How might teachers help students investigate the relationship between gender and homophobia? This article describes an exercise that uses fingernail polish to do just that. The authors uses anecdotal evidence to describe the exercise in which students pair with someone of the opposite gender and paint each other’s fingernails. Additionally, the author uses a randomly selected sample of 19 students to formally evaluate the teaching goals of this assignment. Students regard the nail polish assignment favorably, with average scores ranging from 3.37 to 4.26 (out of 5). The evaluation and anecdotal evidence confirms a continuing need to address homophobia in everyday life and in the classroom. This activity offers an innovative approach to doing so.
AndersenMargaretTaylorHoward F.2005. Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. 4th ed.New York: Wadsworth.
2.
AndersonTravis. 2001. “A ‘Coming-Out’ Role Play.” Pp. 123-30 in Sociology Through Active Learning: Student Exercises, edited by McKinneyK.BeckF. D.HeylB. S.Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
3.
BoyleCatherine. 1995. “Seeing Gender in Everyday Life: A Field Trip to the Mall.” Teaching Sociology23(2):150-54.
ButlerJudith. 1990. Gender Trouble. New York: Routledge.
6.
ButlerJudith. 1991. “Imitation and Gender Subordination.” Pp. 13-31 in Inside/Out: Lesbian Theories, Gay Theories, edited by FussD.New York: Routledge.
7.
De WeldeKristineHubbardEleanor A.2003. “‘I’m Glad I’m Not Gay!’: Heterosexual Students’ Emotional Experience in the College Classroom with a ‘Coming Out’ Assignment.” Teaching Sociology31(1):73-84.
8.
EichstedtJennifer L.1996. “Heterosexism and Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Experiences: Teaching Strategies and Exercises.” Teaching Sociology24(4):384-88.
9.
GarfinkelHarold. 1967. Studies in Ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
10.
GrauerholzLizCopenhaverStacey. 1994. “When the Personal Becomes Problematic: The Ethics of Using Experiential Teaching Methods.” Teaching Sociology22(4):319-27.
11.
HalnonKaren Bettez. 2001. “The Sociology of Doing Nothing: A Model ‘Adopt a Stigma in a Public Place’ Exercise.” Teaching Sociology29(3):423-38.
12.
HurtByron. 2006. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes [DVD]. Northampton, MA: Media Education Foundation.
13.
JhallySut. 1999. Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity [DVD]. Northampton, MA: Media Education Foundation.
14.
LorberJudith. 1997. “‘Night into His Day’: Social Construction of Gender.” Pp. 33-47 in Feminist Frontiers IV, edited by RichardsonL.TaylorV.WhittierN.New York: McGraw-Hill.
15.
MillerAndreaLucalBetsy. 2009. “The Pedagogy of (In)Visibility; Two Accounts of Teaching about Sex, Gender and Sexuality.” Teaching Sociology37(3):257-68.
16.
PogrebinLetty Cottin. 1997. “The Secret Fear That Keeps Us from Raising Free Children.” Pp. 171-76 in Feminist Frontiers IV, edited by RichardsonL.TaylorV.WhittierN.New York: McGraw-Hill.
17.
RafalovichAdam. 2006. “Making Sociology Relevant: The Assignment and Application of Breaching Experiments.” Teaching Sociology34(2):156-63.
18.
RichardsonLaurelTaylorVertaWhittierNancy, eds. 1996. Feminist Frontiers IV. New York: McGraw-Hill.
19.
SaillantCatherine. 2008. “1,000 March in Oxnard in Tribute to Slain Teen.” Los Angeles Times, February17. Retrieved February 17, 2008 (http://www.latimes.com/).
20.
SaillantCatherineGriggsGregory W.2008. “Oxnard Student Declared Brain Dead.” Los Angeles Times, February14. Retrieved February 17, 2008 (http://www.latimes.com).
21.
SedgwickEve Kosofsky. 1988. “Privilege of Unknowing.” Genders1(Spring):102-24.
22.
SeidmanSteven. 2003. The Social Construction of Sexuality. New York: W. W. Norton.
23.
SteinemGloria. 1997. “If Men Could Menstruate—.” Pp. 358-59 in Feminist Frontiers IV, edited by RichardsonL.TaylorV.WhittierN.New York: McGraw-Hill.
24.
TaylorFrank. 2003. “Content Analysis and Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Books.” Teaching Sociology31(3):300-11.
25.
VasquezCarmen. 1992. “Appearances.” Pp. 157-66 in Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price, edited by BlumenfeldW. J.Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
