Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America have become iconic images of our nation’s patriotism.
In both organizations, meetings begin by pledging allegiance to the American flag.
There is no doubt that these two organizations work toward instilling the most honorable and moral values in our American youth.
Both scouts have similar missions and standards for their members.
This raises the question of why they are separated.
Applying a different organization to each gender further adds to the sexual discrimination and stereotyping that run rampant throughout the U.S.
Reinforcing the concept of gender separation through popular youth-oriented clubs places restrictions on their members’ potential to flourish beyond society’s gender norms.
Furthermore, there is an obvious genderization of skills that are learned with the scouts.
Girl Scouts earn badges based off of creativity and domestic skills.
Boy Scouts earn merits that involve more rugged and outdoor activities.
The Girl Scouts is a great organization that helps build strong, talented women.
According to the statement posted on its website, “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
This statement creates an image of the ideal woman in our equal-gendered society.
But the requirements for the majority of their badges tend to teach a feminized skill set.
A few examples of the badges that can be earned as a Cadette are Practical Life Skills, Science and Technology, and Healthy Living.
Cadette Girl Scouts are ages 12 to 14.
Similar to the Girl Scout mission, these three badges sound very useful and gender-neutral, until the deeper details are revealed.
Practical Life Skills badges teach 12-year-old girls how to babysit, which, according to the badge’s name, is an essential skill they will need throughout their lives.
Science and Technology badges teach girls “how scientists measure happiness,” while Healthy Living badges emphasize the beauty benefits that result from eating well-balanced and nutritious meals.
Although not all the badges offered are as feminized and borderline sexist, I think these three are disturbingly so.
They are teaching girls how to ascribe themselves to the stereotypical female role many men and women are trying so hard to break.
Contrary to the feminized Girl Scout badges are the Boy Scout merit badges.
When looking at the Girl and Boy Scout badges, the most obvious difference lies in the labeling.
Girl Scout badges tend to have more ambiguous names.
But the Boy Scout badges are more straightforward.
A significant portion of the merit badges involve outdoor sports and activities.
Archery, bird study, camping and climbing are a few examples.
The badges require scouts to perform the activity stated in the name.
Then they have to complete reports based on already-provided questions.
The process to earn a badge for Boy Scouts is a little more meticulous than it is for Girl Scouts.
The gender differences between both organizations are apparent by performing the necessary activities that each badge calls for.
The gender segregation of each scout group does not simply end at just separating each gender.
It is present throughout.
This shows how profoundly inherent gender roles are in our culture.
We should be teaching girls and boys the same skills and values.
Their sex should not influence the way they are taught to be good people.
Integrating the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America into one organization is a way to show that a person’s sex does not confine them to any specific role or expectations.
Gender is a mere construct of society.
Kaitlyn McGowan is an English major at UF. You can contact her via opinions@alligator.org.
