So much interesting stuff to be reconstructed. bsp
At 09:45 AM 7/2/96, xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu wrote:
>
> Mary, over the past several years I keep on noticing information
>that Canadian, as well as English and Australian public education is
>doing much more about 'equity' than American schools. What you just
>wrote about the high schools in Canada has added to that information. It
>makes me wonder what the 'drag' is on an American push for equity.
>
>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
>
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