The cultural construction of gender in human learning and language

What happens when we are in front of something that is new? How does learning happen?

Solo quando abbiamo un noto sicuro e garantito, lo proiettiamo sul nuovo (e a quel punto quello che non sapevamo comprendere diventa perfettamente comprensibile) -> siamo noi che diamo il significato alle parole (è solo uno strumento per esprimere il significato).

Coerenza = coherence is fundamental, because we expect certain things to come next (anticipation).

Pensiero categorico: il nostro cervello è fatto per costruire categorie (ogni nuova conoscenza che apprendiamo la immagazziniamo in determinate categorie). Ci permette di comprendere ed è anche una gabbia.

Schemi mentali -> alla base della nostra vita quotidiana (projecting what we already know on the new, then to this mental schemata -> we create categories. And categoric thinking can be very useful, but also very negative, because a lot of our things are categorized which lead to stereotypes, bias, and prejudice).

SOCIOCULTURAL

COSTRUCTIVIST PRESPECTIVES ON HUMAN LEARNING (social interaction and projecting the given on the new -> two fundamental characteristics on which is based this paragraph)

Learning is a socially constructed activity. It is something people do together in interaction with each other (Dewey, 1938). Vygotsky (1978) believed that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning" (costruire il significato, dare un significato a qualsiasi cosa che accade, qualsiasi evento o azione umana). Learning is a collaborative process (help each other), and knowledge develops from individuals' interactions with their culture and society (we are influenced by other cultures, and we can react in so many ways, also in a negative way). The environment in which people grow up will influence how they think and what they think about (l'ambiente in cui si cresce influenza come noi pensiamo e quello a cui noi pensiamo: una cosa è come si pensa, un'altra è cosa).

Social constructivism states that every function in a person's cultural development appears twice. First, on the social level in the interaction between people (interpsychological => psychological interaction between people) -> senza interazione sociale non si può sviluppare niente. Second, on the individual level inside the person (intrapsychological => how the interaction affects me psychologically). Psychological (learning) processes are not independent of the sociocultural context (l'apprendimento è un processo psicologico) -> questi processi non possono prescindere dal contesto socioculturale. They are constituted by the context of which they are a part (Cole, 1996, Gee, 2008 -> lavorato sull'analisi di determinati contesti socioculturali, socioeconomic ecc. Tutte cose che influenzano l'apprendimento) ->. Cognitive development and language development are inextricably linked -> sono totalmente interdipendenti.

si intersecano e si alimentano costantemente.

• Radical constructivism (von Glasersfeld, 1974) states that all knowledge is constructed, not to build a picture of reality, but rather to help us to function in our environment.
• Individuals have their own personal history of learning, and they also share common knowledge influenced by cultural factors. Cultures and their knowledge bases are constantly in a process of change and the knowledge stored by individuals is not a rigid copy of some socially constructed template. In learning a culture, each person changes that culture (Fox 2001, p. 30).

Human language

Human learning has always been shaped by the evolution of human language and the way in which "we human beings exist and operate as

"human beings as we operate in language (we exist meaning we are, operate meaning we do: everything we are and we do is throw language). Languaging (non esisteveramente questa parola/verbo -> linguaggiare = to language, to use language -> per lui serviva un verboche esprimesse il processo del linguaggio. Usare il linguaggio non è lo stesso di linguaggiare perché viene creato un distacco. Parlare è un modo di linguaggiare, scrivere un altro e serviva un verbo che le racchiudesse tutte -> Maturana ha creato una sorta di crisi linguistica, perché neanche in inglese era presente un sostantivo che rappresentasse quell significato. Il parlato interno è il veicolo del pensare, il parlare esterno è il veicolo del comunicare) is our manner of living as human beings" (Maturana, 2002, -> p.27 -> Argentinian scientist) linguaggiare è il nostro modo di essere, in qualche modo ogni cosa che facciamo è un linguaggiare, possiamo poi

accompagnarlo con azioni, movimenti ecc., ma la base di tutto è il linguaggio (= costrutto umano).

