feminist perspective on education

Question 1

trends in gender and education

Answer 1

-overall girls do better than boys at every stage in the education system
-higher proportion of girls remain in sixth form +further education-university
-gap between girls and boys is closing

Question 2

what do feminists see the education system as transmitting?

Answer 2

-patriarchal values

Question 3

Heaton and lawson

Answer 3

argue hidden curriculum taught patriarchal values in schools

Question 4

how does the hidden curriculum teach patriarchal values?

Answer 4

-traditional family structures in textbook
-gender stereotypes
-subjects aimed toward specific genders
-gender divisions in pe and sport
-gender division in labor in schools(predominantly female teachers and male managers)

Question 5

despite their higher academic achievement feminists argue

Answer 5

the attention underperforming boys receive eclipses many problems remaining for girls

Question 6

what do feminists believe?

Answer 6

education remains patriarchal

Question 7

problems remaining for girls

Answer 7

1.wc girls still underachieve, tend to have lower aspirations
2.huge differences in subject choice-girls tend to choose arts and humanities, boys tend to choose stem subjects
3. women still treated unequally in the workplace - glass ceiling
4. girls may experience sexual harrasment

Question 8

reasons for achievement of girls

Answer 8

1. feminism
2. primary socialisation
3. national curriculum
4. teachers labelling

Question 9

feminism

Answer 9

-more opportunities for girls to succeed
-women no longer solely aspire to fulfil traditional female role of housewife=aspire to professional careers which require qualifications, more motivated to succeed, work harder in school
-equal pay act=more opportunities

Question 10

Sharpe

Answer 10

-carried out research into girls’ aspirations in 1970 and found girls’ priorities were ‘love,marriage,husbands,children,jobs and careers’ in that order
-by 1990s these had changed - jobs,careers,being able to support themselves

Question 11

liberal feminism

Answer 11

-point out these remaining issues of patriarchy in education but acknowledge significant strides towards equality in the education system
- biggest change since 1980s girls now outperform boys=if the system is a patriarchal one,designed to favour boys, it is singularly failing

Question 12

Michelle Stansworth (1983)

Answer 12

noticed that there was still higher expectations of boys and teachers more likely to recommend boys apply for higher education than girls at the same academic level

Question 13

radical feminism

Answer 13

-argue education system still fundamentally patriarchal continues to marginalize + oppress women
-reinforcing patriarchal ideology through formal and informal curriculum
-education still not accessible for every girl in the world= currently still major global issue

Question 14

primary socialisation

Answer 14

-girl socialised to be quiet, passive and calm
-encouraged to take part in quiet activities e.g reading= bedroom culture
- means when they start school= behave in a way that is accepted and praised in primary school= positive labelling
-boys socialised to be assertive, aggressive and loud= negative labelling

Question 15

national curriculum

Answer 15

means girls and boys can take the same subjects = before restricted

Question 16

labeling

Answer 16

teachers more likely to positively label girls than boys

Question 17

difference/black feminism

Answer 17

-point out how not all girls have same experiences in education + minority-ethnic girls often victims of specific stereotyping + assumptions