YES magazine has an online newsletter that provides dozens of resources for teachers interested in Teaching Peace.
It is a wonderful and hopeful resource as we enter a New Year.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Youth Activism in Maine
Last Fall Lewiston Maine became the site for an inspiring youth/adult collaboration; it is called YADA for Youth + Adults + Dialouge = Action. Using materials from Pomfret's Study Circles the groups came together for structured conversation and action planning. I am excited to learn more about the goals they decide upon and how they are implemented.
The Maine Youth Action Network provides an enormous amount of resources for young people interested in becoming involved with established volunteer opportunities or interested in creating their own social change projects. MYAN provides many links and print resources, as well as organizing an annual statewide conference (in November).
The Maine Youth Action Network provides an enormous amount of resources for young people interested in becoming involved with established volunteer opportunities or interested in creating their own social change projects. MYAN provides many links and print resources, as well as organizing an annual statewide conference (in November).
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Mothers Movement Online!
Updates: The Mothers Movement Online
Resources and Reporting for Mothers and Others Who Think About Social Change
December 2007 Edition
_____________________
EDITOR’S NOTES:
By MMO Editor Judith Stadtman Tucker
The Renewal of Possibility, and The Caring Society
"The Caring Society" seems like a timely topic for the holiday season, which -- when stripped down to its essence -- is all about the renewal of hope and possibility. It's also one of those rare occasions when we're prodded to reflect on our common humanity, and allow our hearts to open; to remember that joy comes from giving as well as receiving; to acknowledge that there is too much bad in the world, but also the capacity to do great good; and to act from the understanding that of all human powers, love matters most.
_____________________
FEATURES:
The Caring Society
There are caring people in every society, but not all societies are caring societies.
By JUDITH STADTMAN TUCKER
Democratic Front-Runners Pledge Support For Working Families
Whether through first-hand hardships or as media consumers, Americans are waking up to the significant risks of raising families in a nation where protecting corporate interests takes priority over the well-being of workers and children -- and, at least among Democratic hopefuls, candidates in the presidential primary race are taking note. (Includes side-by-side comparison of the candidates' proposals.)
By JUDITH STADTMAN TUCKER
Camping While Black
I've tried to keep these harsh realities from my son; however, in retrospect, I wonder if that is that wise? As his mother and primary link to black history, culture, pride and pain, I worry I am making a grave mistake. My biggest fear is I'm not fully preparing him to cope in a racist society and thus he may walk straight into harm's way.
By DEB PLEASANTS
_____________________
NOTEWORTHY:
-- Social Insecurity:
In US, two-thirds of middle-class families face financial insecurity (plus: related articles); Study finds one-third of Americans are downwardly mobile - risk is greater for African Americans (plus: related resources and articles); Poverty, racial bias contribute to overrepresentation of African American children in foster care
-- Work & Family:
OECD recommends work-life reconciliation policies for family well-being, economic growth; Stressed much? Work, money and parenting are major source of stress for Americans; Business Week: Can you afford to raise kids?; More news and commentary on work, family, and public policy
-- Motherhood & Mothering:
Knocking yourself up, post-partum plastic surgery, and other madness
-- Reproductive Health & Rights:
Candidates on sex ed, more about sex, and other noteworthy items on women's reproductive healthhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
_____________________
ESSAYS:
By MONICA CRUMBACK
http://www.mothersmovement.org/essays/07/12/crumback_girl_plus_bat.html
Parentbling Magazines
I have a few complaints to lodge against the mainstream parenting magazine industry.
By ERICA ETELSON
He Gets/She Gets
We negotiate schedules and chores with general good humor. But will there ever come a time when we won't be keeping an internal tally, an imaginary score sheet of what needs to be done and whose needs take priority?
By SHANNON HYLAND-TASSAVA
Essays - we've got 'em. Check out the recent arrivals in the Essays directory:
_____________________
COMMENTARY & OPINION:
Through The Looking Glass
By MEGAN BEYER
I look like Hillary Clinton.
