平等幼兒園：瑞典學(xué)前班刻意“模糊”性別

There are no boys and girls at a new school in Stockholm, just "friends." Is this the cutting edge of gender equality, or just "silly"?

At Egalia, everyone is a "friend." The news-making preschool in Stockholm is fighting gender stereotypes by banning the use of gender pronouns in the school, instead referring to all students as "friends." Is this bold move creating a gender-neutral "nirvana," or "gender madness?" Here, a brief guide:

What is Egalia?

Egalia is a taxpayer-funded school in the Sodermalm district of Stockholm, Sweden. The school has incorporated a gender-free pedagogy, operating under the theory that by eliminating any reference to gender, the students won't fall prey to the stereotyping of gender roles. "Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty, and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," says one of the school's teacher's, Jenny Johnson, as quoted by Britain's Daily Mail. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."

How do the kids talk to each other?

For starters, there are no boys and girls in Egalia, just "friends." That's the term teachers in the school use to address all students. In addition, the staff refrains from using the pronouns "him" or "her." Instead, the gender labels, which are "han" and "hon" in Swedish, are replaced by the "genderless" pronoun "hen" — a word that doesn't actually exist in the Swedish language.

They use a made-up word?

Yep. For example, when a doctor or plumber is coming into the classroom, "we don't know if it's a he or a she, so we just say, 'Hen is coming around 2 p.m.," says director Lotta Rajalin, as quoted by the Associated Press. "Then the children can imagine both a man or a woman. This widens their view."

What about playtime?

Lego blocks are stored directly next to kitchen and cooking toys, so as not to encourage gender preference through toy storage and organization. There are no squabbles over who gets to play mommy in a game of house, either. If one girl has already claimed the role, "then we suggest two moms or three moms and so on," says Rajalin. And don't expect to find gender-promoting fairy tales on the bookshelves, either. Snow White and Cinderella are nixed in favor of books featuring gay and lesbian couples, single parents, and adopted children, says CNN.

Umm... is this really a good idea?

Parents in Sweden seem to be fans. Not only is there a waiting list to get into Egalia, but "only one family has dropped out," says Erin Anderssen at Canada's The Globe and Mail. And according to a 2010 World Economic Forum report, Sweden leads the world when it comes to gender equality. The country is also widely considered a pioneer when it comes to gay and lesbian rights.

Does everyone agree?

Well, no. "It sounds like a load of manure to me," says Jeanne Sager at The Stir. No matter how much Egalia tries to hide gender norms within its walls, the truth is that outside them, they do exist. "It's still going to have to be dealt with." One Swedish mother agrees. "Different gender roles aren't problematic as long as they are equally valued," says Tanja Bergkvist, as quoted by the Associated Press. And in the end, says Meredith Carroll at Babble, Egalia may be confusing gender neutrality with gender equality. We should "celebrate the differences between the genders," not push for a "homogenized society." Eliminating gender-specific pronouns altogether is both "confusing and silly."

在斯德哥爾摩的一所新學(xué)校里，沒(méi)有“男生”和“女生”，只有“朋友”，這是性別平等的先鋒潮流，還是一次“傻兮兮”的嘗試？

據(jù)《The week》雜志報(bào)道，在平等幼兒園（Egalia），每個(gè)人都被稱為“朋友”。斯德哥爾摩的這家新辦幼兒園希望能消除對(duì)性別的刻板印象，禁止在校內(nèi)使用性別代稱，而是把所有學(xué)生稱作“朋友”。這樣一個(gè)大膽的嘗試究竟是在創(chuàng)造一個(gè)中平等的世界，還是在制造性別混亂？在這里，先做一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的介紹。

什么是平等幼兒園？

平等幼兒園是瑞典斯德哥爾摩馬爾姆區(qū)的一家公立幼兒園。這家幼兒園采取模糊性別的教學(xué)方法，希望通過(guò)消除有關(guān)性別的所有指稱來(lái)避免讓學(xué)生形成對(duì)性別角色的固有印象。據(jù)英國(guó)《每日郵報(bào)》報(bào)道，“社會(huì)希望女孩子像個(gè)女孩子，漂漂亮亮，男孩子像個(gè)男孩子，堅(jiān)強(qiáng)外向，”學(xué)校的一位老師珍妮?約翰遜說(shuō)：“在平等幼兒園，孩子們可以成為自己想成為的人，在這里，他們有很好的機(jī)會(huì)?！?/p>

在這里孩子們?nèi)绾畏Q呼彼此？

首先，這里沒(méi)有“男生”“女生”的說(shuō)法，只有“朋友”，老師們把學(xué)生們都叫作“朋友”。然后，老師們不會(huì)使用瑞典語(yǔ)里表示“他”或“她”的“han”和“hon”，而是造了一個(gè)詞——沒(méi)有性別含義的“hen”。

