Gender and education Flashcards
(44 cards)
How might school shape gender identity?
- influence of males and their peer groups use verbal abuse to reinforce their definitions of masculinity
- boys in anti school subcultures often accuse boys who want to succeed as being gay or effeminate
What was the study Willis conducted?
- An ethnographic study of 12 working class ‘lads’ from a school
- All white in a school containing many pupils of multiple ethnicities
- Participant observation and interviews
- Lads prioritized having a ‘laff’ thru causing trouble over their education
Who spoke about teachers and their double standards?
Haywood and Ghail, Sue Lees
What did Haywood and Ghail say?
Teachers reinforce dominant definitions of gender identity
- male teachers told boys off for behaving like girls, ignored their verbal abuse of girls and blamed girls for attracting it
- male teachers tend to teach STEM, women teachers tend to teach humanities
What did Sue Lees say?
Found a double standard in sexual morality
- boys brag about their sexual exploits
- girls labelled as slags if they do the same
- sexual conquest approved of gaining status for boys and ignored by male teachers but classes as promiscuity in girls
What did feminists say about these double standards in sexual morality?
Creates patriarchal ideology that justifies devaluation of women and creates a subordinate gender identity
What is subject choice?
Schools determine subject choice = career options in later life
- feminine subject = likely feminine job (vice versa for masc)
Who spoke about subject choice?
Browne and Rose
Kelly
Colley
What did Browne and Rose say?
Argue that childrens belief about gender domains are shaped by expectations of adullts
- Children more confident in engaging in tasks of their own domain
- Gender image that a subject gives off affects who will want to choose it
What is gender domains
Refer to tasks that boys and girls see as their territory
What did Kelly say?
Science seen as a boys subject as teachers tend to be men
- examples in textbooks tend to draw on male experiences
What did Colley say?
Computer science seen as a masculine subject
- involves working with machines and the way it is taught often puts off females due to less group work
What is gender?
A social construct - certain things are attached to different genders
Who spoke about gender role socialization?
Oakley
What’s gender role socialization (GRS)?
A negative process of learning the behavior expected of males and females in society
- influences gender identity from early
What did Byrne find in relation to GRS?
Schools play a role, teachers encourage boys to be tough and punish feminine behaviors
- girls expected to be quiet, helpful, and punished for being rough and noisy
What about single sex schools?
Tend to have less stereotypical subject images
- Subject choice can be influenced by peer pressure due to disapproval
- Boys tend to opt out of drama and music = negatives responses from male peers
Who spoke about single sex schools
Leonard and Paetcher
What did Leonard find?
Take less traditional subjects in single sex schools
- Looked at 13,000 pupils and found that compared to mixed schools, girls more likely to pick maths and science
What did Paetcher find?
Girls who choose sports tend to be subject to taunts like bitch or lesbian
- single sex schoolgirls more likely to choose sports (doesnt receive as much ridicule)
- Absence of boys puts less pressure on girls to conform to gender stereotypes
How does employment influence gender differences in education?
Employment is highly gendered and sex typed
- Women jobs tend to mirror the housewife role (clerical, cleaning, secretarial and personal services)
- Over half of all women’s employment is within this category compared to 1/6 of men n this category
How does vocational courses contribute to gendered employment?
Gendered employment explains why vocational courses are gender specific
- more linked to students gender stereotyped career paths
What are internal factors affecting gender and achievement?
Main factor: The rise of feminism
- GIST and Wise
- Role models
- Assessment methods
- Teachers interactions
Explain the rise of feminism as an internal factor?
- had a strong impact on the education system
- Increased awareness of gender issues and stereotypes
- Policies such as GIST (girls into science and tech) and WISE (Women in science and engineering)
