Level(s): Grade 6 to 8
Overview
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In this lesson, students explore the nature of stereotypes by looking at the negative image of the TV dad as presented in situation comedies (sitcoms) and advertisements. Students start with an opportunity to share their prior knowledge through a two-part “word splash” on the topic of TV fathers. Then they apply their knowledge to a guided classroom discussion on gender stereotypes, and review a backgrounder on TV dads. Next, students look at an ad that attracted complaints from fatherhood rights interest groups. Finally, working in groups, students share their scenarios from their word splash and choose one to perform in the suggested activity called From Sitcom to Sit-Real. There is an optional follow-up activity in which students track TV portrayals of fathers through a TV Dads Log. Teachers may wish to exercise caution and show sensitivity in the discussions of gender portrayal and representation of fathers in the media, depending on students’ family dynamics.
Learning Outcomes
- an understanding of what a gender stereotype is
- an awareness that stereotypes exist in the portrayal of dads in TV sitcoms and ads
- an awareness of how young people may be influenced by gender messages
- an understanding that ads and sitcoms do not necessarily represent reality
- an understanding that, as informed and empowered people, they can use their own skills and tools to bring about positive change
Preparation and Materials
Procedures
Warm-up Activity
(Distribute the handout TV Dads Word Splash.)
Ask students to brainstorm and to list the names of fictional television dads. After the students have completed their list, have them select one character and write that character’s name in the middle of the circle in the second part of the TV Dads Word Splash handout. In the space around the character’s name, have students write down characteristics of the TV dad they have chosen. Ask students to provide examples of each of these characteristics, with examples of events from the television program. You may choose to have students share their examples.
Guided Discussion
Almost every Canadian household has a TV (98 per cent according to Statistics Canada) 1 and 48 per cent of students in Grades 3 to 10 have their own TV (35 per cent have their own VCR).2 Interest groups for fatherhood rights are concerned that young children may be bombarded with false perceptions of what dads are like. Many TV sitcom and ad dads are portrayed as selfish, senseless and overwhelmingly uninterested in their family.
1. Begin a class discussion by asking students to define the word "stereotype." Explain to students that stereotypes are "fixed" or "set" beliefs about a group of people and that when we apply stereotypes, we assume that all members of a group are the same--like cookies made with the same cookie cutter. In the case of gender stereotypes, this means that if you are a girl or a woman, or a boy or a man, you are expected to act a certain way. Ask students why this might be a problem.
Let students know that the main problem with stereotypes is that they usually give us an incomplete or misleading picture, based on generalizations about groups of people--but without taking into account the diverse characteristics of individuals. Believing stereotypes also limits our personal choices in determining our own interests and skills. For example, a boy who likes flower arranging might worry about being called a "wimp" if he does this. A girl who wants to become an engineer might not choose this career because it is considered a "male" profession. Research on TV and children suggests that television viewing can have an impact on developing or reinforcing children’s stereotypical attitudes and beliefs about gender.3
2. Distribute the student handout TV Dads. Read through and discuss the following questions:
- What are some common characteristics associated with sitcom dads?
- Are these characteristics consistent with how dads are portrayed in other genres (e.g., dramas)?
- Do you think most students your age believe that these characteristics are accurate? How about students who are younger?
- Why do you think these portrayals exist?
- How do sitcom dads compare with dads in other types of media, such as music and movies?
- How different are the TV ad dads from those who appear in TV sitcoms?
- Do ads showcasing the bumbling father reinforce stereotypes (whether they are overt or subconscious) that it is acceptable to leave the bulk of parenting to mom?
- Do they also reinforce the notion that a nurturing and domesticated male is un-masculine?
You may wish to ask students additional questions, and assign additional activities, to generate discussion or debate, such as:
- Do you think that the way dads are portrayed on television can influence the way people view father figures? Are these views influenced by other factors, such as a person’s age or family composition (multi-parents, single parent or same-sex parents)?
- What other gender stereotypes do you think exist in movies and TV shows? List some of the stereotypes of people your age and gender. How do these stereotypes compare with people you know in real life?
Activity: Verizon’s "Homework" Ad
Discuss with students the nature of interest and advocacy groups or organizations. Explain to students that they are groups of people working on behalf of, or strongly supporting, a particular cause. In the case of media advocacy organizations, they are often involved in monitoring media and can have an influence on the companies that create and broadcast media content.
In the fall of 2004, fatherhood interest groups were vocal in their criticism of an ad called “Homework,” by Verizon. The ad shows a father ineffectively trying to help his young daughter with her homework. Mom comes in and, after seeing the frustrated look on her daughter’s face, tells dad to leave her alone and go wash the dog.
The U.S. advocacy group Dads and Daughters responded to this ad with the following statement: “It's reflective of some deeply entrenched cultural attitudes--that fathers are second-class parents, that they're not really necessary. To operate from the assumption that Dad is a dolt is harmful to fathers, harmful to children and harmful to mothers.”4
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"Homework"”
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View the commercial by clicking on the
picture.
(Note: You will need Windows Media Player to
view the ad.) |
After viewing, you may want to ask students:
- How would you describe the father in this ad? What characteristics does he display?
- How does this portrayal compare with those of other characters in the ad?
- How do the father’s characteristics compare with those of the fathers you know in everyday life?
- Why do you think fatherhood advocacy groups expressed their concern about the ad?
In this particular case, after the backlash from interest groups, Verizon stated that the ad had finished its scheduled airings and would not be aired in the future. As an alternative to this activity, you can add your own examples of the way fathers are portrayed in TV ads and shows. Examples can be both positive and negative portrayals, which students can compare and contrast. The National Fatherhood Initiative has a series of public service announcements (PSAs) that exhibit positive portrayals of fathers. They can be accessed at www.fatherhood.org/psa_tv.asp.
Activity: From Sitcom to Sit-Real
Divide the class into groups of three or four. In each group, have students share their TV Dads Word Splash. Explain that the word "sitcom" means "situation comedy". Situation comedies are often premised on real life events or situations such as family dynamics. To heighten the interest of the everyday situation, sitcoms add humorous elements and strip away the realist portrayal of characters and events.
Ask students to pick an event from the examples in their TV Dads Word Splash and find a way to transform a sitcom into a more likely scenario, which you may even call a "sit-real," for "situation reality." Choose whether you would like students to act out the scenario or display the scenario through a series of tableaus (a representation of a scene without movement or sound, almost like a series of pictures), a radio play or a storyboard. Have each group perform or explain their work to the rest of the class.
Follow-up Activity
Ask students to keep a personal tally of examples (either good or bad) of how dads are portrayed in media over the course of a week. Students can use the handout TV Dads Log and start with television shows, but you may want them to expand into other forms of media, including magazines, music, movies and advertisements. Ask them to provide details, such as when and where they saw the portrayal, the type of media (e.g., television or movie) and their reasons for judging it to be either a positive or a negative portrayal.
1 Canadian Heritage, Cultural Labour Force Growing, New Publication Reports, December 12, 1995.
2 Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Kids’ Take on Media, 2003 www.ctf-fce.ca/documents/Resources/en/MERP/kidsenglish.pdf
3 See Jane Program, Dads and Daughters, G Movies Give Boys a D: Portraying Males as Dominant, Disconnected and Dangerous, May 2006.
4 Adrants, Dad Gets the Bimbo Treatment in Verizon, November 11, 2004 www.adrants.com/2004/11/dad-gets-the-bimbo-treatment-in-verizon-a.php
