Canada: 'Polite conversation' course for young women sparks backlash

[Independent voter]

There is a field trip to visit the food and cosmetology classrooms at a local high school, where students "will plan recipes, table settings, dinner music and review dinner party etiquette and polite conversation. The girls will spend the afternoon learning about nail care and application".

It also has "hands on" activities that include how to figure out your face and body shape in order to "determine how your style can be enhanced using tips and tricks".


The school has received critizm that it's women's class is a throw back to the 1950s.






http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39348155

A Canadian school course that teaches girls about hairstyles, dinner party etiquette and "polite conversation" has sparked a backlash.

The optional course at Eleanor Hall School in Clyde, Alberta, is to help young girls "navigate adolescence" with "self-esteem intact".

It has met broad criticism, with one critic calling it a "sort of neo-1950s etiquette class".

School officials say they will review the course.

The school is offering the "women studies" course to girls for the first time this year, based on a similar "Girl Power" course offered at nearby school.

Twenty-five students from grades six to nine are enrolled in the course, which includes lessons in the basics of web design, the role of women in history, and cultural aspects of beauty around the world.

It also has "hands on" activities that include how to figure out your face and body shape in order to "determine how your style can be enhanced using tips and tricks".
Image copyright Facebook

There is a field trip to visit the food and cosmetology classrooms at a local high school, where students "will plan recipes, table settings, dinner music and review dinner party etiquette and polite conversation. The girls will spend the afternoon learning about nail care and application".

Acting superintendent David Garbutt at the Pembina Hills School Division said on Tuesday he realises that the school failed in how it promoted the course in the wake of the criticism.

"I know the way it come across it looks like we're supporting stereotyping girls, but what I'm trying to get out after the fact is that's not what we're about. We do not have that intent," he said.

Mr Garbutt said the course will teach the students to bring a critical eye to those activities, which were selected in part to engage students.

"We want to do the best by our kids. We want them to have a positive image and build self-esteem we want them to analyse things critically," he said.

"What's important about all of it is that there are conversations happening and that girls are learning how to think critically," said Beth Malcolm of the Canadian Women's Foundation.

"Content is important but the conversation is just as important, if not more important," she said.

Still, Mr Garbutt concedes that "maybe (the teachers) didn't hit the mark" when planning the field trip.

Future trips might include stops in the welding, mechanics and construction labs as well.

"How do I feel about the programme itself? I think it needs some attention and some tweaking. The people who are offering constructive criticism - we're certainly listening," Mr Garbutt said.

[Endus]

Another link with more info; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...hool-1.4034711

The Provincial government's already stepping in. The school's a public school, not a private one; they can't just up and do stuff like this.


The other workshops they mention don't appear to be anything like this; https://urstrong.com/girlpower-goodg...wer-workshops/

While those are the "GirlPower" workshops, the same organization provides basically the same programs for boys, under the title "GoodGuys". The differences are nearly negligible; they're mostly about friendship skills and self-esteem building. They also have non-segregated versions, as well.

[Halicia]

While those are the "GirlPower" workshops, the same organization provides basically the same programs for boys, under the title "GoodGuys". The differences are nearly negligible; they're mostly about friendship skills and self-esteem building. They also have non-segregated versions, as well.

Good, this was obviously my first question while reading it... so long as both genders are involved, an etiquette class seems quite helpful.

Even a retro/outdated class if its used in part to apply critical thinking skills in a "OK, now with facebook and cellphones, how does this apply today, students ?"

I mean, I'm not canadian, so I'm not gonna profess to know anything about the state of canadian youth, but it doesn't take a genius to guess that etiquette and courtesies aren't keeping pace with technology and media.

[GreenJesus]

I don't understand what is wrong here? "Stereotyping girls"??? WTF is the outrage over this? It is just basic stuff for normal people to learn. If a gay or trans person is SOOO outraged over it they can just NOT GO.

[Endus]

Good, this was obviously my first question while reading it... so long as both genders are involved, an etiquette class seems quite helpful.

It ISN'T dual-gender at this school, and it's pushing antiquated gender roles; that's the issue. The company pushing the "GirlPower" programs also has "GoodGuys" versions for boys, and non-segregated ones, and none of them really push gender roles; the closest they get is that rather than, for instance, using a teddy bear as a tool to roleplay friendship roles, they use action heroes with the boys (because the kids bring their own; they could use whatever, really).

The ones they said they were trying to ape are just about "how to be a good friend" kind of stuff, not this garbage about hairstyling and whatnot.

