Gender is a Difference that Makes a Difference: Examining Teaching Practice Using Jane Roland Martin's Theory of Education

Abstract

Evidence of gender roles and dichotomies can be observed in a variety of ways in the elementary school classroom. Often, these roles and dichotomies are reflective of the values that society holds. To further explore gender in education I use Jane Roland Martin’s book, Reclaiming A Conversation: The Ideal of the Educated Woman. By analyzing the educational philosophies of Plato and Rousseau, Jane Roland Martin illustrates the historically rooted relationship between gender and education. Martin uses this analysis to create an educational framework that works to overcome the production-reproduction dichotomy that perpetuates gendered roles and gendered traits at a structural level. Using Martin’s framework, I evaluate my teaching practice and identify instances of gender-bound education and trait genderization as well as instances where I placed reproduction in the ontological basement, like Plato and Rousseau. By critiquing and reflecting on my practice, I hope to use Martin’s theory to identify strategies and teaching moves that disrupt socialized gendered roles and traits. Through these strategies and moves I hope to encourage all students, regardless of gender, to value and develop traits associated with reproduction and production.