My favorite reading from this Unit would have to be “Becoming Mr. Cougar Institutionalizing Heterosexuality and Masculinity at River High,” by C. J. Pascoe.
I liked this reading because much like the other readings, it focuses on actual problems in the society today. This reading focused on sexuality and gender, childhood and youth, new media, and ethnography.
In the reading she talked about how homophobia, racism, sexism, and other types of oppression are embedded within the system. When she says system she means the society, schools, churches, and organizations. In the reading she talked about how the institution of high school is responsible for reinforcing problematic ideas about sexuality and gender.
Which is a 100% correct, but this doesn’t mean that every teacher is homophobic or racist, but it does mean that altogether as one they contribute to a culture that reinforces that attitude.
For example, when I was in high school girls couldn’t wear leggings or anything that showed their shoulders, because the principal thought it distracted the boys and was inappropriate. Which really irked me for many many years because how could me showing a little shoulder possibly distract you?
Don’t get me wrong young girls these days are thick, but how does banning us from wearing leggings, which also bans us from being comfortable in a building where we have to be at 8 hours, 5 days out the week, every week, help? That’s very sexist and wrong. Meanwhile the guys can walk around in basketball shorts, and t-shirts like nothing is wrong.
So I liked this reading mostly because it gives us a voice not just girls, but gay boys and gay girls in high school who were bullied or couldn’t even be themselves because of what the society reinforced. The reading just helped me understand how much other people play a role in reinforcing sexism and racism without really trying.
Read the passage then explain what you liked about it. Also read the students reason why they liked the passage and agree or disagree with what the student had to say about the passage. Explain why you do or do not agree
