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Using Historical Films to Promote Gender Equity in the
History Curriculum
a
Cicely Scheiner-Fisher & William B. Russell III
a
a
College of Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
Version of record first published: 10 Sep 2012.
To cite this article: Cicely Scheiner-Fisher & William B. Russell III (2012): Using Historical Films to Promote Gender Equity in
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DOI: 10.1080/00377996.2011.616239
Using Historical Films to Promote Gender Equity in the
History Curriculum
CICELY SCHEINER-FISHER and WILLIAM B. RUSSELL III
Downloaded by [Mr William Russell] at 18:09 13 September 2012
College of Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
Teaching with film is viewed as a pedagogical best practice, especially when teaching historical or social studies content. Many of the
most popular films used to teach history topics leave women’s voices out of the narrative. Women’s history is generally left out of
traditionally male-dominated history curriculum; when it is included, it is usually in the margins or in sidebars. This article promotes
the use of historical films that have a female presence. How women are portrayed in film and how to choose films that meet the criteria
of the Bechdel Test for women in film are also examined.
Keywords: Bechdel Test for women, female perspective, historical films, teaching with film
In today’s classroom, the female perspective is often left
out of the historical narrative students are learning. This is
due in part to the fact that there are not many mandates
for such inclusion. The National Council for the Social
Studies (NCSS) includes only one standard that mentions
gender: “Assist learners to describe how family, religion,
gender, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic status and
other group and cultural influences contribute to sense of
self.” Individual state standards are similar in nature; for
example, the Florida standards include the study of women
in U.S. history since 1880, as if there were no women contributing to society before that date. The standard itself focuses on “the contributions of women . . . who have worked
to achieve equality and improve individual lives”; thus,
women are only worthy of inclusion if they contributed to
their own fight for political equality (Cruz and GroendalCobb 1998).
Even though classroom teachers are the often arbiters
of what does get included in their curriculum, “they may
not feel comfortable with the subject matter” (Cruz and
Groendal-Cobb 1998). Moreover, there are other influencing factors that relegate women’s history or women’s perspective on history to the margins: “school administrators
that do not support curriculum reform, instructional materials that omit or segregate women’s contributions and
curriculum developers who give little thought to women
at all in their courses of study” (Cruz and Groendal-Cobb
1998). It falls then to the classroom teachers to supplement
Address correspondence to Cicely Scheiner-Fisher. E-mail:
cicely.scheiner-fisher@ucf.edu
their materials to make a more balanced and accurate curriculum.
Students exposed to the many roles women have played
throughout history can come to understand that while
women maintained their traditional roles, they were also
pursuing greater freedom and forging new lifestyles (Groves
1994). They learn to value the diversity of perspective and
appreciate that there is not just one narrative, not one perspective, not one history. Unfortunately, most teachers do
not take a women’s history course in their teacher preparation and therefore find themselves uninformed on the issues; thus, they perpetuate the omission of women’s history
in their own classrooms. Gender disparities in the social
studies curriculum are often not even recognized by teachers because the male experience is still seen as the standard
experience (Marcus and Monaghan 2009). To supplement
the male experience, teachers can use historical films to
promote gender equity and female perspective.
The purpose of this article is to encourage educators to
use historical films to promote gender equity in history
curriculum. In addition, this article also provides educators with a filmography of gender equitable historical films
that are considered appropriate and effective for teaching
a gender equitable history curriculum.
Underrepresentation of Women in Historical Films
Many of the most popular films used to teach history leave
women’s voices out of the narrative. The Patriot, Glory, and
Forrest Gump have females in the cast, but the women do
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222
not play a significant role nor make a significant contribution to the story. Case in point: in the film Glory they
are listed in the credits as “Black Woman” and “White
Woman.” In a discussion on women’s history, Sam Wineburg notes that women’s history is not interwoven throughout school history texts; rather, women are simply inserted
into the traditional canon, usually in the form of representative sidebars and supplemental material (Wineburg 2001).
The same can be said for films that place a woman into a
story in the form of the protagonist’s love interest, family
member, or single compatriot just for the sake of having a
female character. The fact is that women seldom speak only
to men or encounter only men; they should not continue to
be represented in such a manner. It is easy to overlook the
lack of interactions of females with other females because
the male perspective is considered universal.