Mother-related Conferences/Call for Proposals
National Association of Mothers Centers
NAMC National Conference:
Mothers ’08™ – Thinking Beyond Ourselves & Beyond Today
April 4-6, 2008, Hauppauge, NY
http://www.mothersmovement.org/get_active/active.htm#mothers08
NOW Foundation
Institute of Women's Policy Research
National Council of Negro Women
Summit on Economic Justice for Women
April 11-12, 2008, Atlanta, Georgia
Association for Research on Mothering (ARM)
MAMAPALOOZA
Performing Feminist Motherhood:
Outlaw Mothers in Music, Media, Arts and Cultural Expression
May 16, 2008, New York City
Call for submissions: Proposals due 15 Feb 2008
_____________________
MAIL:
The MMO welcomes reader mail
_____________________
RESOURCES:
The MMO Resources section provides descriptions and links to 100+ high quality reports and articles related care & economics, care & politics, family & culture, public policy reform, work/family issues, workplace standards, organizations and more… the list is always growing. Find the information you are looking for.
_____________________
SUBMISSIONS:
Please press 'send:' Submissions from new and seasoned writers are oh so welcome. Submit your essays, commentary, book reviews or opinion pieces for publication in the MMO. For more information, visit the submissions page:
http://www.mothersmovement.org/site/submissions.htm
Topics and submission deadlines for upcoming issues appear below.
_____________________
MMO PUBLICATION SCHEDULE:
The FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 edition will cover PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH: TRENDS & MOVEMENTS.
Deadline for submissions is FEBRUARY 1, 2007
The APRIL/MAY 2008 edition will cover THE MOTHERS' MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES: CONTROVERSIES, QUESTIONS, AND PROGRESS.
Deadline for submissions is APRIL 1, 2007
The 2008 EDITORIAL CALENDAR is now available (in .pdf)
Email editor@mothersmovement.org for more information.
Resources and Reporting for Mothers and Others Who Think About Social Change
December 2007 Edition
_____________________
EDITOR’S NOTES:
By MMO Editor Judith Stadtman Tucker
The Renewal of Possibility, and The Caring Society
"The Caring Society" seems like a timely topic for the holiday season, which -- when stripped down to its essence -- is all about the renewal of hope and possibility. It's also one of those rare occasions when we're prodded to reflect on our common humanity, and allow our hearts to open; to remember that joy comes from giving as well as receiving; to acknowledge that there is too much bad in the world, but also the capacity to do great good; and to act from the understanding that of all human powers, love matters most.
_____________________
FEATURES:
The Caring Society
There are caring people in every society, but not all societies are caring societies.
By JUDITH STADTMAN TUCKER
Democratic Front-Runners Pledge Support For Working Families
Whether through first-hand hardships or as media consumers, Americans are waking up to the significant risks of raising families in a nation where protecting corporate interests takes priority over the well-being of workers and children -- and, at least among Democratic hopefuls, candidates in the presidential primary race are taking note. (Includes side-by-side comparison of the candidates' proposals.)
By JUDITH STADTMAN TUCKER
Camping While Black
I've tried to keep these harsh realities from my son; however, in retrospect, I wonder if that is that wise? As his mother and primary link to black history, culture, pride and pain, I worry I am making a grave mistake. My biggest fear is I'm not fully preparing him to cope in a racist society and thus he may walk straight into harm's way.
By DEB PLEASANTS
_____________________
NOTEWORTHY:
-- Social Insecurity:
In US, two-thirds of middle-class families face financial insecurity (plus: related articles); Study finds one-third of Americans are downwardly mobile - risk is greater for African Americans (plus: related resources and articles); Poverty, racial bias contribute to overrepresentation of African American children in foster care
-- Work & Family:
OECD recommends work-life reconciliation policies for family well-being, economic growth; Stressed much? Work, money and parenting are major source of stress for Americans; Business Week: Can you afford to raise kids?; More news and commentary on work, family, and public policy
-- Motherhood & Mothering:
Knocking yourself up, post-partum plastic surgery, and other madness
-- Reproductive Health & Rights:
Candidates on sex ed, more about sex, and other noteworthy items on women's reproductive healthhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
_____________________
ESSAYS:
By MONICA CRUMBACK
http://www.mothersmovement.org/essays/07/12/crumback_girl_plus_bat.html
Parentbling Magazines
I have a few complaints to lodge against the mainstream parenting magazine industry.
