Feminism, Education and Identity

Feminist and Democratic values in Education

Madeleine Arnot and Jo-Anne Dillabough’s article “Curriculum inquiry” was one of the more radical essay’s I read as part of my prescribed reading and research in culture identity and education. This article reinforces the idea that “democratic values” must serve and represent the political concerns of women as ‘gendered persons’. At the core of this political representation of women’s experience there is interest in struggling over the meaning and significance of feminist values in a democracy. The article provides insight into how groups of people with similar interests and shared agendas all influence curriculum content in order to provide an experience that represents a number of people with unique culture, identities and gender too. Equal representation of gender in schools provides students with an experience which is universally inclusive and tolerant. Theoretically, this process indirectly imbeds the youth with social etiquette and tolerance through understanding and acceptance.

The article suggests that Feminist political theorists are not satisfied with the level of women’s representation of female ideals within the schooling system and have exposed the illusions of ‘political neutrality’ which are central to many of the ‘male centred’ versions of traditional liberalism democratic thought. The authors’ claims suggest that a major transformation is required before women can achieve full status as citizens, on a par with that of men. Fundamentally, the long term goal of feminism is to empower women to take up their ‘rightful place’ in this open society through the development of ‘female autonomy’. This concept stressing the importance of developing a ‘self-governing women’s alliance’ seems radical and dangerous. Although I agree women should have the same rights and liberties as me, their maternal role, innate in their biology, is leading them to believe that men are deliberately oppressing women. 

This article displays women’s plight to become empowered by ‘de-gendering the public sphere’. For this reason, this literature, to me, is radical, un-natural, power hungry and equally as oppressive as the men are shown to be. I think this issue arises from insecurity towards female identity due to social stigmas and inequality which disadvantage many women in the workforce. Although oppression of women was tragic and widespread in the past and continues to trouble some women today, females can’t escape their nature. A woman is a woman regardless of the connotations of that label. Women as individuals should transcend discrimination with poise and education for this is the process of change, not the de-gendering of society. 

In summation, it is my view that a feminist’s focus on empowering only women is partially sexist because it is a struggle for a gender’s rights compared to that of universal human rights. Much of mainstream feminist educational theory is persuaded by the notion of gender difference. It is mostly concerned with biological and psychological variations between men and women and their impact on formation of gender roles in society. Feminism, whilst honourable in its aim to liberate women from oppressive conditions, must be refined in order to avoid conflict from issue as trivial as gender. 

References:

Arnot, M., & Dillabough, J. (1999). Feminist politics and democratic values in

education. Curriculum Inquiry, 29(2),