Troubling the ontological bubble: middle school students challenging gender stereotypes

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss how a selection of eighth-grade students (13–14-year-olds) responded when they were asked to publicly challenge the gender binary for a critical media literacy school assignment in the USA. We describe the ways in which students negotiated the dual projects of complying with the assignment to create video ads that challenged gender stereotypes and maintaining their gendered sense of self. While the videos had virtually all students disrupting gender in some way, many did so even as they reinforced the notion of gender as a binary. We apply the idea of ontological bubble, as well as concepts from post-structural theories, to help us make sense of the different methods students used to maintain the gender binary.

Keywords:

• gender
• media literacy
• schools
• adolescents
• ontological security
• advertising

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the American Association of University Women.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^1. Email: [email protected].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Linda Markowitz

Linda Markowitz is a professor of sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her research focuses on social justice issues with a focus on gender and race.

Laurel Puchner

Laurel Puchner is a professor of educational psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her research focuses on gender and education, race, and teacher education for social justice.