By ERICA ETELSON
He Gets/She Gets
We negotiate schedules and chores with general good humor. But will there ever come a time when we won't be keeping an internal tally, an imaginary score sheet of what needs to be done and whose needs take priority?
By SHANNON HYLAND-TASSAVA
Essays - we've got 'em. Check out the recent arrivals in the Essays directory:
_____________________
COMMENTARY & OPINION:
Through The Looking Glass
By MEGAN BEYER
I look like Hillary Clinton.
Mother-related Conferences/Call for Proposals
National Association of Mothers Centers
NAMC National Conference:
Mothers ’08™ – Thinking Beyond Ourselves & Beyond Today
April 4-6, 2008, Hauppauge, NY
http://www.mothersmovement.org/get_active/active.htm#mothers08
NOW Foundation
Institute of Women's Policy Research
National Council of Negro Women
Summit on Economic Justice for Women
April 11-12, 2008, Atlanta, Georgia
Association for Research on Mothering (ARM)
MAMAPALOOZA
Performing Feminist Motherhood:
Outlaw Mothers in Music, Media, Arts and Cultural Expression
May 16, 2008, New York City
Call for submissions: Proposals due 15 Feb 2008
_____________________
MAIL:
The MMO welcomes reader mail
_____________________
RESOURCES:
The MMO Resources section provides descriptions and links to 100+ high quality reports and articles related care & economics, care & politics, family & culture, public policy reform, work/family issues, workplace standards, organizations and more… the list is always growing. Find the information you are looking for.
_____________________
SUBMISSIONS:
Please press 'send:' Submissions from new and seasoned writers are oh so welcome. Submit your essays, commentary, book reviews or opinion pieces for publication in the MMO. For more information, visit the submissions page:
http://www.mothersmovement.org/site/submissions.htm
Topics and submission deadlines for upcoming issues appear below.
_____________________
MMO PUBLICATION SCHEDULE:
The FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 edition will cover PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH: TRENDS & MOVEMENTS.
Deadline for submissions is FEBRUARY 1, 2007
The APRIL/MAY 2008 edition will cover THE MOTHERS' MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES: CONTROVERSIES, QUESTIONS, AND PROGRESS.
Deadline for submissions is APRIL 1, 2007
The 2008 EDITORIAL CALENDAR is now available (in .pdf)
Email editor@mothersmovement.org for more information.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Stereotyping Toys by Kim Gandy
NOW's Naughty List: Stereotyping Toys
Below the Belt: A Biweekly Column by NOW President Kim Gandy
December 21, 2007
For what I hope is the last time in 2007, I find myself asking: What year is this again?
I'm not talking about abstinence-only education, or Bush's appointment of birth control opponents to high ranking reproductive health positions, or even "purity balls" (although I may have to get to those someday soon). No, I'm talking about toys.
'Tis the season for abundant toy advertising and shopping, so naturally the NOW office has been abuzz about the ubiquitous "Rose Petal Cottage" TV commercials. If you haven't seen these ads, count yourself lucky. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I would think they were beamed in from 1955, via some lost satellite in space. Or maybe it's a deeply subversive parody that a clever (and rich) band of feminists snuck onto the airwaves in heavy rotation.
According to the makers at Playskool, the Rose Petal Cottage is "a place where her dreams have room to grow." And what might those dreams be? Well, baking muffins, arranging furniture and doing the dishes. The voiceover even declares that the toy house will "entertain her imagination" just before the little girl opens the miniature washing machine and says – I kid you not – "Let's do laundry!"
Now, I'm not knocking the important work of housekeeping, but this commercial is aimed solely at females (there are two versions -- one designed to entice little girls and one targeting their moms). Products like the Rose Petal Cottage and the marketing campaigns that accompany them perpetuate the notion that cooking and cleaning are women's work, and girls might as well start getting used to that fact at an early age. C'mon Susie, this scrubbing and ironing look like fun!
