Girl with Pen is extremely pleased to bring you the inaugural post from Allison Kimmich, Executive Director of the National Women’s Studies Association. Allison will be posting her column, Girl Talk, which explores truths and fictions about girls, the third Wednesday of every month. -Kristen
As a feminist, and as a professional advocate for feminist education in my work at the National Women’s Studies Association, I felt faint one day three years ago when my then-five-year-old daughter told me that “girls don’t do math.â€
Well, it turns out that my daughter was right. Last week the New York Times reported on a study that points to U.S. failures in math education. The article notes that the United States does a poor job of educating both boys and girls in math, but that we especially miss opportunities to encourage girls who could be excellent mathematicians unless they are immigrants or daughters of immigrants from countries where math is valued.
Or as one of the study’s lead author Janet E. Mertz puts it, “We’re living in a culture that is telling girls you can’t do math—that is telling everybody that only Asians and nerds do math.†Neither the study nor the article explores in detail what it is about American culture that undervalues math education, but the American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls produced a report last year that offers some insights. The report notes that self-objectification (buying sexy clothes or asking parents to do so, and identifying with sexy celebrities) can “detract from the ability to concentrate and focus one’s attention, thus leading to impaired performance on mental activities such as mathematical computations or logical reasoning.â€
My daughter is now seven, and I can confirm that she is bombarded with media images (see Montana, Hannah) and consumer products—spaghetti strap tank tops for a seven-year old?—that encourage her to think a lot about her appearance and image in others’ eyes.
For now, my daughter insists that she is not a “fancy girl,†and she happens to be proud of her math skills. I suspect she has forgotten that kindergarten-era conversation. I mentioned the Times article to her feigning disbelief—can you imagine that some children and parents think that math is not important or fun? I asked. She did a double take and wrinkled her forehead: “No way, Mom!â€
So schools can do a better job at teaching girls (and boys) math, and our culture sexualizes girls in unhealthy ways. You’re probably not surprised by either of these findings. But I’m still aghast, and I’m not feigning this time.
I’m aghast because it doesn’t take a genius to see that our country needs everyone in the game to find solutions as we face most serious economic crisis of my lifetime, one that my daughter’s generation will inherit.
Taken together, these reports raise a provocative question: How do immigrant girls and their families tune out dominant cultural images and messages about what girls can or should do? How and why do they succeed where many other girls do not? I really want to know. Tell me, what do you think?
Comments
gwp_admin — October 15, 2008
I love this post, Allison!!!!
Renee Siegel — October 15, 2008
Enjoyed your article. Seems that times haven't changed much-- this discussion as taken place over and over again and it is never resolved. Schools are aware of the issue, I'm sure. I think that with regard to your posing the question of how immigrants instill a desire or love of learning (not only math and science, although that is certainly stressed), it has to do with how immigrants want to see their children as getting ahead in this country. My immigrant grandparents wanted my parents to be educated, unlike what they themselves had sacrificed or were never offered in their countryof origin. Perhaps the longer we are in this country, the more complacent we get. I think it is still up to parents to instill a love of learning in their children. Of course, if they are preoccupied with worries about adequate daycare, earning a decent living, and putting food on the table, maybe they are worn out and can't see the value of education, per se. If a parent doesn't understand math or science, it may be difficult to transmit an enthusiasm for these subjects (and others) in their child. The may not be able to help their kids with homework, even. Feeling opressed does not make for optomistic goals, and when parents have serious worries themselves, there is little energy left for helping their kids.
Maybe it has much to do with the enormous availability of material goods-- TV certainly indoctrinates children in their choice of clothes as well as interests (or lack thereof). It is still up to parents to turn the TV off or to "just say no" when their child has to dress like Hanna Montana. What happened to family values? What has happened to values, in general? The value of a good science and math education seems to have suffered because of the above issue, as well as our producing a literate society. Reading needs to be stressed, as well. The schools cannot be responsible for teaching values-- something has to be present in the parents at home.
Puplet — October 18, 2008
Are you saying that Asian children aren't a part of American culture?
Allison Kimmich — October 20, 2008
I agree with Renee, parents definitely have a big role to play here. But given that many of us were not recipients of terrific math and science education ourselves, we may need some help in figuring out how to best motivate our kids at home.
As for Puplet's question--you're right, the study author quoted in my piece does suggest that "Americans" and "Asians" are two separate groups. That's not my take. In fact, to the contrary. I'm eager to know how immigrant girls and their parents who came to the US from countries where math is valued can be a part of American culture and still succeed at math in spite of the culture's messages that they shouldn't be interested. Or putting it another way, how do these girls create a definition of girlhood where one is American and successful at math at the same time?
Magi Cality — November 9, 2008
So you want an Asian's girl's opinion?
Well. I feel this is kinda late, seeing as this was posted such a long time ago, but let's see if I can explain it...
I was raised differently, for one. It's not so much a complete tune-out of other things--it's just deciding that my priorities are different. There is a lot of pressure to assimilate, but I was also raised to have pride--to be proud of who I am and where I came from. Math was and is valued for several good reasons. For one, it promotes logical thinking, and anyone can do it.
So....does that sum it up? I am American, but over that, I am a hyphenated American, and that influences me a lot.
...Does that make sense? =) If not, I'll try to elaborate.
Allison Kimmich — November 10, 2008
Hi MagiCality, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences and joining this conversation. I would love to hear how your parents instilled that sense of pride in you. My daughter is also "hyphenated American," so I'm eager to hear what works!