An educational environment significantly contributes to the development of intellectual, emotional and social periods of growth within an adolescent. Which has a prominent impact on the development of an adolescent’s values, beliefs and practices throughout various stages of their life. The school I attended was categorised as a conventional public secondary school that offered a wide array of academics and extracurriculars for students from years seven to twelve, within a co-educational environment. This institution took a liberal approach towards learning, by prioritizing the development of independent mindsets, inquiry and critical thinking. Additionally, my school emphasized cultivating a comprehensive education system that incorporated …show more content…
Sexuality discourse is defined as how a student’s sexual orientation is perceived, acknowledged, and appropriately discussed. Tait discusses two myths surrounding the topic of sexuality. The first myth explores whether sex, sexuality and gender are presumably the same while the second myth suggests that “sexuality is simply best ignored at school”. Tai et al. 2023, pp.81-100). Tait asserts that any efforts made by students/staff to repress or hide sexuality in schools- particularly non-heterosexuality, was futile. It was also argued that modern society is responsible for perpetuating the notion of gender beyond the binary forms of female and male and that sexual attraction is shaped by social and historical contextual elements. An example of this is depicted within the late 1980s, as queer theories had begun to surface from poststructuralism, second-wave feminism, and poststructural feminism. (Tait et al., 2023, pp. 83). The syllable of the syllable. This is because the queer theory is constructed which focuses on challenging traditional notions of gender, sexuality and identity but rather shifts its focus on emphasizing diversity and social justice. Queer theory quintessentially recognizes how societal norms play a pivotal role in shaping how individuals perceive themselves as well as others. Thus, by establishing certain attitudes and actions toward others, we can establish new norms which our modern society deems “right”. Tai et al. 2023, pp. 83). Exploring this particular theory in an educational context has both advantages and disadvantages for a student’s overall well-being. By promoting an inclusive and positive outlook towards the diversity of student sexual identities, students feel accepted and free to express themselves which, therefore, contributes positively to their emotional and social wellbeing. The school
Too often, students are taught that their lives are defined by who they are and what they do, not by circumstances. But circumstances can be very crucial to determining how a person’s life is shaped. It’s no secret that not all schools and neighborhoods are created equal. Some schools offer advanced classes, and college prep, and opportunities, while some schools don’t even have textbooks. Even within the circumstances, there are circumstances. The students in the latter school that lacks textbooks may have parents who go the extra mile to ensure that they have more opportunities, or could have parents who don’t have the resources to do that. Environment and circumstance can make a huge difference, and Wes Moore’s The Other Wes Moore is a fantastic
Leon Botstein, the author of “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood,” serves as the president of Bard College, as well as a professor of arts and humanities. Botstein wrote this article after the tragic shootings at Columbine high school in 1999. This event triggered something inside Botstein causing him to think negatively about the American high school system. In the article “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood,” Botstein explains, in his own words, of the corrupt happenings of present day American high school (368-369). Although Botstein may have high credentials, he provides no evidence to support his negative claims and opinions about teenagers and American high schools.
Sexuality and Gender in Children’s Daily Worlds article by Thorne and Luria focuses on the relationships between sexuality and gender in the experience of 9 to 11 year old children. The purpose of the authors’ analysis is to illuminate age-based variations and transitions in the organization of sexuality and gender. Throughout this paper we discover how gender and sexuality has become a social and cultural construction that is expressed through young children. At a young age we tend to define and separate ourselves by gender, boys vs. girl. These divisions are enforced around us daily. For example, teachers often tend to separate team by gender whether it’s in the classroom or the playground.
High school is the stepping stone between childhood and the real world. John Dewey spent most of his life striving to improve this transition. He believed high schools were not preparing students for the needs of society by merely teaching the basics, such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Dewey argued that high schools “must present situations where problems are relevant to the problems of living together, and where observation and information are calculated to develop social insight and interest.” This type of education would create socially-responsible citizens who have the ability to work together and solve societal issues; in turn, America’s democratic society would flourish. With this said, high schools continue to ignore Dewey’s suggestions,
American high schools today have lost track of what the purpose of going to school is. The article, “Let’s Really Reform Our Schools,” written by Anita Garland, explains how we can help our schools and make them a better learning place. In order to get high schools to be a better place to learn would be to throw out the “punks”, have the schools get uniforms, change junk foods to healthy foods, and get rid of prom and competitive sports. After all of this, the students who want to learn, can do that without all of the distractions.
...ly worsens the problems that he states. With the lack of maturity comes more bullying and cliques. By teachers and administration helping each student individually, children not only will learn more but also have more ways to show their individuality. The uniqueness of each person can be expressed through the way he learns and how he uses the information he is given. Instead of generalizing teachers, students, and administration and attacking them for their flaws as Botstein has, the purpose of high school is to show how each person fits into society by expressing their own individuality. Not everyone can be a brilliant mathematician, physicist, or author. It takes many different people to make the world work cohesively. By maintaining the traditional high school setting while working to fit students’ needs, education can assist in making a greater society.