Of course the message of the Rose Petal Cottage would not be complete without its flip side . . . the Tonka 3-in-1 Scoot n' Scoop truck. This commercial states its theory right up front: "Boys. What can you say? They're just built different!"
The not so subtle concept is that boys are adventurous and unpredictable. Playing "their way" involves mischievous acts like pulling flowers out of the garden and tracking dirt across the kitchen floor. But thanks to Tonka, a boy can channel "what he does naturally" into sorting shapes and learning to walk. Yup, those sure sound like boys-only activities to me.
The idea that a girl might want to ride on a truck, or a boy play house, well, that's just too radical for most toy manufacturers. They prefer the status quo, thank you very much.
But what about toys that promote learning -- surely their marketing is more forward-thinking, right? Imagine my surprise when NOW received an email from a woman alerting us to the fact that even the Discovery Channel's online store organizes toys by gender beginning at age five. As the email writer explains: "Since the store is a major one for science and technology toys, I worry that it is just another way women are being discouraged from pursuing interest in science and technology at an early age."
Another disappointment is the makeover Dora the Explorer received recently. Yes, you can still buy dolls and products that look like the same Dora you see on TV, but now you can also buy an elongated and glamorous Dora, too. These new Doras are approaching Bratz territory, and that's disheartening. Dora is one of the few positive female role models in cartoons -- a smart, brave, curious girl who doesn't look like a supermodel in the making. Why must she be robbed of her uniqueness?
Take a trip through Toys "R" Us and pay close attention to the kinds of toys that are marketed specifically to girls or boys. The girls' section features dolls, fashion, jewelry, and a few crafts and other items that are best described as decorative. The boys' section contains cars, planes, sports equipment. These toys seem to value action, dexterity and skill. Many boys' toys literally and figuratively encourage them to reach for the stars, while girls' toys urge them to play at being stars, like the troubled pop princesses who rule our celebrity-obsessed culture.
To some folks, I might sound like Scrooge…disparaging decades of toy tradition. Or, this might sound like a pretty silly concern with everything else going on in the world. But the messages we send to kids as they are growing up have the power to influence the rest of their lives. And these toys do send a message about the roles of women and men in our society.
Through the world of toys, girls and boys are given separate dreams to follow. Girls are prepared for a future of looking pretty, keeping house and taking care of babies. Boys are given a pass on that domain, and instead pointed toward the outside world of challenge, physical development and achievement.
A lot of this has to do with making money, I'm sure. After all, if girls and boys don't share toys, families with kids of both genders have to buy twice as many products. But it's also about promoting difference between the sexes. Our society, heck, the whole world, still isn't ready to give up the standards that define gender and all the rules and customs that go with it.
Women will never be fully equal until we, and all of our society, stop restricting our children's aspirations based on their sex, and constantly directing them toward predetermined roles. It starts with pink and blue baby clothes, then dolls and trucks. Next thing you know, boys and girls are being segregated into separate classrooms and schools because they "learn differently." Then, they enter the workplace with an outlook that can only perpetuate division and derision.
Girls and boys both will benefit if we offer them limitless options. They will grow up to be more fully developed people if we give them the freedom to discover who they are, without the stress of tightly patrolled gender borders.
As I write this, 2008 is on the horizon, and it seems like a fine year to expand our vision of what girls, women, boys and men can do beyond our outdated, unimaginative conventions. And we can start with something as innocent-seeming as the toys we buy our kids this holiday season.
Below the Belt: A Biweekly Column by NOW President Kim Gandy
December 21, 2007
For what I hope is the last time in 2007, I find myself asking: What year is this again?
I'm not talking about abstinence-only education, or Bush's appointment of birth control opponents to high ranking reproductive health positions, or even "purity balls" (although I may have to get to those someday soon). No, I'm talking about toys.