Often when women are included in a film for the sake
of simply having a female in the film, she is relegated to a
stock character role. For example, the bad girl or outcast
who may or may not prove virtuous in the end; the dumb
blond or bimbo, an attractive but unintelligent character
placed in a film for either comic relief or as the idealized
virginal maiden; the Hooker with the Heart of Gold, a sexworker who is also wise and compassionate; the Nurse, who
finds herself in unrequited love with the hero (or villain);
the Tomboy, the girl who finds that she just relates better
with the guys than other females, she may also exhibit jealously of more feminine girls, especially if she has romantic
feelings for one of the males (McKinely 1997). Negative
portrayals of women may be damaging to younger viewers
perceptions because they are not likely to view such portrayals as critically as one might like (Lauzen and Dozier
2005). Obviously, in life, no one has such a one-dimensional
personality. In movies, it is less often that male characters
have the narrow experience of their female counterparts;
thus, students will learn the double standard that occurs
when one perspective is privileged over another. Teachers
can illustrate the depth of women’s experience by highlighting different points of view in historical films that do not
relegate women to fulfilling stock character roles, but show
women struggling to accommodate political, social, and
familial challenges.
According to Lauzen and Dozier (2005), the worth of
characters is suggested by their absence or abundance on
screen and the quality of their portrayals. Female characters continually occupy a limited range of occupations, held
lower-status positions, and wielded less power than men.
Thus, when women are persistently placed in stock character roles or risk losing their femininity when challenging
the status quo, students are learning hidden curriculum of
favoring the male point of view as the paradigm.
Determining Gender Equitable Films
To promote gender equity with historical films, teachers
should use films that include a strong female presence. To
Scheiner-Fisher and Russell
determine if a film has a strong female presence, the authors used a test created by Alison Bechdel, an American
feminist commentator. The test, known in popular culture
as “the Bechdel Test,” does not ask if a film is feminist, only
if there is a “female presence.” The test examines the female
presence in a film by asking if a film meets three criteria: (1)
there are more than two females (who have names); (2) the
female characters talk to each other; and (3) they talk to
each other about something other than a man. Most popular films do not meet these criteria. Moreover, the choices
teachers make about the historical films they use in class often do not meet these simple measures, and by doing so they
are unconsciously marginalizing half their class. Applying
the Bechdel Test when selecting films allows educators to
circumvent the pervasive, yet low-grade, sexism of popular
culture. For more information about the Bechdel test visit
www.bechdeltest.com.
Teaching History with Film
Walt Disney said, “Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment
toward the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.”
One of the main goals of teachers is to influence young students toward following the ideals of their society. Teaching
with film is viewed as a pedagogical best practice and an
effective tool for enhancing curriculum (Russell and Waters
2010; Russell 2012a). Film is considered to be an effective
communicator and has the potential to arouse emotions
(Interview with James McPherson in Russell 2008) and
stimulate feelings. The visual imagery of history on film
can (a) help develop students’ historical understanding of
the past, (b) help develop students’ awareness of historical
prospective, (c) promote historical thinking, and (d) help
students develop historical thinking skills (Russell 2012b).
Film allows students to get a glimpse into a portrayal of the
time under study. It allows them to make connections with
the characters, thereby bringing forth empathetic reactions
they might not get out of a history textbook. Using film
also promotes inquiry skills, as students are encouraged to
make informed decisions based on specific content (Russell
2009).
Five major historical thinking proficiencies that are
exceptionally suitable when teaching history with film
are “content knowledge,” “narrative analysis,” “historicalcultural positioning of a text,” “historical empathy,” and
“discernment from presentism.” Insofar as film is useful for
broadening students’ content knowledge, historical films
provide a manner for teachers to present more useful history than a simple memorization of facts. A narrative analysis provides an opportunity for students to examine the
messages, both implicit and explicit, being conveyed by a
film. It is the narrative analysis proficiency that asks students to examine whose story is being told and whose story
is being left out; historical thinkers will ask why and to what
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Historical Films and Gender Equity
end such narratives are expressed. The historical cultural
positioning proficiency asks students to consider the
relationship the writers, directors and producers have with
the events depicted in the film; in this way students can
view the film as historiography, viewing the creation of a
film as a piece of cultural history in its own right. Historical empathy is the proficiency most teachers who use film
address in their classrooms, “Teachers seem to be attracted
to the visceral and emotional power of history feature films
to get students to care about the past” (Metzger 2007, 73).
The fifth competency Metzger outlines, “discernment of
presentism,” asks students not to view the past through the
lens of the present. This is a difficult task, especially because most historical films exhibit some level of historical
presentism, portraying events as though they are understandable through today’s values. Metzger notes that using
a historical film requires students to engage in critical historical thinking to make it a meaningful experience. To this
end, “teachers must guide students to identify important
information and ideas about the past and then relate this
knowledge to broader patterns of historical significance”
(Metzger 2007, 71).
Filmography
Below is a filmography of movies with complex and strong
female characters. Many historically based films are presented from the perspective of men; these ten films show
women who are capable of carrying their own story and do
more than satisfy the “chick flick” narrative. To be included
on this list, a film had to meet all three of the criteria from
the Bechdel Test for a female presence in film: first it had
to have at least two women in it (who have names); second,
they have to talk to each other; and third, their conversation
has to be about something other than a man.
