Crisis of Masculinity

Question 1

What is the crisis of masculinity?

Answer 1

• Mac an Ghail - a reaction to the changing structure of employment and the decline of traditional male working - class jobs
• Impact of globalisation: moved industrial work to developing world and UK became a service sector economy
• Men become demotivated, lack self-esteem and seek status from other activities

Question 2

How does the crisis of masculinity impact on boys education

Answer 2

• men resort to hegemonic masculine identities to gain status
• feminisation of education leads boys to reject education as it is not masculine
• Laddish behaviours, anti-school attitudes and competitiveness present in males across social classes (Jackson 2006)

Question 3

Evidence to support a crisis of masculinity

Answer 3

• males underachieve compared to their female counterparts in all social classes and ethnic groups
• Jackson - laddish behaviours present in lower social classes cannot be corrected by original work at home
• Francis - laddish behaviour is a backlash against feminism and political correctness

Question 4

Extra Evidence

Answer 4

• Ward - traditional working class behaviour displayed by some males does not mean they reject importance of education
• ‘Geeks’ in Wards study adapted better than the ‘Boiz’ to changing social attitudes

Question 5

How has policy tried to address the crisis of masculinity

Answer 5

• Raising Boys Achievement Project
• EYFS campaigns to engage boys - forest schools
• Changes to curriculum to revert from modular to linear assessment removal of coursework
• Working class males most likely to underachieve

Question 6

Evaluations

Answer 6

• Crisis of masculinity is part of social scientific study
• Links to earlier works by Epstein and Willis on masculine identities in education
• Gender socialisation failing to equip boys will skills for 21st century society - lagged adaptation