WHEN I GROW UP I ‘M GOING TO BE

Goal: To help children understand that there is great variety of appearance between people of the same sex. To help children resist sexist and racist stereotyping in employment. To help children understand that certain jobs are not kept for certain races or sexes.

Suggested Reading:

Description:
Find a picture of a person who breaks a gender stereotype, for instance a woman/girl with very short hair or a man/boy with long hair. Make sure the child understands the true differences between male and female, that they are not based on hair length or style.

Looking at pictures of a man or a woman, ask the child “What do you they do for a job?” Listen to what the child says but also add some suggestions of your own that go against sexual and racial stereotypes. Perhaps the white man is a janitor, perhaps the brown skinned woman is a surgeon.

Examples of Discussion:
• “Is this person a boy or a girl? How can you tell?”
• “What do you think that woman’s job is? Maybe she is a pilot? What about a construction worker or firefighter?”