Critical Thinking: Being a discerning evaluator of what we’re seeing, hearing, reading, and experiencing.

How Critical Thinking relates to Gender Equity.

When we are able to notice and evaluate the messages we’re both seeing and hearing, rather than merely absorb them, we are more able to figure out for ourselves what is against our values and against whom we strive to be.

Examples of what Critical Thinking looks like in an adult.

• An adult who is careful about what messages and items come into their home.
• Someone who has educated themselves on the discrepancies in how people are portrayed in advertising, tv shows, on-line programming, video games and movies and what those discrepancies mean. Infographic source: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/reports/divided-2017
• An adult who continues to learn about drivers of our culture (such as patriarchy and misogyny), institutionalized bias, and their impacts.
• An adult who asks themselves hard questions, such as “Who benefits from this message?,” “Who is hurt by this message?,” “Whose worth as a person is elevated (above everyone else) by this message?” “Whose worth as a person is devalued by this message?,” “What bothers me about this message?,” and “What can I do to not be part of the problem?”
• Someone who evaluates their own thoughts, behaviors and actions. (See: Self Awareness)
• An adult who is willing to analyze any book, game, movie, show, or advertisement for harmful messages, even their favorites.

Examples of how we can teach Critical Thinking to our child.

• Role model all of the above.
• Share how we evaluate something we read, see or hear.
• Have discussions after we and our child see, hear or read troubling or thought-provoking messages or ideas. Ask our child open-ended questions, such as “What did you think of that?”
• Create questions ahead of time to ask ourselves while we are watching, reading or listening to something or someone. Talk afterwards (or during) about what you’re learning.
• Encourage our child to write down their thoughts and ideas about what they’re seeing, hearing and reading.
• Be open to our child’s questions or observations, which may come at unexpected or inconvenient times.

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