A Pedagogy to Expose and Critique Gendered Cultural Stereotypes Embedded in Art Interpretations

The feminist pedagogical approach introduced here can raise self-awareness about gender inscriptions that people bestow on what they perceive. Gender inscriptions are normative assumptions formed as abstract idealized perceptions of gender (Hayles, 1992). These inscriptions are embedded in society's signs and discourse and appear natural, yet they are often at odds with our lived-experiences. As we expose these “normative” stereotypes we recognize that these constructed perceptions are attitudes that prejudice art as noteworthy or insignificant. Stereotypes of females tend to be aligned with qualities not highly valued in this society and do not match prevalent definitions of art and artists. My goal in presenting this study is to encourage its use as a teaching approach that exposes gender stereotypes and the devaluation of women artists. In this interpretive content analysis, I studied viewer rationales used for inscribing an artist's gender when looking at art in order to render visible gendered cultural inscriptions. Responses suggest that gender inscription impacts how viewers interpret a work, and how men and women diverge in describing similar themes.