• Human beings are born predisposed (nasciamo predisposti al linguaggio) or pre-adapted (processo di adattamento attraverso milioni di anni, questo secondo gli scienziati evoluzionisti noi esseri umani siamo gli unici mammiferi incapaci di respirare e deglutire contemporaneamente, perché produrre la gamma di suoni e fonemi che è immensa, ha fatto sì che ci fossero adattamenti alla gola) to language and in their daily lives they use different types of language: body, visual, sound, human.
• Human language is a particular combination of body, sound and visual components (today most anthropologist and linguist say that language started with gestures) human beings use four types of language: body language, the only that we all use all the time, at least when we have our eyes open. Posture is the second element of body language. Then there are also the gestures,

facial expressions (tutte cose che comunque subiscono l'effetto della propria cultura. Nelle varie culture si è iniziato anche ad individuare un linguaggio del corpo femminile ed uno maschile), physical contact (subentrano delle convenzioni). Se non si tratta di contatto corporeo, tutto il resto del linguaggio corporeo, è visivo al 90%. Tutto quello che noi vediamo è un insieme di 4 cose: linea, forma, dimensione e colore (noi abbiamo cervelli, occhi predisposti a captare queste quattro cose) -> ogni cosa che vediamo è un insieme di linee, che si usano per costruire delle immagini che rappresentano qualcosa. Colours = sometimes express meanings. • Each single language is a particular example of the immense diversity that language can generate in different cultural contexts, creating the processes of making sense of the world (the cognitive processes underlying human learning) and expressing the meanings by which its users live (thecommunication and interaction. They are the patterns of behavior and language that we follow in different situations.• Language is a social phenomenon. It is shaped by social factors such as power, status, and identity. It is also used to establish and maintain social relationships.• Language is a tool for thought. It influences the way we think and perceive the world. Different languages have different structures and vocabularies, which can affect our cognitive processes.• Language is a means of expression and creativity. It allows us to convey our thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a unique and personal way.• Language is a system of rules and conventions. It has its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, which are learned and followed by its speakers.• Language is a dynamic and ever-changing phenomenon. It evolves over time, adapting to new contexts and influences.interacting within given situations (everyday conversations, service exchanges, classroom interactions, etc.).

• Schemata and scripts provide the basis for categorical thinking in learning and the construction and organization of knowledge.
• All cultures have developed powerful schemata, pervasive scripts and conditioning categories related to sex, sexuality, and gender (sexuality and gender are not the same thing, but are related).
• Issues related to sexuality and gender have become of increasing importance in all societies in recent decades and this has led to an awareness of the need to develop approaches to understanding and bringing about change regarding such questions in all spheres of society.

SEX AS A SET OF BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Sex as a noun is determined by biological differences (that are very specific and are related to certain functions), in terms of sexual organs and characteristics that define human beings as female or male, and functions related to

reproduction (living organisms have two basic objective in life: to survive and to reproduce), bonding (to bond = legare; sex take bonding to another level -> bonding is people creating strong relationship) and pleasure (sex is a natural way of experiencing pleasure -> if sex wasn't based on pleasure probably nobody would do it and there will be no reproduction). • Sex determination in mammals is controlled almost exclusively by a specialized set of sex chromosomes, XX in females and XY in males. • The Y chromosome of males contains a gene called SRY that determines the development of the initially undifferentiated gonad into a testis, which produces sperm. In females, the absence of SRY will lead to differentiation into an ovary, which releases eggs. Its not that women have a different gene, its just that women have ANOTHER TYPE of gene, they don't have THAT gene. • Primary sexual characteristics develop in males (e.g., penis and scrotum) and females (e.g., clitoris,

Primary sexual characteristics in females include the vulva, vagina, and uterus.

• Secondary sexual characteristics include differences in body hair and generation of muscle mass. In females, secondary sexual characteristics include the development of breasts and the ability to breastfeed, the menstrual cycle, the shape of the hips, and the distribution of body fat.

In the wider culture, dictionary definitions of genital parts reflect gendered discourses. Virginia's analysis of English language and medical dictionary definitions of female and male genital terms (see Braun and Kitzinger, 2001) illustrates how supposedly neutral cultural texts like dictionaries, as well as the supposedly biological body, are permeated with gendered discourses. This highlights the need for a critical psychology of gender that draws on social constructionist ideas (e.g., Burr, 2003; Gergen and Davis, 1997). Constructionists ask questions about the effects of different gendered constructions and whose interests they serve.

serve.Dictionaries are not value - neutral. As an authoritative source on words and meaning they lend authority to the values they reflect. Genital definitions, thus, provide a framework for understanding and discussing the world around us.