Personal characteristics
Issues
We make assumptions and value judgements about others that are based upon their body size and shape, the way they speak or walk, their name, their clothes, jewellery or glasses or their sub-culture.
Popular culture and the media promote a certain 'perfect' or trendy look. These looks don't represent the reality - that we are all different and we all need to be equally valued!
Schools need to treat comments and actions based upon appearance and personal
characteristics seriously. Put-downs, stereotypes and prejudices are frequently
related to dominant attitudes towards socioeconomic status, cultural and linguistic
diversity, gender, sexuality, religion, disability and ability. Such comments
can have serious and debilitating social, physical and emotional consequences,
including body image and such severe disorders as anorexia and bulimia.
Communities speak
"In today's school we have so much pressure to be
skinny tall and slim, wear the latest clothing, etc. And for those people
who are not
born size 8, they are pushed out and alienated, they get
criticised for not being like the popular people."
"People who are really pretty and stuff tell us
we have to look like this and act like that to be popular
and accepted. They tease us and
leave us out of things. It's good we are learning
about
why people do that. It helps us to understand."
"It teaches us how different we all are and that we don't have to be like all the popular magazine people and the people on TV. In magazines, they can change the way people look."
"At my old school, I never had one day without getting
teased about my name. My last name is Brown and everybody called me names
like 'Brown pooh'. They also made up sarcastic rhymes and didn't
let me play
in any of their games. If I tried to play they
said, 'You are no good at games
so you can't
play with us. Ha ha ha'."
"People put you down for not being 'up to their
standard'. I think that's a major issue with bullying. They make an issue
of difference.
Could be just small things - the way you walk, talk,
and your mannerisms.
Really it is about being
different and doing things differently."
Challenges
School communities need to:
- analyse and criticise contemporary media – particularly popular youth magazines, television programs and music videos – that portray society as homogeneous.
- question contemporary media content, including advertising for the images, beliefs, values and messages that being promoted
- explore the idea of attractiveness and the 'perfect look' in relation to differing cultural, historical and social perspectives including the role of gender, race, class and power relations
- ensure that school staff model positive attitudes and comments about their own appearance and characteristics and those of others.
Resources
-
Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy Support Materials: Challenging physical stereotypes
Department of Education Tasmania website.
Online professional development materials to address issues of beliefs, attitudes and discrimination. Provides background information; a discussion of size, prejudice and the school environment; research and a list of resources.
-
Risky Business
Education Queensland (2000)
Brisbane: Department of Education QueenslandA professional development CD-ROM kit for school communities about body image, gender, eating and exercising issues. Designed for interactive group sessions, the kit promotes positive body image for all students and support for students with disordered eating and/or exercising. Includes descriptions of cross-curricular classroom strategies, sample stimulus materials and brochures for staff and students.
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