Though some of these films are R-rated, it is important
not to discount the contribution they can make to a history or social studies classroom. Teachers should preview
these films to choose which sections are pertinent to the
curriculum and age-appropriate for their students.
Cold Mountain
Year: 2003
Rating: R (violence and sexuality)
Director: Anthony Minghella
Producer: Steve E. Andrews
Country/Language: USA/English
Runtime: 154 min.
Color: color
Company: Miramax
Details:
Cold Mountain is the story of a young southern woman,
Ada Monroe, who moves from Charleston to Cold
Mountain, North Carolina, with her ailing father. Once
there she falls in love with a young man, Inman, who be-
223
fore too long has to leave to fight in the Confederate army
in the Civil War. The story goes back and forth between
the happenings of Cold Mountain and Inman’s journey
back home. Although there is a lot of inappropriate sexual content and violence, this film would be useful in the
classroom, as long as it was edited for content.
Elizabeth
Year: 1998
Rating: R (violence and sexuality)
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Producer: Tim Bevan
Country/Language: UK/English
Runtime: 124 min.
Color: color
Company: Polygram Filmed Entertainment/Universal
Pictures
Details:
Elizabeth is the biopic of the Queen of England in the sixteenth century. Queen Elizabeth ascends the throne during the time when being Protestant was being a heretic.
She faced many challenges, among them, her sister accusing her of treason, reformation of the Church of England, and advisors with ulterior motives. Though this
film does portray violence and sexuality, it can be edited
for content and showed to a history class as a visual
textbook.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Year: 2007
Rating: PG-13
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Producer: Tim Bevan
Country/Language: UK/English
Runtime: 114 min.
Color: color
Company: Polygram Filmed Entertainment/Universal
Pictures
Details:
In the second installment of the Elizabeth movies, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the Queen is older and more powerful, yet she faces new challenges such as an assassination attempt, the Spanish Armada, war with Spain over
her religious beliefs (Spain believes her to be a heretic),
and exploration and colonization in America. This film
has less sexuality and violence than the first film, Elizabeth, which makes it more suitable for the classroom.
It can be used to teach a unit on British history and the
reformation of the church.
Tea with Mussolini
Year: 1999
Rating: PG
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Producer: Marco Chimenz
Country/Language: Italy, UK/Italian, English
Runtime: 117 min.
Color: color
Company: Cattleya
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224
Details:
Tea with Mussolini is the story of a young boy who is
raised by a group of rich expatriate British women and
one outspoken American, played by Cher. The British
women have faith in Mussolini protecting them for a
time, but once they are sent to live in barracks, they
begin to lose faith in him as a ruler. The film takes place
on the dawn of World War II in Florence, Italy, which
means that the British and Americans become enemies
of the state. As the movie progresses, the causes of World
War II and political problems of the times are illustrated
effectively. This film provides a study of class, war, and
society and can act as a visual textbook as well as a
depiction of atmosphere.
Iron Jawed Angels
Year: 2004
Rating: TV-14
Director: Katja von Garnier
Producer: Lee Amato
Country/Language: USA/English
Runtime: 123 min.
Color: color
Company: Home Box Office (HBO)
Details:
Iron Jawed Angels tells the story of Alice Paul and other
American suffragettes in their fight for political equality. The movie shows how these women sacrificed their
health, safety, and overall well-being to fight for their
freedom. Although the film is a little watered down by
the fictitious love affair Paul has with Ben Weismann, it
is still the best film out chronicling the fight for Women’s
Suffrage. This film can be used in the classroom when discussing women’s rights, the Wilson presidency, or abuse
of power and female subjugation.
The Young Victoria
Year: 2009
Rating: PG
Director: Jean Marc Vallée
Producer: Sarah Ferguson
Country/Language: UK/USA, English
Runtime: 105 min.
Color: color
Company: GK Films
Details:
Based on the early life of England’s Queen Victoria, The
Young Victoria is both picturesque and thoughtful. As a
princess, Victoria refuses to give her mother and mother’s
husband/personal secretary “regency” to co-rule England after the death of King William IV, who happened
to be the successor to King George III, the monarch who
lost America. The movie does well in its efforts to show
the strength and stubbornness of the young queen and
how misguidance caused her to make major mistakes
in her early months of sovereignty. Before too long, she
marries Prince Albert, and the rest is history. It is an
excellent film to illustrate the early years of the Victorian
era and the politics of Britain.
Scheiner-Fisher and Russell
The Diary of Anne Frank
Year: 2009
Rating: PG
Director: Jon Jones
Producer: Elinor Day
Country/Language: UK/English
Runtime: 100 min.