In suburban school districts home life, socioeconomic status, and school staff play a huge role in how a student develops within their educational
As a student, I am often troubled by the rigid routines of the school day, despite the fact that I am actually a very habitual person. The constant ringing of bells, lectures, bellwork, classwork, homework, and daily practice throughout the school year. Although all of these components promote conformity, which will ultimately support the balance of school and societal norms, they also tend to threaten each student’s own unique characteristics. This then poses the question: to what degree should schools encourage conformity versus individuality? Certainly, a level of conformity is required to achieve a balanced society; however, the overall structure of the school day and class, including the methods used to teach and mandatory classes, is depriving students of their sense of independence by not allowing them to think for themselves and destroying their natural curiosity; therefore I believe schools need to place more emphasis on the individuality of students.
In a structured society, as one we’ve continued to create today, has raised concerns over the way society uses the term queer. Queer was a term used to describe “odd” “peculiar” or “strange” beings or things alike, but over the centuries societies began to adapt and incorporate the term into their vocabulary. Many authors such as Natalie Kouri-Towe, Siobhan B. Somerville, and Nikki Sullivan have distinct ways of describing the way the word queer has been shaped over the years and how society has viewed it as a whole. In effect, to talk about the term queer one must understand the hardship and struggle someone from the community faces in their everyday lives. My goal in this paper is to bring attention to the history of the term queer, how different
Young students today that are going through the middle school system are between the ages of 10 to 15 years old. They are going through a crucial stage of life in which many alterations occur such as emotional, physical, and mental changes. All of these changes that they must go through are essential to develop into healthy, fully functional, and self-actualized people. As a future educator, I need to see that middle school students are unique; they are too old to be considered children and too young to be considered adolescents. Middle level professionals have certain roles and responsibilities as it relates to the development of young adolescents. We must present ourselves as role models for the students and have the responsibility to make sure that as they progress through middle school they have enriched, meaningful learning experiences through challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant curriculum. As a future educator, I need to understand and recognize these changes, strengths, weaknesses, and diversities and be able to plan accordingly and appropriately for them in the classroom. I have developed my own philosophy for teaching at the middle level, based on this evidence and my understanding about the unique characteristics of middle level adolescents that will help mold me into a great middle school educator!
No one in the world is exactly alike; everyone has different interests, dresses differently, thinks differently and learns differently, not even identical twins are the same. Yet, in our schools systems today, the sense of individuality is being destroyed in the students, even with the two goals aimed at better individuals as well as the society they live in. Public schools are trying to conform everyone to learning the same way and thinking the same way, resulting in multiple adolescents falling behind. From elementary school to high school, adolescents are always being told what to do and how to behave. Whether it’s by their parents at home or the faculty at school, everywhere they turn they are being forced to conform to what others expect from them.
This essay will discuss the ways sexuality is gendered and their impacts towards both men and women by exploring the contemporary heterosexual scripts from a sociological perspective on three main aspects; i.e. sex drive, desire and power. It studies how men are deemed to have a higher sexual edge than women, who acts as the relationship gatekeepers. This essay analyses the theory that women predictably pursuits love and relationships while men are more sexually controlled by lusts and cravings. Sexual dominance and passiveness is another traditional script inspected in this essay, focusing on how men are always expected to be the prevailing initiator thus devouring more power in relationships while women stays being the weaker, submissive receivers.
During high school, teenagers seek to understand their identity and gain new confidence and a strong sense of self. However, students can only experience this self-discovery and acceptance when they have access to a supportive and caring atmosphere, which numerous students receive mainly at school. However, some schools do not provide this environment for all students: they fail to give the same encouragement to LGBT students regarding their identities. This dismissal or even demonization leads LGBT students to view their identity as shameful, dirty, and wrong, stopping them from accepting themselves and feeling proud of their character as a whole. Gay-straight alliances, which both LGBT students and their allies can join, provide a space
When development happens differently for these kids, it can affect their psychological development if they focus too much on how fast, or slow they are developing in comparison to their peers. Some adolescents may let their peers influence their behaviors, creating a problem with how they interact with others, or how they view themselves as a person. The middle school is a place where students are guided through these developmental experiences with the help of their peers, teachers, administrators, parents, and community. “Middle schools provide 10 to 15-year-olds with developmentally appropriate educational experiences that emphasize the education and overall well-being of the learners,” to address their developmental needs as adolescents (Manning, Bucher, p. 9). Middle school teachers are a big part of providing an environment where their students can grow as the diverse learners that they are, but also an environment that caters to the developmental needs of their students.
Gender and sexuality can be comprehended through social science. Social science is “the study of human society and of individual relationships in and to society” (free dictionary, 2009). The study of social science deals with different aspects of society such as politics, economics, and the social aspects of society. Gender identity is closely interlinked with social science as it is based on an identity of an individual in the society. Sexuality is “the condition of being characterized and distinguished by sex” (free dictionary, 2009). There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exists all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of a male regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and a traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much changes has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed. In general a traditional society is more conservative where as a modern society is fundamentally liberal. This is to say that a traditional society lists certain roles depending on the gender and there are stereotypes that are connected with the genders. One must obey the one that is dominant and make decisions. On the other hand, a modern society is lenient, It accepts the individual’s identity and sexuality. There is no inequality and everyone in the society is to be seen as individuals not a part of a family unit...