1.1.3 Education: Gender differences in Achievement Flashcards
(35 cards)
Boys - Internal Factors
What are Francis’ finding about ‘laddish’ subcultures?
Boys were more concerned then girls to be labelled as ‘swots’ as it is a threat to their masculinity
Boys - Internal Factors
What were the findings and conclusions from Read’s study of the language used by teachers?
Read identified two types of discourse -Disciplinarian or liberal
* Disciplinarian - The teacher’s authority is made explicit and visable through shouting -masculine
* Liberal - The teacher’s authority is made implicit through ‘pseudo-adultification’ were the teacher speaks to the child as if they are an adult with respect, and expects them to do the same. -feminine
Read found that most teachers used the masculine disciplinarian approach.
Conclusions
- As most teachers used masculine disciplinarian approach, Sewell’s argument that education has become feminised is contradicted.
- The fact that female teachers were just as likely to use the disciplinarian approach disproves the argument that only male teachers can create a stricter classroom environment.
Boys - Internal Factors
What is the impact of a shortage of male teachers?
- Fewer role models from boys in the home and in school
- Could be argued that female teachers don’t discipline boys as well as a male teacher would.
Boys - Internal Factors
How does Sewell argue that the ‘feminisation of education’ has effected boys?
- Education has been feminised to respect and desire ‘feminine traits’ such as attentiveness and hardworking.
- Schools don’t nurture ‘masculine traits’ such as competitiveness and leadership.
- Therefore, boys don’t thrive in education
Boys - External Factors
What do Mitsos and Browne claim about the effect of the decline in traditional men’s manual labour jobs?
- Decline in manual labour jobs such as mining, iron and steel, shipbuilding due to globalisation and a move to cheaper labour.
- Led to an ‘identity crisis for men’ which undermines their motivation.
- However, these jobs needed little qualifications so shouldn’t have affected schooling.
Boys - External Factors
In what ways are boys socialised to have poorer literacy?
(3)
- Often girls are read to, not boys.
- Often mothers read to children - portrayed as a feminine activity.
- Hobbies such as football don’t improve social skills.
Gender and subject choice
How do gendered career opportunities influence subject choice?
- Jobs tend to be sextyped as either male or female.
- Women’s jobs involve work similar to housewives e.g. childcare, cleaning, nursing.
Gender and subject choice
How does peer pressure influence subject choice?
Boys and girls may apply pressure to those whose subject choice falls outside of the norm. For example, girls who do sports have to contend with students calling them ‘lesbian’. This may explain why in same sex schooling, subject choice is normalised, as the other gender doesn’t influence choices.
Gender and subject choice
What did Leonard find when studying subject choice of students in same sex schooling?
In same sex schooling, there seemed to be less of a split in genders for subject choice.
For example, girls in girls schools were more likely to take maths and physics whereas boys in boys schools were more likely to do English and social sciences.
Gender and subject choice
How does Kelly argue that science is portrayed as a male subject?
(3)
- Male teachers
- Examples used in textbooks and by teachers are more likely to be aimed at boys and their interests
- In science lessons, boys tend to dominate the equipment
Gender and subject choice
What does Murphy argue about the differences in the way boys and girls look at things?
found that boys and girls pay attention to different details even when tackling the same task.
- Girls focus more on how people feel
- boys focus on how things are made and work.
- This helps to explain why girls choosehumanities and arts subjects, while boys choose science.
Gender and subject choice
What is a gender domain?
Tasks, activities, or areas that are seen as ‘territory’ of a certain gender. For example, mending a car would be a male domain.
Gender and subject choice
What are the main reasons / explanations for differences in subject choice due to gender?
- Gender role socialisation
- Gendered subject image
- Gender identity and peer pressure
- Gendered career options
Gender and subject choice
What is the pattern for gender differences in subject choice at A-level?
Boys often choose subjects such as maths and physics whilst girls choose subjects such as English language and social sciences
Identity and class differences in girls’ achievements
What is the ‘working class girls dilemma’?
- Either gaining symbolic capital from their peers by adopting a hyper-heterosexual, feminine identity
- Or gaining educational capital by rejecting their working class identity and conforming to the middle class notions of an ideal, respectable female pupil.
Identity and class differences in girls’ achievements
What did Archer find about symbolic capital in girls in education?
- There is conflict between working class girls’ identities and the values and ethos of the school
- While gaining symbolic capital from their peers, girls were prevented from getting educational capital
- Adopted hyper-heterosexual identities by having a boyfriend and being loud.
Identity and class differences in girls’ achievements
According to Archer, what is the school’s view of an ‘ideal feminine pupil and what happens if you don’t conform?
- desexualised and middle class
- Not conforming led to conflict with schools and the ‘othering’ of this group - ‘not one of us’ attitude
- Bordieu defines this attitude as symolic violence.
Girls - External factors
What is ‘bedroom culture’? And what theorist?
- McRobbie
Girls have been socialised to grow up with a ‘bedroom culture’ where young girls stay in their room and chat and play, read magazines, developing communication skills and literacy skills which serve them well in education.
Girls - External factors
What did Fuller’s 2012 study show about girl’s view on educational sucess?
- Found that girls viewed educational success as a large part of their identity.
- Believed in meritocracy and a sense of independence
Girls - External factors
What did Sharpe find in her investigation into girl’s aspirations?
Interviewed girls in 1970s and 1990s.
* 1970s - girls has low aspirations - they believed acedemic sucess was ‘unfeminine’ and priorities were love, husband, family, children, then careers.
* 1990s - girls prioritised having a career and being able to support themselves. More able to see themselves as financially independent.
Girls - External factors
What is the ‘glass ceiling’?
An invisable barrier in workplaces, keeping women out of managerial, high level, professional roles.
Girls - External factors
What are important laws about women in employment?
- 1970 equal pay act - made it illegal to pay women less then men for work of equal value.
- 1975 sex discrimination act - Outlaws discrimination at work
Girls - External factors
How have changes in the family affected girls’ achievement?
- Increased divorce rate - encouraged women to be more financially independent
- Increase in female, lone parent families - encouraged women to prioritise careers and doing well in school
- Increase in cohabitation…
- More women are taking the breadwinner role so prioritise school and a career.
Girls - External factors
What is the impact of feminism on girls in education?
Feminists have challenged the stereotype of women being unemployed housewives, raising women’s self esteem and ambitions.
