On Thu, 27 Jun 1996, Mary Bryson wrote:
> In my experience, I can't see high schools as "marginalized communities".
> They get the best their respective districts have to offer by way of
> resources, and lots of community support. Maybe Canada is different from
> the US in this (and other) respect/s. We don't want to <keep teachers from
> doing what they> >believe they should be doing>, but, rather, to insist on the significance of
> acting on rhetorical committments to "equity".
> Again-- identities are complex entities, and one doesn't want to claim "I
> am more marginalized than you", but it is defintely the case that there are
> few if any "out" lesbians doing gender equity work in schools, and we are
> no better placed in ourt respective institutions, where we are also
> marginalized. We are both inside and outside of "the university"
Yes, this is the same here in the states - that those who aren't
heterosexual are rarely 'out', especially, too, in high schools and
elementary schools.
> School-based research is
> vwery much about identity-confirming kinds of interactions and
> we do not have that as an offering.
The longer I'm on xmca the more deeply I'm understanding that all
activity if about 'identity-confirming kind of interactions'. Thanks for
the reminder, again.
> Yes--- bulletins. Well I have only just returned from a fascinating meeting
> with the department head of Technology Studies (Industrial Education). He
> heard me speaking about these issues atr a local community forum, and
> invited me to speak with his colleagues. Full of fear and trembling I
> entered the domain of automobile grease and welders and grinders
> and the like and found committed teachers wanting to make
> their workplace more conducive to girls. We are now working on
> an integrated mechanics/auto shop course for girls. Success comes in the
> most unlikely places from time to time. The department head is
> really excited, and so am I.
I find this fascinating - especially because to me the
department head comes from an archetypically male 'preserve'. Do you
know or understand what provoked his interest so that he initiated a
relationship with you? I ask, because I have a friend who is deeply
interested in mechanics, etc. - he built three solar powered vehicles,
for example - and he goes out of his way to teach his skills to any woman
who asks for help. Whereas he won't provide resources to other men
because as he sees it they have had and will continue to have multiple
resources that women haven't had. Does the department head have a
similar attitude? What's the source of his committment?
Again, good work.
And I look forward in time to hearing more about this.
Also, just an aside. But this new branch of your research was
quite unanticipated. How often does this happen in qualitative
research? Any ideas?
Phillip