Color: color
Company: BBC/PBS
Details:
This production of The Diary of Anne Frank premiered
as part of the PBS’s Masterpiece Classic collection. The
film is based on the diary written by a young teenage
Jewish girl living in Amsterdam during World War II.
This production illustrates the conditions in which Anne
Frank and her family were living, including sharing a
very small attic space with another family and a older
man who shared Anne’s room. For two years Anne and
her family lived in the attic before the Nazi’s took them
away to the death camps.
This version of The Diary of Anne Frank would be useful
in the classroom during the study of World War II. It
also deals with issues of religious intolerance, human
suffering, and the simplicity of human nature, especially
in dealing with issues of the heart.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Year: 2005
Rating: TV-14
Director: Darnell Martin
Producer: Matthew Carlisle
Country/Language: USA/English
Runtime: 105 min.
Color: color
Company: ABC
Details:
In this film, based on the book by Zora Neale Hurston,
Halle Berry plays Janie, a women of the 1920s who becomes one of the founders of Eatonville, Florida, the
first incorporated township by African Americans. The
movie illustrates what life was like in the early twentieth
century for African Americans, especially women. Janie
goes through three important relationships, and the film
shows how her spirit was not crushed even though so
many wanted to see her fall into the role of dutiful house
frau.
Their Eyes Were Watching God can be used in the classroom to show what life was like in Florida at that time.
It illustrates certain aspects of American culture that are
not often shown in movies of the 1920s. Certain parts of
the movie showing sensuality can be edited out if needed
depending on the maturity of the class.
Persepolis
Year: 2007
Rating: PG-13
Directors: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Producer: Rémi Burah
Country/Language: France/French, USA
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Historical Films and Gender Equity
Runtime: 96 min.
Color: color and black & white, animated
Company: 2. 4. 7. Films
Details:
Based on the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Persepolis is
the autobiography of a young girl growing up in Iran
during that time leading up to and including the aforementioned revolution. Marjane “Marji” Satrapi watches
as her country changes drastically over this time; she is a
rebellious young girl, who loves punk rock and Michael
Jackson—she believes she will be a great prophet. As
Iran comes under the power of the Islamic fundamentalists Marji’s family sends her to Vienna to go to school.
Persepolis is an animated film, based on the graphic autobiographical books by Marjane Satrapi. There are some
references to drugs and sexuality, however, not too much
to take away from the essence of the film, which can be
used in the classroom to teach about the Iranian Revolution, which provides an important connection to current
events.
The Color Purple
Year: 1985
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Peter Gruber
Country/Language: USA/English
Runtime: 154 min.
Color: color
Company: Amblin Entertainment
Details:
The Color Purple follows the story of Celie Johnson,
a young black woman living mostly in rural Georgia.
Celie goes through many extreme trials and tribulations,
including giving birth to two children sired by her own
father, abuse by her husband, and losing contact with
her sister. This film illustrates life in the South from the
late 1800s to the 1930s dealing with racism, poverty, and
extreme sexism. Though The Color Purple is an awardwinning book and movie, it should be used primarily
with older students.
Conclusion
There are many opportunities for teachers to enhance history curriculum with multiple perspectives, and
using historical films that promote gender equity is just
one of those methods. Teachers who make efforts to bring
the women’s perspective out of the margins are doing more
than just adding one perspective; they are teaching students
that the male experience is just one of many experiences and
should be analyzed as one part of the story. The Bechdel
Test is one manner of judging a film’s inclusivity. Viewing a film using the same criteria for people of color and
other minorities illustrates that the movie industry is excluding more authentic voices of a myriad of perspectives.
Using film in the classroom is a proven method of engaging students in historical thinking. Teaching with film can
strengthen content knowledge and build students historical
empathy and can help students appreciate women’s roles in
history in ways other sources might not allow.
References
Cruz, Barbara. C., and Jennifer L. Groendal-Cobb. 1998. “Incorporating
Women’s Voices into the Middle and Senior High School History
Curriculum.” Social Studies 89(6): 271–282.
Groves, Susan. 1994. “What Do You Mean? Women’s Studies in High
School?” Social Studies Review 32(2): 42–45.
Lauzen, Martha M., and David M. Dozier. 2005. “Maintaining the Double Standard: Portrayals of Age and Gender in Popular Films.” Sex
Roles 52(7/8): 437–446.
Marcus, Alan S., and Meg Monaghan. 2009. “Tasting the Fluoride: The
Potential of Feature Film to Enhance the Instruction of the Women’s
Movement.” Social Studies Research and Practice 4(1): 13–30.
McKinley, E. Graham. 1997. Beverly Hills 90210: Television, Gender, and
Identity. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Metzger, Scott A. 2007. “Pedagogy and the Historical Feature Film:
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Journal of Film and Television Studies 37(2): 67–75.
National Council for the Social Studies. 2010. National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. http://www.ncss.org.
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