Differential Achievement and Gender External (Girls) Flashcards
What is the gender gap for GCSE’s?
For GCSE the gender gap in achievement is approximately 10 percentage points.
How has feminism impacted the achievement of girls?
Since the 1960s feminist movement developed women’s rights and challenges their ‘traditional’ role in education. Changes encouraged by feminism positively help girl’s life/career ambitions and self-esteem - which leads to improved achievement at school.
Media and magazines?
McRobbie compared magazines in the 1970s and the 1990s to see the influence on the media:
1970s magazines - stressed the importance of getting married.
1990s magazines - emphasized career and independence.
What have been changes in families?
Families have changed since the 1970’s:
there is are higher divorce and cohabitation rates.
there is an increase in lone - parents and smaller families.
How has changes in the family led to girls achievement?
Female lone-parent families creates an independent and financially stable role model for girls. Girls need well-paid jobs & good qualifications to achieve this.
Increases in divorce suggests to girls that relying on their husband is unwise, so they should look to getting good qualifications and work hard to get them, to live sustainable.
Girls changing ambitions
The change in girls ambitions over time reflected in girls achieving higher in school to get the future they want.
Who interviewed girls from two different periods and found differences in ambitions?
Sharpe (1994) found out through interviewing girls that their ambitions have changed over time, in 1970 love, marriage, husbands
and children were the priority, and in 1990 girls prioritised careers and financial independence instead.
Who found out about girls changing thought about marriage?
O’Connor (2006)- Study found 14-17 year old girls found marriage and children not to be a major part of their life plans.
Explain how Fuller’s study links to portraying girls ambitions.
Fuller (2011) studied four working class black girls in a high school and found that education was a central aspect of their identity.
They saw themselves as creators of their own future and believed in meritocracy. The girls aimed for a professional career that would enable them to support themselves.
Name some changes in women’s employment.
1970 Equal Pay Act means that men and women have to be paid equal values.
1975 Sex Discrimination Act outlaws discrimination at work.
Women in employment has increased: 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013.
Breaking the glass ceiling.
Women are breaking through the ‘glass ceiling’- invisible barrier in achievement stopping them from reaching high-level professional or managerial roles.
Better pay, career opportunities and role models of successful women are all incentives for girls to work hard at school and get qualifications.
Class on gender - AO3
Some WC girls continue to have gender-stereotyped aspirations for marriage and children and expect to go into traditional low paid women’s work that assume the expressive role.
Reay on gender - AO3
Reay (1998) said that WC girls aspirations reflect the limited job opportunities they see as available to them. A traditional gender identity like being part of a couple is attainable, and is a source of status.
Biggart on gender - AO3
Biggart (2002) found WC girls are more likely to face an insecure position in the labour market and see motherhood as the only viable option for their futures. Most of the low-aspiring girls in Fullers study were not interested in staying on in school and expressed a desire for low-level jobs.
