Who Owns Katniss Everdeen's Body in The

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Who Owns Katniss Everdeen's Body in The WHO OWNS KATNISS EVERDEEN’S BODY IN THE HUNGER GAMES? A CURRICULUM FOR FACILITATING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GENDER EQUITY IN THE HUNGER GAMES A Project Presented to the faculty of the Graduate and Professional Studies in Education California State University, Sacramento Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Education (Behavioral Sciences Gender Equity Studies) by Katie Vellanoweth SUMMER 2014 WHO OWNS KATNISS EVERDEEN’S BODY IN THE HUNGER GAMES? A CURRICULUM FOR FACILITATING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GENDER EQUITY IN THE HUNGER GAMES A Project by Katie Vellanoweth Approved by: , Committee Chair Sherrie Carinci, Ed.D. Date ii Student: Katie Vellanoweth I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the project. , Department Chair Susan Heredia, Ph.D. Date Graduate and Professional Studies in Education iii Abstract of WHO OWNS KATNISS EVERDEEN’S BODY IN THE HUNGER GAMES? A CURRICULUM FOR FACILITATING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GENDER EQUITY IN THE HUNGER GAMES by Katie Vellanoweth Statement of Problem The rise of female protagonists in contemporary young-adult fiction positively and negatively impacts young-adult readers (Nilson & Donelson, 2009). Suzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games (2008) highlights Katniss Everdeen who is a strong, independent female protagonist. Millions of young-adult females identify with Katniss as they read the novel (Latham & Hollister, 2013). The extreme lack of gender equity training for educators creates inequities in classrooms (Carinci, 2007). Many teachers are ignorant of the negative impact this bias has on the education and self-esteem of girls in the classroom (Sadker & Saker, 1986). The absence of gender equity training causes current Hunger Games curriculum guides to be gender biased. This bias creates problematic notions of gender for educators who teach The Hunger Games and young- adults who read the text. iv Purpose of Project Educators, primarily middle-school teachers, need assistance when discussing The Hunger Games with students. The employment of the curriculum guide helps teachers counter gender-bias in current published curriculum and perpetuate a gender- inclusive message in their classrooms. The curriculum guide provides teachers with essential topics to discuss about The Hunger Games. Possible responses also help adults and young-adults celebrate both female and male characters in the text equally. The guide also assists educators in identifying problematic gender stereotypes in the novel that can harm young-adult readers. Project Description Gender equity training would vastly benefit educators and students. (Carinci, 2007). Only when educators are trained in gender equity can they recognize their own gender bias. The goal of this project was to help educators have gender equitable discussions with young-adults who read Suzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games. The curriculum guide (Appendix C) is comprised of direct quotations, post-reading questions, and possible responses. Providing direct quotation from The Hunger Games allows educators to ask questions in context of the novel. Post-reading discussion questions are designed to be open-ended and stimulate conversations between adults v and adolescent readers. Finally, possible responses prepare educators to talk about issues of gender in the novel. , Committee Chair Sherrie Carinci, Ed.D. Date vi DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my grandma, Alberta Shanrock. Thank you for your unending support. “The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings” (Chopin, 1899, p. 103). vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Sherrie Carinci. Her passion and dedication to the learning of others truly distinguishes her as a great teacher. She inspires me to be great too. California State University, Sacramento would be lost without her. Thank you to my wonderful husband for supporting my dreams. You helped me see a light at the end of the tunnel. To my mom, thank you for not letting me give up. To my dad, thank you for supporting me through all of the other stresses that don’t go away just because you are in grad school. To my sister Stephanie, being able to chat with you when I needed a break from writing was invaluable. Finally, to my colleagues and friends, thank you for caring about my learning. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Dedication ................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................. 1 Purpose of the Project ....................................................................................... 2 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 5 Limitations ........................................................................................................ 6 Theoretical Basis of the Study .......................................................................... 7 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................ 11 Organization of the Project ............................................................................. 12 Background of the Researcher ........................................................................ 13 2. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE ......................................................... 14 Introduction .................................................................................................... 14 Social Constructs of Gender ........................................................................... 14 Gender in the Classroom ................................................................................ 17 Girls in the Classroom .................................................................................... 19 Young Adult Readers ..................................................................................... 21 ix Female Protagonists ........................................................................................ 23 Instructional Materials .................................................................................... 25 The Hunger Games ......................................................................................... 26 Summary ......................................................................................................... 30 3. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 31 Introduction .................................................................................................... 31 Research Design ............................................................................................. 31 Settings ........................................................................................................... 33 Procedure ........................................................................................................ 33 Summary ......................................................................................................... 35 4. CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND REFLECTIONS ............................................................................................. 36 Evaluator Questions ........................................................................................ 36 Evaluators ....................................................................................................... 37 Feedback Results ............................................................................................ 38 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 43 Limitations ...................................................................................................... 45 Recommendations .......................................................................................... 45 Appendix A. Evaluator Letter .................................................................................. 47 Appendix B. Evaluator Questions ............................................................................ 49 x Appendix C. Curriculum Guide ................................................................................. 54 References .................................................................................................................. 87 xi 1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction The project was designed to share research finding about problematic gender issues in The Hunger Games with educators of young-adult female readers. Adult educators included teachers, parents, councilors, librarians, authors, and anyone who can guide and support young-adults as they read Suzanne Collin’s novel The Hunger Games. The project is accessible to all educators and promotes conversations between educators and young-adult readers. A narrative approach is necessary to promote open conversation between
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