GENDER-SENSITIVE UNIVERSITY AS A SUBJECT OF SOCIAL INTERACTION IN THE TERRITORIAL COMMUNITY

Oksana Kikinezhdi,Olha Kiz,Iryna Shulha

doi:10.25128/2520-6230.19.2.3

Oksana Kikinezhdi, Olha Kiz + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.25128/2520-6230.19.2.3

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Abstract

The article deals with an actuality and social demand of a gender-sensitive university as a subject of social interaction in the territorial community. The mechanisms, content and structure of the gender-sensitive approach in preparing future social workers for working with socially vulnerable groups of the population in the context of the gender methodology are revealed. The gender-sensitive environment at the university is interpreted as gender-equitable, based on the principles of social justice, gender equality, egalitarianism and parity of both sexes. The main directions of implementation of gender-sensitive approach to the university environment are shown. The principles of gender education and ways of introducing gender and educational technics into the activities of Gender Education Centers and the School of Gender Equality schools as volunteering schools are described. The mechanisms of formation of egalitarian consciousness of future social workers by the spreading of the system of gender knowledge and reconstruction of gender stereotypes are substantiated. The results of conducting gender audit as innovative tools for implementing socially important projects in the territorial community are presented. Effective ways of social partnership are shown.

Highlights

Methodology of the Research A gender-sensitive approach is a professional interaction with a person regardless of his/her biological sex with a focus on working with non-constructive gender stereotypes that interfere with personality find a way out from a difficult life situation; teach experts to avoid the polarization of women’s and men’s roles and stereotypical perception of the client; demonstrate parity, empathy and tolerance attitudes, anti-sexist behavior, etc.; focus on social and psychological diagnosis, social upbringing and social assistance for vulnerable groups through unbiased study and work with gender stereotypes (Hovorun, Kikinezhdi, & Shulha, 2017; Otroshko, 2017)
The principles of gender education are developed: scientific, the objectivity of gender knowledge for breaking stereotypes; the adequacy for the age-old opportunities of students; positivism and tolerance in relation to both sexes and interpersonal communication; account personal experience, a critical understanding of the learned attitudes for future life; subjective position as a condition for activating gender self-determination and self-reflection in educational dialogue; avoidance of gender stereotypes; the equality of “male” and “female” in the analysis of didactic material, the refusal of the strategy of marginalization of women as a secondary (Kravets, Hovorun, & Kikinezhdi, 2016). These principles are basis in the content of gender-based courses, gender modules, where it focuses on the ability of future social workers to provide practical consulting assistance to children and adults in solving gender issues; avoidance of gender bias and sexism; affirmation of ideas of identity and self-realization of personality, regardless of his/her sex; the development of gender sensitivity and gender tolerance as democratic thinking strategies, the ability to actualize and build alternatives to patriarchal culture, life strategies and behavioral patterns; and respond on gender-based discrimination
Based on the extensive experience of organizing educational work at the School of Gender Equality, we focus on the content of individual training units: “I am a young man, I am a girl, I am a person” for expanding the sphere of selfawareness through actualization of self-observation, self-knowledge, self-examination and self-understanding, development of self-regulation skills, self-control for acquiring an adequate gender identity

Summary

Introduction

As the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Liliia Hrynevych underlined, “first of all, the introduction of a gender component to the native education system aims respecting the dignity of each person. It is important for us because, regardless of whether you are a boy or girl, the attitude should be the same; and in the education system a teacherman or teacher-woman should have the same career opportunities” (Results of the round table..., 2016). The focus of the world’s humanities today is the issue of observance of human rights and freedoms, using educational platforms with the best practices for the formation of a gender-sensitive, non-discriminatory environment in educational institutions (“gender equitable learning environment”, “gender-balanced education”, “gender equality in education”, “gender-equitable education” and “gender-fair education”, “non-sexist education”)

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