysovergirls.Accordingtotheresearchers,thebiasis unintentionalandunconscious,butitisthereanditisinfluencingthelivesofmillionsof schoolchildreneveryyear.DoctorsDavidandMyraSadkervideotapedclassroomteachersin ordertostudygender-relatedbiasineducation.Theirresearchshowedthatmanyteacherswho thoughttheywerenonsexistwereamazedtoseehowbiasedtheyappearedonvideotape.From nurseryschooltopostgraduatecourses,teacherswereshowntocallonmalesinclassfarmore thanonfemalestudents.Thishasatremendousimpactonthelearningprocessfor,ingeneral, thosestudentswhobecomeactiveclassroomparticipantsdevelopmorepositiveattitudesandgo ontohigherachievement.Asamatteroffact,inthelate1960s,whenmanyofthebest all-women'scollegesinthenortheasternUnitedStatesopenedtheirdoorstomalestudents,it wasobservedbyprofessorsandwomenstudentsalikethattheboyswere"takingover"the classroomdiscussionsandthatactiveparticipationbywomenstudentshaddiminishednoticeably. Asimilarsubordinationoffemaletomalestudentshasalsobeenobservedinlawandmedical schoolclassroomsinrecentyears. 3ResearchdonebytheSadkersshowedthatsometimesteachersunknowinglyprevented girlsfromparticipatingasactivelyasboysinclassbyassigningthemdifferenttasksin accordancewithstereotypedgenderroles.Forinstance,oneteacherconductingascienceclass withnurseryschoolyoungsters,continuallyhadthelittleboysperformthescientific"experiment" whilethegirlsweregiventhetaskofputtingthematerialsaway.Sincehands-onworkwith classroommaterialsisaveryimportantaspectofearlyeducation,thegirlswerethusbeing deprivedofavitallearningexperiencethatwouldaffecttheirentirelives. 4Anotherdimensionofgender-biasededucationisthetypicalAmericanteacher'sassumption thatboyswilldobetterinthe"hard","masculine"subjectsofmathandsciencewhilegirlsare expectedtohavebetterverbalandreadingskills.Asanexampleofaself-fulfillingprophecy, Americanboysdo,indeed,developreadingproblems,whilegirls,whoaresuperiortoboysin