‘—

Alfie Corteza Completed Assignment #5

Alfie Corteza

Professor Bullock

Assignment #5

In C.J Pascoe’s book, she focuses on the sexual phase of teenhood of high school students by observing the students, teachers, and faculty at River High School. In the book, Pascoe explains that on top of the student’s actions and regards towards sexuality, the teachers and faculty also play a role in supporting heteronormativity without realizing it. An example would be in the male-dominated classes of weightlifting and auto-shop classes. For instance on page 49, Mr. Ford and Mr. Kellogg joked at Huey’s success in regards to his heterosexual achievements. When the two teachers talked with each other Mr. Ford explained that Huey raised his middle finger to him to say “f*** you.” Mr. Ford then joked with Mr. Kellog at Huey’s success by saying that he doubts Huey had any sex with a girl. By the two teachers judging Huey’s success with females, it reveals that the male teachers reinforce heteronormativity as they automatically relate a male to a female in regards to courtship.

Another instance where the teachers strengthen the gender status would be the club making event. At this time an organization named the “Safer Sex Party” (Pasce, 46) started handing out condoms to the students to promote safe sex. However, as the teacher realized what was being handed out, she automatically went to all of the male students assuming they were the only ones acquiring the condoms, and that they were the only ones concerned about safe sex. In addition to that, the teachers and faculty feared that the students were engaging or practicing in sexual behaviors deemed irresponsible for letting it happen. But on the contrary, it revealed that the student body was responsible for taking precautionary measures to avoid teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

The students also played a part of the basis of masculinity of the males by expressing weakness, high-pitched voices, and lack of protection in their plays. My demonstrating weakness in a man, it reinforces what is considered masculine by making what is seen as a beta male to have female tendencies. Also, it also portrays the man as the protector of the woman, and displays the woman as the damsel in distress and needs help to get out of their situation. An example of this would be the play in the beginning when the two nerds couldn’t protect their girlfriends, and the “gangstas” took them away to their hideout.

As a result, everybody within the high school society plays a role in the idea of masculinity, and gender roles as the students are in peak sexual influences, and the teachers are policing the sexual thoughts and actions.