{"id":57029,"date":"2021-04-27T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T15:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=57029"},"modified":"2021-04-25T18:47:03","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T01:47:03","slug":"young-people-learn-about-relationships-from-media-you-can-use-books-and-movies-to-start-discussions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/young-people-learn-about-relationships-from-media-you-can-use-books-and-movies-to-start-discussions\/","title":{"rendered":"Young people learn about relationships from media. You can use books and movies to start discussions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chanel Contos\u2019 recent petition<\/a>\u00a0called for an overhaul of sexual education at schools and for consent to be taught earlier on, and better.<\/p>\n

Adequate, formal sexual education is important for young people, but discussions about consent can take place in many situations outside the sex education classroom and outside of school.<\/p>\n

Novels, films and plays create a unique way of engaging with and learning about different issues.<\/p>\n

But children\u2019s literature\u00a0includes ideas and beliefs<\/a>\u00a0young people may absorb subconsciously. This can be dangerous if readers don\u2019t actively engage with, or interrogate actions on the page. In this way, they are passive and may just come to believe the book\u2019s message \u2014 be it appropriate or not.<\/p>\n

In a\u00a02006 study<\/a>, researchers interviewed 272 teenagers and found they internalised \u201cscripts\u201d about relationships and sexuality. The researchers wrote dynamics between characters \u201cbecome so internalised and automatic that adolescents may become quite non-reflective about behaviours\u201d.<\/p>\n

This suggests some audiences fail to critique the messages they are consuming. The researchers also found young women in particular became involved in narratives.<\/p>\n

Because teenagers\u00a0are learning about sexuality and relationships from the texts they consume<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 whether they be books, plays or movies \u2014 equipping parents and teachers to tackle these topics is essential.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Victoria Curriculum and Assessment Authority<\/a>\u00a0produces\u00a0a list<\/a>\u00a0of books teachers can select from for English in year 12.<\/p>\n

Two texts from the list \u2014 Jane Austen\u2019s Pride and Prejudice and the 1954 film\u00a0Rear Window<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 are great examples to show how teachers and parents can begin conversations with young people about consent. Each text provides an opportunity to interact with these issues without reading or viewing explicit scenes.<\/p>\n

Pride and Prejudice and a woman\u2019s agency<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s important for young people to see real life sexual situations and to learn from them. But the topics of consent and power imbalances still appear in books and movies that don\u2019t use explicit sex scenes. Seeing the broader context of consent in real life allows for exploring some of the more nuanced issues such as cultural pressures and gender expectations.<\/p>\n

For instance, English teachers and parents can use Jane Austen\u2019s\u00a0Pride and Prejudice<\/a>\u00a0to launch a discussion around consent.<\/p>\n

A key aspect of consent is a person\u2019s ability to actually say yes or no, and be believed. When a person\u2019s agency is limited, their ability to actively consent is compromised. In some cases, a person\u2019s gender can negatively impact their agency. This is the case with Elizabeth Bennett.<\/p>\n

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Mr Collins doesn\u2019t trust Elizabeth Bennett when she says no. IMDB<\/p><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s take the scene between William Collins and Elizabeth. As he proposes marriage and she refuses, Collins claims it is \u201cthe established custom of [her] sex to reject a man\u201d, implying her refusal is customary rather than one of will.<\/p>\n

Lizzie responds by saying: \u201cYou must give me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment of believing what I say\u201d. In other words, why won\u2019t you take no for an answer?<\/p>\n

Collins says he will not be \u201cdiscouraged\u201d by her clear refusal, and Lizzie again requests the \u201ccompliment of being believed sincere\u201d. Collins then states that the \u201cexpress authority\u201d of her \u201cexcellent parents\u201d will result in their marriage.<\/p>\n

Collins does not trust Lizzie\u2019s word because she is a woman, and he believes her father will force her to comply. Her ability to say no is complicated by the fact she is a woman.<\/p>\n

Teachers and parents could begin to interrogate this scene by asking:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • why does Mr Collins not believe in Lizzie\u2019s right to say no?<\/li>\n
  • do you think our modern society encourages similar views?<\/li>\n
  • what gives Lizzie\u2019s father the right to say yes on her behalf?<\/li>\n
  • do you think we value particular voices over others?<\/li>\n
  • do you believe women when they say yes, or no?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This one moment in the text could begin conversations around society\u2019s view on female agency and believing women.<\/p>\n

    Rear Window and the male gaze<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    The most popular text in the 2020 English exam<\/a>, Rear Window, is told from the perspective of Jeff \u2014 a man in a wheelchair. Everything is viewed through his apartment window. The film\u00a0raises questions about the male gaze<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Critics of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film have\u00a0discussed the many ways<\/a>\u00a0Jeff violates women\u2019s agency, especially in his treatment of Miss Torso.<\/p>\n

    To begin conversations about consent in Rear Window, I would discuss the film\u2019s portrayal of Miss Torso.<\/p>\n

    As her nickname would suggest, Miss Torso is characterised almost entirely by her appearance. Jeff sees her dancing often and entertaining men. He sexualises Miss Torso even though he does not know her, and has never spoken to her.<\/p>\n