Perpectives on Gender: An Investigative Study of Gender Equity in Children [Espejuelos para el género: Apuestas investigativas por la equidad en la infancia]

Abstract

The construction of gender identities begins at a very early age. These identities are consolidated through the influence of various socialization actors, among which the family, the school, and the media stand out. Therefore, addressing gender issues is necessary from childhood to ensure that girls and boys reach adulthood as women and men capable of establishing more equitable, horizontal, collaborative, and healthy gender relations. For this reason, since 2012, Perspectives on Gender [Espejuelos para el Género] has conducted a school research project, focusing on the second cycle of primary education in Cuba. The collective goals of the two phases of the project were to analyze gender constructs in girls and boys as well as those associated with actors involved in the children’s formal and informal education, such as family, teachers and the media. The basic methodological design was conceived from arts-based action research.  Up until now, the persistence of sexist gender stereotypes has been identified in the scenarios and subjects under study although, at a discursive level, some gender equity is noticeable. This article describes the main results of the project. Editors' note: The English version of this article is a translation from the original Spanish, and this special feature is a result of a partnership between IJPS and the University of Havana, Cuba. The original Spanish article appears after the English translation.