他們?cè)炝艘粋€(gè)詞？

是的。舉個(gè)例子，如果有醫(yī)生或是管道工要來(lái)，“我們不知道是他還是她，就會(huì)用hen，'hen兩點(diǎn)左右來(lái)'。”據(jù)美聯(lián)社報(bào)道，園長(zhǎng)洛塔?拉吉林說(shuō)，“孩子們就會(huì)猜來(lái)的可能是男人可能是女人。這樣能擴(kuò)大他們的思維面?！?/p>

孩子們玩的時(shí)候呢？

樂(lè)高玩具就放在廚房玩具旁邊，通過(guò)玩具的收納來(lái)避免性別偏向。玩過(guò)家家的時(shí)候，我們也不限定只由女生來(lái)扮演媽媽。如果已經(jīng)有女生想扮媽媽，“我們就會(huì)鼓勵(lì)可以再來(lái)一個(gè)兩個(gè)媽媽?！崩终f(shuō)。另外，園內(nèi)也沒(méi)有性別區(qū)分導(dǎo)向明顯的童話書?！栋籽┕鳌泛汀痘夜媚铩肥潜唤沟?，倒是有同性伴侶、單親父母和領(lǐng)養(yǎng)兒童這些元素的書籍，CNN報(bào)道。

嗯，這樣真的好嗎？

瑞典的家長(zhǎng)們似乎很支持。有一批家長(zhǎng)排隊(duì)要把孩子送進(jìn)這所幼兒園，而且“只有一家退學(xué)了，”加拿大《環(huán)球郵報(bào)》的艾琳?安德森說(shuō)。根據(jù)2010年世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇的報(bào)告，在性別平等這方面瑞典做得比其他國(guó)家都要好。在同性戀權(quán)益方面瑞典也是公認(rèn)的先驅(qū)。

所有人都支持嗎？

也不是?！斑@個(gè)主意在我看來(lái)就是一坨屎，”The Stir博客的珍?塞及說(shuō)。不論平等幼兒園如何試圖避免性別詞匯，這些詞在園外都還是真實(shí)存在的?！斑€是需要去面對(duì)性別區(qū)分的，”一位媽媽表示贊同?！爸灰行耘缘膬r(jià)值是被平等看待的，性別角色其實(shí)不是什么問(wèn)題，”博客作家坦婭?柏克維斯特說(shuō)道（美聯(lián)社報(bào)道）。Babble的美瑞狄斯?卡洛爾認(rèn)為，平等幼兒園這樣做是混淆了性別中性與性別平等，我們應(yīng)該“歡慶性別之間的差異”，而不是促成一個(gè)“單一性別的社會(huì)”，消除性別詞匯“又傻又亂”。

There are no boys and girls at a new school in Stockholm, just "friends." Is this the cutting edge of gender equality, or just "silly"?

At Egalia, everyone is a "friend." The news-making preschool in Stockholm is fighting gender stereotypes by banning the use of gender pronouns in the school, instead referring to all students as "friends." Is this bold move creating a gender-neutral "nirvana," or "gender madness?" Here, a brief guide:

What is Egalia?

Egalia is a taxpayer-funded school in the Sodermalm district of Stockholm, Sweden. The school has incorporated a gender-free pedagogy, operating under the theory that by eliminating any reference to gender, the students won't fall prey to the stereotyping of gender roles. "Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty, and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," says one of the school's teacher's, Jenny Johnson, as quoted by Britain's Daily Mail. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."

How do the kids talk to each other?

For starters, there are no boys and girls in Egalia, just "friends." That's the term teachers in the school use to address all students. In addition, the staff refrains from using the pronouns "him" or "her." Instead, the gender labels, which are "han" and "hon" in Swedish, are replaced by the "genderless" pronoun "hen" — a word that doesn't actually exist in the Swedish language.

They use a made-up word?

Yep. For example, when a doctor or plumber is coming into the classroom, "we don't know if it's a he or a she, so we just say, 'Hen is coming around 2 p.m.," says director Lotta Rajalin, as quoted by the Associated Press. "Then the children can imagine both a man or a woman. This widens their view."

What about playtime?

Lego blocks are stored directly next to kitchen and cooking toys, so as not to encourage gender preference through toy storage and organization. There are no squabbles over who gets to play mommy in a game of house, either. If one girl has already claimed the role, "then we suggest two moms or three moms and so on," says Rajalin. And don't expect to find gender-promoting fairy tales on the bookshelves, either. Snow White and Cinderella are nixed in favor of books featuring gay and lesbian couples, single parents, and adopted children, says CNN.

Umm... is this really a good idea?

Parents in Sweden seem to be fans. Not only is there a waiting list to get into Egalia, but "only one family has dropped out," says Erin Anderssen at Canada's The Globe and Mail. And according to a 2010 World Economic Forum report, Sweden leads the world when it comes to gender equality. The country is also widely considered a pioneer when it comes to gay and lesbian rights.

Does everyone agree?

