Christina Bodine
Art 263: Activists, Interlopes, and Pranksters
Mid-term Project
Breaking Gender Stereotypes
In today’s society, we are constantly being surround and also influenced by the stereotypes we see or hear regarding gender whether through the movies we watch, the books we read, and the conversations we have with those around us. According to research and working at a daycare, gender stereotype starts from infancy. Many young children are taught that if you are a boy, you should play with toy guns and not dolls; if you are a girl, you should play with a kitchen set. It is really an issue today and that is why my topic for this semester project is gender stereotypes and how we can come together to break those barriers.
So last semester, I did a project for my empowering tools class. In the project, we had to make a trophy on a topic we want to see change and I chose—racial stereotype. That project really impacted me to the point where I want to expand on it in order to try to make a difference. I decided to narrow the topic to just gender simply because the topic of race is so broad for we have so many different cultures and people, it is really difficult to reach the minds and hearts of everyone. This project is giving me that opportunity to research and discuss further on this issue and that is why I chose this topic.
On top of my trophy it is a hammer smashing a mirror, which I used to represent that in order for people to see a change they have to first look at themselves, so for my semester project the message I would like to send the same message to the audience—that we can truly break the walls of these stereotypes is only if we start with ourselves especially as young adults. If we are parents, we want to teach our children that you do not have to be a certain gender in order to do certain things. If we are not, then we want to not put stereotypes on other people and judge them based on their gender. Today, we have so many protest and movements that support gender equality such as feminism, right of the sexes, and etc. Just taking a notice and supporting against negative stereotypes, is what starts off turning into something huge and influential.
In order to reach an audience, I wanted to off by taking small steps. Perhaps, engaging in general conversation with those around me and from there, build up the number of the audience. For my project, I really took the suggestions that were made when I presented my proposal for this assignment. The suggestion that was made is that I should create a blog and also broadcast artist who broke stereotype rather than creating the stereotype. On the home page, I used it for an introduction to my blog. Thanks to a conversation I had with my dad, I made the title of website called “Trading Places.” I wanted the title to represent that before we open our mouths and say something about the opposite sex, we first need to need to think, but also, put ourselves in their shoes. Then, I discussed the purpose of the website which is simply put—help those express themselves in order to break these gender set roles. I mentioned five artists whom I felt fits best with my topic and linked the articles on these artist in the button of “learn more.” As for my page on my blog because it is my first post I wanted to make it an introduction to the website and suggest ways on how we as a society can change this issue.
My goal for the future is to become a teacher. What becoming a teacher entails is that you are responsible to set an example and help other gain knowledge and learn. How does this project fit with becoming a teacher? Well, I want to use this project as an opportunity to teach and share with the world that gender stereotype is a thing and it can affect people’s lives especially children. My audience will most likely be young adults since the majority of users of social media or blogs are young adults. As I have mentioned before, children are the most effective by this issue because they are relying of those raising to make them who they become in the future and is that not true. Majority of kids today are being limited of who they want to become because they are raise to act a certain way based on their gender. I have found some research articles that supports that gender stereotypes can do more damage than good to children. I want to help young adults that we should first change the way we see genders and then use that to teach children that it is okay for a boy pick a doll at a toy store or for a girl to beat a boy at an arm wrestling match. So this is the final product of this website…..
https://christinab332.wixsite.com/tradingplaces-1/blog/
The artists on Gender Stereotype:
1) Eli Rezkallah
In a Parallel Universe—Eli Rezkallah
2) Nina Katchadourian
3) Rebecca Foster—London-based artists describes that stereotypes on men can be just as damaging as it is for women.
Hardeep 2017 by Rebecca Foster
4) Camille Claudel
Age of Maturity—Camille Claudel
5) Sofonisba Angissola
The Chess Game—Sofonisba Anguissola
Links to the images and articles:
• https://rebeccafosterartist.com/section/307867-Portraits.html
• http://www.elirezkallah.com/inaparalleluniverse/
• https://womennart.wordpress.com/2018/11/28/the-chess-game-by-sofonisba-anguissola/
• http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/age-maturity-or-destiny-or-path-life-or-fatality
• http://www.ninakatchadourian.com/uninvitedcollaborations/naturalcrossdressing.php
Link to my website
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