Chapter 7 UNDERSTANDING THE Group 4

INVISIBILITY
OF OPPRESSION
THROUGH SEXISM

Nathan Allen, Rhonda Chisholm, Randy King, Mallary Poole

 RK
INTRODUCTION & AGENDA
● Introduction
● Key Terms
● What is an Institution?
● An Example: Sexism Today
● What Makes Sexism Difficult to See
■ A Visit to Walmart
● Discourses of Sexism in Advertising,
Movies & Music Videos
● So What?
● Quote
● Discussion Questions
 KEY TERMS RC

Misogny - the contempt for and hatred of women and

characteristics that are associated with women or
femaleness.
Androcentrism - the term used to describe a male centered
society and institutions, in which men are positioned as
superior to women.
Internalized Oppression - believing in and acting out the
constant messages circulating that you and your group are
inferior to whichever group is dominant.
Patriarchy - the belief in the inherent superiority of men
and male norms and the organization of society based on
that belief.
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WHAT IS AN INSTITUTION?
● Institutions are a large scale, established set of laws,
customs and practices and that govern the political
and social lives of people
○ Primary socialization force, enforcing societies
rules and norms
● Institutions help maintain the dominant culture,
not great for cultural safety
○ Other cultures or customs fall through the
cracks
● Institutions are founded on patriarchy
○ The maintenance of the dominant male norms
leads to systemic sexism

AN EXAMPLE: SEXISM TODAY
GLOBAL CONTEXT
● In the 1994 Rwandan
genocide it is estimated that
up to 500,000 women were
raped during a 100-day
period (Surf Survivors Fund,
n.d.)
● In 1992 Croatian and
Bosnian women were
subjected to rape and gang
rape by soldiers in rape death
camps (Allen, 1996).
RK
CLOSER to HOME
● Less than 10% of sexual
assaults in Canada are reported
to police (Statistics Canada,
2006b).
● A woman is beaten every 9
seconds in the United States
(National Coalition Against
Domestic Violence, 2015).
 MP

WHAT MAKES SEXISM

DIFFICULT TO SEE?
1. "Given the extent of violence against women globally as
well as locally, how are so many of us able to deny its
existence?” (p.106)
• We think of only the extreme cases
2. “Why does mainstream culture position women’s
oppressions as a problem of marginalized societies ... rather
than as a pervasive system that affects all women
throughout the world, mediated by their additional social Diane Balser – Instructor at Boston University is also
positions...?” (p.106) co-director of undergraduate studies in the Women’s,
Gender, & Sexuality Studies program uses this image to
• Many also compare “Western society” to other help show that sexism is not always about men being sexist
countries, cultures, and customs. towards women.
• that sexism is not always about men being sexist
towards women.
A VISIT TO WALMART MP
 RC

DISCOURSES OF SEXISM
ADVERTISING MOVIES MUSIC VIDEOS
● girls and women in ● women are often sexualized, ● value depends
sports are not taken victimized, and problematic solely on
seriously attractiveness to
● Prince Charming saves the
men and how well
● pressure to be girl (hidden curriculum) they can please
feminine, married ● internalized oppression - them
and domesticated. think critically! ● connected to
● criticisms of female pornography
bodies, hair, outfits, ● normalize
etc., are common. misogyny,
● androcentrism is racism, and
very evident classism.
● virtually everything
is gendered.
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SO WHAT? WHY ARE THESE CONCEPTS

IMPORTANT TO US EDUCATORS?
It’s important to know what norms are imbedded into
society so that we can think critically about them.
▪ Use books and resources that challenge these
stereotypes
▪ Teach students to notice hidden patterns of sexism
▪ Teach students to think critically about things they
see on social media
▪ Discussions about how social norms are developed
 MP

QUOTE
"Women are not just women
with one shared experience
under sexism. Our race, class,
ability, status and sexuality
profoundly shape how we will
experience our gender under
patriarchy” (p.115-116)
 RK
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to say that 'Institutions maintain the
dominant culture'? What are some things that we can do as
educators to support minority cultures within institutions? (1)
2. How has the rise of digitally activism impacted sexism? (2)
3. “Men who order cosmopolitans or other fruity drinks risk
ridicule (because fruit is gendered female).” (p.111)
• From this quote, is it possible for men to experience sexism
because of what society has gendered as ‘male’ and ‘female’?(3)
4. Pick a social group and describe how that group is represented
in advertising, movies, music videos, magazines, and wider
popular culture. (5)