Shades in gender: Visualizing gender diversity through color palettes

Abstract

Courses: Gender roles and communication, interpersonal communication, communication theory.

Objectives: This activity introduces students to the social construction of gender, and asks them to consider gender diversity by understanding that shades of pink and blue exist within the binary. Specifically, students are given blue or pink color palettes to think of masculinities or femininities that they think fit the gradient, and through the processing of assigning meaning to colors, students are able to learn that bodies are not only visually marked but also gendered. Students ultimately take away that gender is contested, negotiated, or affirmed in social interactions. In other words, gender is under construction—being built, developed, destroyed—and fluid.