Young girls look around at the media, magazines, and the music world and see close to perfect images. They feel that they should look this way and their self-image suffers. This imagery suppresses a girl’s true identity. Not only does this hurt girl’s self-images but it tells boys that this is the way girls should look. I have heard many microaggressions in this area of my life. I am a red head and therefore when I do not apply make-up I have “no” eyelashes. When people see me without make-up they always comment about how different I look. When I wear make-up I hear comments about how people like how I look. This makes me feel very insecure when I am without make-up. The video link below shows all of the touch ups that take place in an add. Many girls and boys do not know this happens.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dove+video+of+girl+touch+up+makeup&qpvt=dove+video+of+girl+touch+up+makeup&FORM=VDRE
This type of bias diminishes equality by saying that the stereotypical girl should look one way and this is what boys look for in a girl. The emphasis seems to be all wrong. Instead of important qualities that make a person who they are, the emphasis is on looks.
When I saw this video that Dove made about the legacy mothers have with their daughters I realized how my actions and words will affect generations that follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqknd1ohhT4
What an amazing way to help your daughter – confidence. As an educator and mother I want to ensure my biases, attitudes, and actions are positive and good for people who are around me. Our students are sometimes with us more than their families. I want to influence their thinking in a non-bias way that supports their learning and future.
Tisha,
ReplyDeleteI love the picture you posted and thank you for providing a great link also. It is so sad the images that are portrayed by the media as to what young girls should look like; these images have such a detrimental impact on our young children’s identities. The images are unrealistic first of all and secondly the ads do not tell you how much money it cost to look that way. One of the ads talks about turning an ordinary girl into a cover girl; this message is telling young girls they are not good enough if there are ordinary looking. The wrong messages are being sent to our young children. Boys think that they must have a beauty queen and they must also look like a male model. Our young girls are trying to emulate the images that they see portrayed as beauty; the bias is telling young girls you must look this way to be accepted. Unfortunately many girls today have identity problems because everybody wants to fit in, and they will do what it takes sometimes at any cost.
Tisha,
ReplyDeleteGreat post this week. It was hard for me this week to think of biases that have been directed towards myself. However, your blog and another colleagues blog this week opened my mind to the biases women face due to self-image. Young girls today are being judged based on their self-image and continues throughout there lives. I hear comments about ones image even at the preschool I work at. As we are in adulthood women still continue with biases towards their looks. Men and women get images of the "ideal look" through multiple forms of media. As professionals within the field of early childhood we must educator young students on embracing their self-image and way of life. To live for their self and understand there is no one type of beautiful.
Hi Tisha
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at the picture in your post, I think of the innocence of children and the great responsibility that we have as parents and teachers and also caregivers. We are entrusted daily with these little lives, shaping and instilling principles and practices that they will adopt and live by. These children, girls and boys do spend most of their days with us, they spend their best moments when they are alert and absorbing every word, action and attitude that we model for them. We have the opportunity to work with parents in building confidence and positive self concepts in these children.
When parents and teachers watch television and other media with children (which should always be done),we should capture every teachable moment to clarify for them that we should not change who we are to fit-in with the crowd. We must help them see how beautiful and very special they are. It is so sad to read and watch the stories of bulimic and anorexic girls who have learned that they are not beautiful as they are and so they employ these deadly practices. The young boys are taught to be stereotypical and bias and little girls are taught to please the boys at all cost. We must aim to be agents of change, we must embrace diversity,gain as much knowledge to join with parents and wage a war against bias and stereotype and bias and micro-aggression. As professionals in the early childhood field, we help children understand who they are and how to be just that. Great post and thanks for sharing that site.