'Tis the season for abundant toy advertising and shopping, so naturally the NOW office has been abuzz about the ubiquitous "Rose Petal Cottage" TV commercials. If you haven't seen these ads, count yourself lucky. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I would think they were beamed in from 1955, via some lost satellite in space. Or maybe it's a deeply subversive parody that a clever (and rich) band of feminists snuck onto the airwaves in heavy rotation.
According to the makers at Playskool, the Rose Petal Cottage is "a place where her dreams have room to grow." And what might those dreams be? Well, baking muffins, arranging furniture and doing the dishes. The voiceover even declares that the toy house will "entertain her imagination" just before the little girl opens the miniature washing machine and says – I kid you not – "Let's do laundry!"
Now, I'm not knocking the important work of housekeeping, but this commercial is aimed solely at females (there are two versions -- one designed to entice little girls and one targeting their moms). Products like the Rose Petal Cottage and the marketing campaigns that accompany them perpetuate the notion that cooking and cleaning are women's work, and girls might as well start getting used to that fact at an early age. C'mon Susie, this scrubbing and ironing look like fun!
Of course the message of the Rose Petal Cottage would not be complete without its flip side . . . the Tonka 3-in-1 Scoot n' Scoop truck. This commercial states its theory right up front: "Boys. What can you say? They're just built different!"
The not so subtle concept is that boys are adventurous and unpredictable. Playing "their way" involves mischievous acts like pulling flowers out of the garden and tracking dirt across the kitchen floor. But thanks to Tonka, a boy can channel "what he does naturally" into sorting shapes and learning to walk. Yup, those sure sound like boys-only activities to me.
The idea that a girl might want to ride on a truck, or a boy play house, well, that's just too radical for most toy manufacturers. They prefer the status quo, thank you very much.
But what about toys that promote learning -- surely their marketing is more forward-thinking, right? Imagine my surprise when NOW received an email from a woman alerting us to the fact that even the Discovery Channel's online store organizes toys by gender beginning at age five. As the email writer explains: "Since the store is a major one for science and technology toys, I worry that it is just another way women are being discouraged from pursuing interest in science and technology at an early age."
Another disappointment is the makeover Dora the Explorer received recently. Yes, you can still buy dolls and products that look like the same Dora you see on TV, but now you can also buy an elongated and glamorous Dora, too. These new Doras are approaching Bratz territory, and that's disheartening. Dora is one of the few positive female role models in cartoons -- a smart, brave, curious girl who doesn't look like a supermodel in the making. Why must she be robbed of her uniqueness?
Take a trip through Toys "R" Us and pay close attention to the kinds of toys that are marketed specifically to girls or boys. The girls' section features dolls, fashion, jewelry, and a few crafts and other items that are best described as decorative. The boys' section contains cars, planes, sports equipment. These toys seem to value action, dexterity and skill. Many boys' toys literally and figuratively encourage them to reach for the stars, while girls' toys urge them to play at being stars, like the troubled pop princesses who rule our celebrity-obsessed culture.
To some folks, I might sound like Scrooge…disparaging decades of toy tradition. Or, this might sound like a pretty silly concern with everything else going on in the world. But the messages we send to kids as they are growing up have the power to influence the rest of their lives. And these toys do send a message about the roles of women and men in our society.
Through the world of toys, girls and boys are given separate dreams to follow. Girls are prepared for a future of looking pretty, keeping house and taking care of babies. Boys are given a pass on that domain, and instead pointed toward the outside world of challenge, physical development and achievement.
A lot of this has to do with making money, I'm sure. After all, if girls and boys don't share toys, families with kids of both genders have to buy twice as many products. But it's also about promoting difference between the sexes. Our society, heck, the whole world, still isn't ready to give up the standards that define gender and all the rules and customs that go with it.
Women will never be fully equal until we, and all of our society, stop restricting our children's aspirations based on their sex, and constantly directing them toward predetermined roles. It starts with pink and blue baby clothes, then dolls and trucks. Next thing you know, boys and girls are being segregated into separate classrooms and schools because they "learn differently." Then, they enter the workplace with an outlook that can only perpetuate division and derision.