Well, no. "It sounds like a load of manure to me," says Jeanne Sager at The Stir. No matter how much Egalia tries to hide gender norms within its walls, the truth is that outside them, they do exist. "It's still going to have to be dealt with." One Swedish mother agrees. "Different gender roles aren't problematic as long as they are equally valued," says Tanja Bergkvist, as quoted by the Associated Press. And in the end, says Meredith Carroll at Babble, Egalia may be confusing gender neutrality with gender equality. We should "celebrate the differences between the genders," not push for a "homogenized society." Eliminating gender-specific pronouns altogether is both "confusing and silly."

在斯德哥爾摩的一所新學(xué)校里，沒(méi)有“男生”和“女生”，只有“朋友”，這是性別平等的先鋒潮流，還是一次“傻兮兮”的嘗試？

據(jù)《The week》雜志報(bào)道，在平等幼兒園（Egalia），每個(gè)人都被稱為“朋友”。斯德哥爾摩的這家新辦幼兒園希望能消除對(duì)性別的刻板印象，禁止在校內(nèi)使用性別代稱，而是把所有學(xué)生稱作“朋友”。這樣一個(gè)大膽的嘗試究竟是在創(chuàng)造一個(gè)中平等的世界，還是在制造性別混亂？在這里，先做一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的介紹。

什么是平等幼兒園？

平等幼兒園是瑞典斯德哥爾摩馬爾姆區(qū)的一家公立幼兒園。這家幼兒園采取模糊性別的教學(xué)方法，希望通過(guò)消除有關(guān)性別的所有指稱來(lái)避免讓學(xué)生形成對(duì)性別角色的固有印象。據(jù)英國(guó)《每日郵報(bào)》報(bào)道，“社會(huì)希望女孩子像個(gè)女孩子，漂漂亮亮，男孩子像個(gè)男孩子，堅(jiān)強(qiáng)外向，”學(xué)校的一位老師珍妮?約翰遜說(shuō)：“在平等幼兒園，孩子們可以成為自己想成為的人，在這里，他們有很好的機(jī)會(huì)?！?/p>

在這里孩子們?nèi)绾畏Q呼彼此？

首先，這里沒(méi)有“男生”“女生”的說(shuō)法，只有“朋友”，老師們把學(xué)生們都叫作“朋友”。然后，老師們不會(huì)使用瑞典語(yǔ)里表示“他”或“她”的“han”和“hon”，而是造了一個(gè)詞——沒(méi)有性別含義的“hen”。

他們?cè)炝艘粋€(gè)詞？

是的。舉個(gè)例子，如果有醫(yī)生或是管道工要來(lái)，“我們不知道是他還是她，就會(huì)用hen，'hen兩點(diǎn)左右來(lái)'?！睋?jù)美聯(lián)社報(bào)道，園長(zhǎng)洛塔?拉吉林說(shuō)，“孩子們就會(huì)猜來(lái)的可能是男人可能是女人。這樣能擴(kuò)大他們的思維面?！?/p>

孩子們玩的時(shí)候呢？

樂(lè)高玩具就放在廚房玩具旁邊，通過(guò)玩具的收納來(lái)避免性別偏向。玩過(guò)家家的時(shí)候，我們也不限定只由女生來(lái)扮演媽媽。如果已經(jīng)有女生想扮媽媽，“我們就會(huì)鼓勵(lì)可以再來(lái)一個(gè)兩個(gè)媽媽?！崩终f(shuō)。另外，園內(nèi)也沒(méi)有性別區(qū)分導(dǎo)向明顯的童話書。《白雪公主》和《灰姑娘》是被禁止的，倒是有同性伴侶、單親父母和領(lǐng)養(yǎng)兒童這些元素的書籍，CNN報(bào)道。

嗯，這樣真的好嗎？

瑞典的家長(zhǎng)們似乎很支持。有一批家長(zhǎng)排隊(duì)要把孩子送進(jìn)這所幼兒園，而且“只有一家退學(xué)了，”加拿大《環(huán)球郵報(bào)》的艾琳?安德森說(shuō)。根據(jù)2010年世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇的報(bào)告，在性別平等這方面瑞典做得比其他國(guó)家都要好。在同性戀權(quán)益方面瑞典也是公認(rèn)的先驅(qū)。

所有人都支持嗎？

也不是?！斑@個(gè)主意在我看來(lái)就是一坨屎，”The Stir博客的珍?塞及說(shuō)。不論平等幼兒園如何試圖避免性別詞匯，這些詞在園外都還是真實(shí)存在的。“還是需要去面對(duì)性別區(qū)分的，”一位媽媽表示贊同?！爸灰行耘缘膬r(jià)值是被平等看待的，性別角色其實(shí)不是什么問(wèn)題，”博客作家坦婭?柏克維斯特說(shuō)道（美聯(lián)社報(bào)道）。Babble的美瑞狄斯?卡洛爾認(rèn)為，平等幼兒園這樣做是混淆了性別中性與性別平等，我們應(yīng)該“歡慶性別之間的差異”，而不是促成一個(gè)“單一性別的社會(huì)”，消除性別詞匯“又傻又亂”。