The Surgeon's Story
Objective : To understand how deep-rooted gender stereotypes are and how they are naturalized through language
Methodology : Story and discussion
Material : Copy of the Surgeons story, writing material
Time : 45 mins
Activity : Read out the following story: One day a man goes to the circus with his son. On the way, whilst crossing the road, a car knocks down the boy. He has serious head injuries and needs to go to a hospital immediately. The man rushes the boy to the hospital and he lands up on the surgeon’s table. The surgeon takes one look at the boy and cries out “ I cannot operate on him! This is my son!”
Discuss: Ask the group to give their immediate responses to the story. It is very likely that quite a few people who haven’t heard this story before will be not be able to arrive at the possibility of the surgeon being a women and therefore the boy’s mother. After arriving at the same facilitate a discussion on:
1. Why we never thought that the surgeon might be a woman. Is it that women really do not do such jobs?
2. Is it true that women cannot be surgeons, train drivers, politicians etc.? Where do these stereotypes come from?
Conclusion: Define stereotypes and end with how stereotypes determine our attitude towards women, the roles we assign to them, duties expected of them and in determining what they are capable and not capable of.
From a Gender Training Module. Did you catch yourself gender-biased? :) And look, I recently found a video version of this story:
Methodology : Story and discussion
Material : Copy of the Surgeons story, writing material
Time : 45 mins
Activity : Read out the following story: One day a man goes to the circus with his son. On the way, whilst crossing the road, a car knocks down the boy. He has serious head injuries and needs to go to a hospital immediately. The man rushes the boy to the hospital and he lands up on the surgeon’s table. The surgeon takes one look at the boy and cries out “ I cannot operate on him! This is my son!”
Discuss: Ask the group to give their immediate responses to the story. It is very likely that quite a few people who haven’t heard this story before will be not be able to arrive at the possibility of the surgeon being a women and therefore the boy’s mother. After arriving at the same facilitate a discussion on:
1. Why we never thought that the surgeon might be a woman. Is it that women really do not do such jobs?
2. Is it true that women cannot be surgeons, train drivers, politicians etc.? Where do these stereotypes come from?
Conclusion: Define stereotypes and end with how stereotypes determine our attitude towards women, the roles we assign to them, duties expected of them and in determining what they are capable and not capable of.
From a Gender Training Module. Did you catch yourself gender-biased? :) And look, I recently found a video version of this story:
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