The first survey I took was to see if I had a bias for gender and liberal arts or science, and I found that I had a bias. I associate females with liberal arts and males with science. This was no surprise to me because of my personal preferences. I was never really interested in science overall. Certain aspects of science appeal to me, but I wouldn’t say that any of it came naturally to me. In fact, after receiving nearly straight A’s in high school, it was a jarring experience to fail a chemistry class in college. On the other hand, I was drawn to the liberal arts classes. Those courses either seemed easy, or at least a hell of a lot more interesting than science. In high school I relied on my friends, Steve and Jason, to help me out in science when I didn’t understand something. I think I just assumed as a teenager that science and math were easier for boys. Also the best readers I knew were girls, and most of the best writers as well.
I was 100% aware of this bias. In this survey I tried to answer the questions in a way not to appear biased, but that did not work. As a mom with daughters, I never want my girls to think that they can’t do something because of their gender. One of my girls excels in math and science, and I am always trying to make sure that my own feelings do not influence her in a negative way. I do not want my biases to make her feel limited when choosing classes or careers.
The second survey I took showed that I have an automatic preference for straight people over gay people. I don’t think I was really aware of this bias, and it actually made me feel pretty bad. My oldest daughter identifies as gay and dresses in a way that I would describe as more masculine. She wears lots of black, baggier styles, hoodies, graphic tees, converse with rainbow laces. She also has very short hair that is always a bright color. My other three girls have styles that I would describe as more typically feminine. They have long hair, wear a little make up, they wear color, and some of their clothes are more fitted. I would not feel comfortable with my daughter thinking I had a preference for her sisters over her, so this definitely a bias I needed to be made aware of so that I can address it and work to change it. I wouldn’t want any gay people to think I had a preference for straight people, not just my daughter. I’m assuming the reason that I have this is because I myself am straight, and most of my friends are too.
In reading Wherever I Go, my second grade class had a difficult time grasping just how difficult it would be to be a refugee. A few of them have moved from a different country, and that was extremely difficult. They have had to learn a new language, and move to different climates, and leave family behind. However, their families did come to the United States for opportunities, not because they had to escape danger. The kids in my class have safe homes in a safe neighborhood, and they attend a small school.
As my class talked more about the book, many of them brought up how they had to move when they were a baby, or how they moved a couple of streets over when they were young. Or they “thought” their grandparents might have moved. They definitely could not relate to families who had spent years in a refugee camp. What they did understand was how hard it would be to move to another country and leave some of your things and family behind. They talked a lot about how challenging it would be to have to make all new friends, and how confusing it would be if you didn’t speak the same language as everyone else.