Girls and boys both will benefit if we offer them limitless options. They will grow up to be more fully developed people if we give them the freedom to discover who they are, without the stress of tightly patrolled gender borders.
As I write this, 2008 is on the horizon, and it seems like a fine year to expand our vision of what girls, women, boys and men can do beyond our outdated, unimaginative conventions. And we can start with something as innocent-seeming as the toys we buy our kids this holiday season.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Whole Child Initiative
ESR Partners with ASCD on the Whole Child Initiative
ESR has joined the 22 national organizations who have joined with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) as partners in the Whole Child Initiative, to engage the public and advocate for a whole child approach to education wherein educators, schools, parents, policymakers, and communities work together to ensure students are healthy, safe, engaged in learning, supported by caring adults, and challenged by a well-balanced curriculum. Please visit www.wholechildeducation.org to learn more about the initiative.
ESR has joined the 22 national organizations who have joined with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) as partners in the Whole Child Initiative, to engage the public and advocate for a whole child approach to education wherein educators, schools, parents, policymakers, and communities work together to ensure students are healthy, safe, engaged in learning, supported by caring adults, and challenged by a well-balanced curriculum. Please visit www.wholechildeducation.org to learn more about the initiative.
Connected and Respected Trainings from Educators for Social Responsibility
Educators for Social Responsibility E-News
December 2007
UPDATES! Connected & Respected in the Elementary Classroom Institutes
ESR invites elementary educators to explore Connected and Respected: Lessons from the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. This curriculum, helps students develop the qualities of character, and social and emotional competencies that are not only vital to their academic success, but to their success in building and maintaining relationships and making positive contributions to their communities and the world.
Registration for the following institutes will open mid-January!
Long Island, New York on Monday, March 10, 2008
Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Old Lyme, Connecticut on Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Eastern Massachusetts (Marlborough) on Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bay Area, California (Hayward) on Monday, April 14, 2008
San Diego, California on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Northern New Jersey (Totowa) on Thursday, May 22, 2008
New Orleans, Louisiana and Richmond, Virginia to be determined!
For more information please contact Nicole Day at 617.492.1764 ext. 30 or nday@esrnational.org.
December 2007
UPDATES! Connected & Respected in the Elementary Classroom Institutes
ESR invites elementary educators to explore Connected and Respected: Lessons from the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. This curriculum, helps students develop the qualities of character, and social and emotional competencies that are not only vital to their academic success, but to their success in building and maintaining relationships and making positive contributions to their communities and the world.
Registration for the following institutes will open mid-January!
Long Island, New York on Monday, March 10, 2008
Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Old Lyme, Connecticut on Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Eastern Massachusetts (Marlborough) on Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bay Area, California (Hayward) on Monday, April 14, 2008
San Diego, California on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Northern New Jersey (Totowa) on Thursday, May 22, 2008
New Orleans, Louisiana and Richmond, Virginia to be determined!
For more information please contact Nicole Day at 617.492.1764 ext. 30 or nday@esrnational.org.
Contact Governor Baldacci about proposed budget cuts
Given the horror of hunger in Maine, as well as rising home heating costs, the growing income and wealth gap and the importance of maintaining education and basic social services in our community, Governor Baldacci's proposed budget cuts are terrifying to me. (See the Press Herald article as well).
There are alternative ways to balance the budget (use the comments to share your best ideas ~ I favor raising income taxes on income in excess of $1,000,000) yet almost no alternatives to government for preserving a safety net, maintaining the health of our community and our children.
Send your thoughts to Governor Baldacci!
(See resources at the non-partisan Maine Center for Economic Policy for clarity about the State Budget, taxes, wages, etc.)
There are alternative ways to balance the budget (use the comments to share your best ideas ~ I favor raising income taxes on income in excess of $1,000,000) yet almost no alternatives to government for preserving a safety net, maintaining the health of our community and our children.
Send your thoughts to Governor Baldacci!
(See resources at the non-partisan Maine Center for Economic Policy for clarity about the State Budget, taxes, wages, etc.)
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