What Happens When High School Boys Are Treated Like Women in Congress

September 23, 2016 / Soul Pancake

Did you know that Congress is made up of 80% men?

This underrepresentation of women causes big problems – like when cisgender men get the majority vote on policies about reproductive rights.

This new video by SoulPancake makes a good point by turning the tables. High school teacher Nicholas Ferroni staged a focus group of students voting on new school policies.

That seems simple enough – except that the group was made up primarily of girls, and the policies they voted on gave boys some key disadvantages.

It’s not a perfect comparison, however. In fact, there were some critical differences and similarities. While the students in this video are predominately youth of color, Congress is unfairly and disproportionately white — and this is the most diverse it’s ever been.

It’s important to note that while young Black men were given a lot of agency and opportunity to speak up in this video, Black and Indigenous people of color, including boys and men, have never been given much political or social agency in this country. And when they do mobilize against injustice, they are met with brutality, high arrest rates, and laws created specifically to target protestors.

Perhaps if there were more people of color in Congress, there would be more inclusive laws and policies, such as Affirmative Action laws, which created more access for people across race, gender, culture, and religion.

Similar to the male-centered behavior Congress, the voices, emotions, and dissatisfactions of the young men in this experiment were significantly louder than voices and feelings of the other students. And just as men and boys are celebrated and affirmed at significantly higher rates than other people, the boys finished the experiment with two rounds of applause — while other students received none.

Nonetheless, it’s beautiful that this instructor and these vulnerable and courageous students not only worked together to create and participate in this social experiment, but also to share their experience with the rest of the world. We’re proud of these young people for taking risks and examining the intricacies of misogyny, and we’re excited about teachers who offer feminist educations.

The boys in this video not only got to experience how women feel in Congress every day, but how women and gender non-conforming people feel in the world. And we at Everyday Feminism think that awareness and empathy is a very important first step.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Nick Ferroni: Did you know that Congress is made up of about 80% men? Wonder how a man would feel being made up of 80% women. Does that sound extreme? Well, today we’re going to give some young men that opportunity by making them part of a focus group that is primarily women. Let’s see how young men react in that position, because that is how women in Congress feel every day.

The following experiment was filmed by students in Nick Ferroni’s classroom

Nick: My students think they’ve been selected to vote on new school policies. The class congress is made up of 80% girls, which is the exact opposite of how women are represented in the U.S. Congress.

Policy: Girls get a 21% discount on all school-related items.

Nick: So first policy: All girls get a 21% discount on all school-related items – lunch, school dues, tickets, and Prom. Does anyone know why that probably does make sense?

Justin: Because girls spend a lot of money on Prom tickets.

Nick: The girls make less and girls actually have more expenses.

Those in favor, please raise your hands.

Yes: 25

Okay.

Those against.

No: 5

Policy: Boys must give girls a 2-minute head start between class periods

Nick: Second policy: Boys must give girls a two-minute head start between class periods to avoid any potentially uncomfortable situations and protect you from suspension and other stuff like that.

What’s up, Justin?

Justin: What is the difference between them getting a two-second start. I see girls in the school guys butts and stuff all the time!

The girls touch guys more than guys touch girls!

Nick: Those in favor of giving the girls a two-minute head start between classes, please raise your hands.

Yes: 24

Justin: Girls. Girls. Girls!

Nick: Alright. Those against?

No: 6

Policy: All boys must use lockers on the 2^nd floor

Nick: Last but not least: All boys must use lockers on the second floor only so girls can avoid being harassed between class periods. Those of you who are in favor of girls being on the first floor and girls being on the second floor as far as lockers, please raise your hand.

Justin: You can’t keep putting it’s approved if it’s only girls’ voting. 80% of the class is all girls. Which majority is going to rule?

Yes: 18

Nick: If you’re against, raise your hand.

No: 12

Student 3: Don’t make no sense.

Nick: Again, these are policies that were proposed by your fellow classmates.

Justin: You’re trying to turn this into a boys vs girls.

Justin: Obviously, girls are a lot harder than guys.

Nick: Justin, why is the vote unfair?

Justin: Because it’s all up to them.

Nick: What percentage did you say?

Justin: 80.

Nick: 80%.

Would you give the guys a round of applause, please?

Justin: This just made up?

Student 1: I was astonished.

Justin: I thought it was real biased.

Student 1: I thought it was okay, then, “This is not right!”

Nick: I also want you to know that in Congress, 80% of men are telling women what to do with their body. Your moms, your sisters, cousins, your girlfriends, and so on.

Justin: I feel like women in Congress feel how I felt. Kind of unfair because it was only six of us guys against 20 something girls, though. I felt kind of unmatched.

Nick: This was only a simple experiment we wanted to do where we wanted to give you guys a little taste of what it was like. So girls, another round of applause for the boys.

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