Boys and Girls

Simulus

This session arose when I was given a ‘top’ English group to do some philosophy. It started when I overheard the following:

Unidentified child: “There’s more girls in this group, so girls must be cleverer than boys” 
Angry retort: “That’s sexist!”

Use the above anecdote as your stimulus, embellish as you will.

Task Question:

  • “Girls are better than boys”, Is this sexist?

Task 1

  • “Boys are stronger than girls"
  • “Most boys are stronger than girls”
  • Is there any difference in the two statements?
  • Are either of them sexist?
  • What is ‘sexist?’

Task 2 –Thank you to Phil Gaydon for this

"Girls can't play here"

  • Is this sexist?
  • If 'here' is the playground?
  • If 'here' is the boys' toilets?
  • If 'here' is your back garden?
  • If 'here' is your treehouse?

 

Further Stimulus

Taken form David Birch’s session on 2-eyed Ugas

Imagine you are in a parallel world, much like ours. You write a newspaper that only writes the truth. You discover that scientists have actually unpick the male and female brain and discover that females are naturally more intelligent than males.

  • Do you publish this story?

 

Nested Questions

  • Is it sexist if it is the truth?
  • Is truth important?
  • What is ‘being sexist’?
  • Can you be sexist against your own gender? (give an example from what they’ve said)
  • Is it ok to be sexist about your own gender? (if you can be sexist against your own gender)
  • Is sexist kind? Honest?

 

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