The+F+Word-+Who+wants+to+a+feminist?+Documentary-Silvia+Neagu

__**The F Word: Who Wants to be a Feminist?**__ -documentary available online: [|__http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2011/fword/index.html__]

**Synopsis**

“The F Word: Who Wants to be a Feminist?” is a documentary that originally aired on the CBC on March 11th 2011, the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. The documentary opens with clips of contemporary women claiming that they would not label themselves as “feminists” because they find the term too be standoffish and to have a negative connotation. The documentary takes a look at the modern Feminist movement, the situation of women in Canada, as well as the history of the Feminist movement. The documentary also presents interviews with modern Feminists who speak about the inequalities that still exist (Susan Faludi, Naomi Wolf), as well as Feminists who believe that equality has been achieved and that there is no longer a need for the movement at all.

**Grade level** I would use this documentary with any grade in high school. I found that the documentary explains the concepts in general and easy to understand terms, thus making it accessible to even younger students. The documentary is only 45 minutes long, so it would not take up too much class time, but still covers the topic efficiently. I would use this documentary especially if the class was studying a novel which lent itself well to a feminist interpretation, such as //A Doll’s House.// I would also use this with grade 12 university students when they learn the different theories of literary criticism or literary lenses. This documentary would provide the students with the background knowledge needed to understand Feminist critique. The documentary would also be appropriate for a World History or Canadian History class as it explains the history behind each of the three “waves” of Feminism. The First and Second waves are usually covered in Grade 10 Canadian History. The documentary could also be used in a Social Studies class such as //Challenge and Change in Society//, since this course focuses on social movements. The documentary could also be used in a Politics class because it discusses reasons for women’s reduced involvement in North American politics as opposed to Scandinavian countries.

**Main Ideas/Teaching Points**

Here are the types of knowledge that students will acquire when viewing the documentary.

__Textual__ Since we are dealing with the documentary, the students can examine how the documentary itself is constructed and connections to the Media strand can be made. Students can consider what the narration adds to the documentary (voice), whether the narrator’s questioning throughout the documentary makes for effective transitions (arrangement), and the whether the documentary answers the questions it set out to answer. The students can also consider whether this documentary provided an accurate picture of the movement and students can critique aspects that were not addressed.

__Social__ Students can consider how their gender, whether male or female, has affected their individual treatment within society. Students who have lived in different places can question whether they were treated differently because of their gender. Students can decide whether their personal experiences reflect the situation described in the documentary.

__Cultural__ The documentary takes a look at many aspects (media, education, economy, division of labour, employment) of our culture from a feminist perspectives and presents problems and questions that students may not have considered. For instance, students can reflect on why the label “feminist” is perceived to have such a negative connotation. The documentary also talks about how the image of women portrayed in the media has changed over time from happy housewives to a sexualized objects. In addition, one of the theorists proposes that various cultural myths have kept women in subordinate positions. According to her, in the past, our culture promoted the myths of chastity and obedience, whereas now it promotes the myth of beauty. Whether students agree with this or not, the documentary will certainly encourage them to consider what assumptions our culture makes about women.

__Topic__ Considering its short length, the documentary looks at many aspects relating to women’s position in Canada. The documentary explains the main issues that fueled the three waves of feminism. The documentary gives information about the situation of women within the economy, universities, in the media, and in households. I think that some of the statistics presented at the beginning of the documentary will stay with students as they are rather surprising. For instance, women represent 53% of the world population, but own only 1% of the wealth; Canadian women only hold 11% of the seats on corporate boards and 21% of seats in the Parliament; Canadian women take home 20% less pay than men. The documentary goes on to look at the possible reasons for these statistics.

**Issues/Challenges in teaching the text** One issue that I may encounter is a negative attitude toward the word “feminism” and so, it is possible that students may be unenthusiastic initially about watching the documentary. Luckily, the documentary deals precisely the issue of the negative connotation. In my opinion, by admitting that this connotation exists, the doc will surprise students and earn their attention. Another issue that I may encounter is students may feel that I am trying to force my own views on them or that they have to agree with Feminism because I am a female teacher. It would be important to underline that though I may have my own opinions, students are free to disagree with my opinions. The documentary is a good choice for the classroom as it shows both sides of the Feminism (those who believe there is still work to be done and those who believe that there is no need for further change), so students will have the chance to listen to both sides of the argument and form their own opinions.

**Possible Assignment-Grade 11 English**

Students will look at the approach used in this documentary to examine the social issue of the situation of women Canadian society. Instead of looking at a large scale movement, students will create a mini documentary around one issue in groups of 3 or 4. The documentary’s length should be no more than 5-10 minutes and should center around one statistic or question that the students attempt to answer or explain. Students can pick any social issue that interests them. Since the project requires a video camera, school cameras will be provided if available. If not, students will be asked to make sure that they have at least one camera available for use in the groups that they make.

Some possible social issues include: -More than 1/3 of Toronto children come to school with inadequate or no breakfast. -Women make up only 19% of Engineering undergrads. -Portuguese students represent 34% of high school drop outs in Toronto -Students who describe themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered are five times more likely to miss school because of feeling unsafe. 28% are forced to drop out. -Students are encouraged to select their own topic

Students will be expected to include in their mini documentary: -interviews students and/or community members about this issue -reasons behind this reality -possible solutions and alternatives -interviews with experts on the issue (if possible)

Students will also have to do a written response explaining their reasons for: -choosing their topic -the arrangement and order of their documentary -how they selected the information to present in the documentary -how they chose their interview questions -their process in creating the documentary

Curriculum connections **Creating Media Works** **MD2.01** – design or create media works based on ideas, themes, and issues examined in this course (e.g., create media works based on a theme from literature, using available resources; write dialogue for a commercial to promote sales of a novel; create a promotional campaign to sell the same idea or service to two or more different audiences); **MD2.02** – use knowledge of the relationships among form, purpose, audience, and production options to explain choices made in the design or production of media works (e.g., present media works to peers and explain solutions to problems encountered during the production process).