[Deleted]

Outrage! Strong WOMYN don't need any of that. Ban it immediately and fire every person involved - and ruin their lives in the process.

[Super Kami Dende]

If retards can make Male students do stupid shit like mandatory "consent" classes. Then Girls can do these Classes.

[Deleted]

So was this mandatory or optional?

[Deleted]

This could go a long way. Women have shown that they sure don't develop manners on their own.

[turboether]

Classes about applying makeup and being polite, protested by impolite women wearing a lot of makeup. Good to see Canadian provincial government tackling the big issues.

[Independent voter]

Women have always been the ones interested in ettiquette, at least they're always the ones kicking me under the table when I do something wrong and if I have a question like "which side of the plate does the fork go?" I'll ask a woman.

[Kalis]

Women have always been the ones interested in ettiquette, at least they're always the ones kicking me under the table when I do something wrong and if I have a question like "which side of the plate does the fork go?" I'll ask a woman.

Fork and left both have four letters, so fork goes on the left, similarly knife and right both have five letters.

There are other easy ways to remember things, e.g. Port and Starboard "Is there any red port left?"

[May90]

I see nothing wrong with having both men-focused and women-focused courses, as long as anyone can join them regardless of the gender. A class which only accepts women, and men are banned from it though... Well, that's just dumb.

[AeneasBK]

Fork and left both have four letters, so fork goes on the left, similarly knife and right both have five letters.

What? But if you're left handed you have the fork on the right...

[Kalis]

What? But if you're left handed you have the fork on the right...

This is why you were exiled to Wales.

[May90]

Why is it 'just dumb'? Should men go to pregnancy classes?

Well, I'd say, they should be given an option to go there. A man might be very interested to learn more about pregnancy, to later be able to support his wife during this period, for example.

[Mihalik]

To be honest. I think sweeping numbers of folk require etiquette class these days. Especially in North America.

Living in Europe this is something you quickly notice over and over again. Most Americans can't actually use a knife and a fork. And by this I don't mean they don't know how to cut something with it, but rather how they should use it. You can tell almost right away that someone is from North America as they first cut their food, then put down the knife, switch hands and continue eating with the fork in their right hand, often pushing the food around in their plates, because nobody seem to have explained to them that they should use the damned knife to push against.

Other things are like the inability to set a damned table, not knowing how to handle chilled bottles etc.

I'm a guy and went to a private school, part of the curriculum included dinner etiquette and even basic cooking classes.

[Tenjen]

If retards can make Male students do stupid shit like mandatory "consent" classes. Then Girls can do these Classes.

There's no comparison between the two. You have issues if you think educating young men on what constitutes rape is "stupid shit".

There's no comparison at all between educating young people to avoid them perpetrating a heinous crime due to vast ignorance vs etiquette classes which everyone should actually pick up. It reveals more about you that you word force such a relation.

[Spectral]

...they first cut their food, then put down the knife, switch hands and continue eating with the fork in their right hand, often pushing the food around in their plates, because nobody seem to have explained to them that they should use the damned knife to push against.

I've never seen someone do this, but now I'm going to be watching.

[Deleted]

I don't understand what is wrong here? "Stereotyping girls"??? WTF is the outrage over this? It is just basic stuff for normal people to learn. If a gay or trans person is SOOO outraged over it they can just NOT GO.

So you think it's important for girls, in schools to learn about:
- doing your nails
- hairstyles
- makeup and how to look preety?
Is this what women should learn about in a school? That being preety is more important than being smart?

There should be no issue with that. Some people are greatly content with their traditional gender roles.

Taking a stance against this just comes across as if society is trying to force every woman to be a manwife who should be averse to doing household stuff or making themselves look pretty etc.

It's optional, nobody is forcing anyone to participate.

Of course they are content! They lived most of their lives in those roles and change frightens most people!
And yes, when you're in a school, you should learn stuff to make you smarter, more creative, not learn that as a woman your role is to be preety.

Classes about applying makeup and being polite, protested by impolite women wearing a lot of makeup. Good to see Canadian provincial government tackling the big issues.

There's a saying in my native language "do as the pope says, not as the pope does" - it means that the person giving advice might be hypocritical or not always follow their own advice, but it doesn't mean their message is wrong, the message must be checked before being dismissed.

In this case, I don't know or care if impolite women wearing makeup protested against this course or not. It still remains a matter of fact that this course was made to teach women to look preety from a young age. Because that's "totally" what schools should teach, not how to be smart and creative, right?