Gender Differences Flashcards
(66 cards)
1
Q
why do girls read more than boys
A
- in primary socialisation; g may be more likely to be read to than boys
- reading is seen as a feminised activity - which may put off boys from doing it due to stigma
- this enables girls to outperform boys
1
Q
what is the only subject where boys outperform girls in GCSE’s
A
- maths - but even then its a 1% difference
2
Q
what did Lobban (1974) say about school reading material
A
Lobban (1974): she found that in reading materials in schools, there were only 1/2 as many female than male characters - and those shown were largely shown in a domestic setting
- also there were 1/2 as many heroines as heros
3
Q
what is the percentage gap between girls and boys in A-Level results
A
- 10%
4
Q
outline the concept of coursework
A
- Mitsos + Browne: girls tend to do better than boys in coursework - it requires regular work, dedication - this enables the feminisation of education
- this is an outdated idea - only use briefly in 30m
5
Q
outline the gender achievement on starting school
A
- children are initially given a baseline assessment - girls scored higher in all tests
6
Q
outline the gender achievement at KS1-2
A
- girls continue to do consistently better than boys - especially in English
7
Q
outline the gender achievement at GCSE
A
- girls are more likely to pass and get higher results, although the gap is much narrower at GCSE
8
Q
outline the gender achievement at A-Level
A
- the gender achievement gap stand at around 10% with girls still outperforming boys
9
Q
how does girls’ better organisation + meeting deadline skills stem from their primary socialisation
A
- girls’ childhood games required more time, focus, planning, teamwork
9
Q
outline the gender achievement at higher education
A
- before 1997, boys were more likely to stay in higher education, those trends have since been reversed
9
Q
outline the gender achievement on vocational courses
A
- a larger proportion of girls achieve distinctions in every subject - even in building/construction - where girls are the minority
10
Q
outline changes in the family as a reason for gender differences
A
there have been changes such as:
- increase in divorce: more money, usually mother is primary caregiver - provides a strong motivational female role model for girls
- more lone parent (matrifocal) families - provides strong role f model
- smaller families: there’s a correlation between educated parents (mothers) and small families
- increase in cohabitation - there’s less of a patriarchal/ male dominated role model - provides independent female role model for girls
10
Q
outline the impact of the feminist movement on changing gender norms
A
- since the start of the feminist movement in the 1960s, attitudes towards women have shifted
- McRobbie illustrates this in her study of girls’ magazines: 1970s; magazines like ‘Jackie’ emphasised the importance of marriage, whereas now, they contain images of assertive + independent women
- contextual e.g: in 2020; Lizzo on the front cover of Vogue (plus size WOC), Kamala Harris as VP
10
Q
outline changing ambitions as a reason for gender differences
A
- Sharpe (also found by Fuller in 2011) interviewed girls in the 70s and 90s and found that there was a shift in future aspirations;
- 70s: low aspirations, as education wasnt feminine. they prioritised love, marriage, husbands and children
- 90s: girls saw their future including a career + being less dependent on men. marriage and children weren’t huge aspects of their life plan
11
Q
what is an A03 evaluation point for women doing well in education
A
- FTSE Top 100 grossing companies, theres 6 female CEOs compared to 94 male CEOs in 2021
- although women perform significantly better in education; theyre not in the workplace - due to glass ceiling
11
Q
outline law changes in employment as a reason for gender differences
A
- the following laws have helped to create more equality in employment
- some women are breaking through glass ceilings - an invisible barrier that keeps them out of high paying roles
- 1970 Equal Pay Act, 1975 Sex Discrimination Act/ 2010 Equality Act
- this may motivate girls more to do well in education as a good career is more accessible
- Liberal Feminists would argue that these laws have eliminated all inequality
12
Q
name a campaign aiming to get girls into STEM
A
- Pretty Curious
- GIST (Girls Into STEM)
- WISE (Women into Science and Engineering)
12
Q
when was the National Curriculum introduced + what it was
A
- introduced in 1988 and removed previous inequality as all students had to study the same subjects
- made science, English and Maths core subjects - introduced girls into STEM more
13
Q
what is the percentage ratio of female to male primary school teachers
A
- 80% are female, 20% are male
- provides young girls with positive educated female role models - doesn’t for boys
14
Q
how does girls spending more time on their work stem from their primary socialisation
A
- they did more time consuming games
- ‘Bedroom Culture’ - spending more time planning and organising their games - used more teamwork skills in games
14
Q
how does girls’ better language skills stem from their primary socialisation
A
- when playing childhood games, girls use more words compared to boys doing sports
- more likely to read and be read to - may be seen as a feminised task - creating a stigma for boys & reading
15
Q
what does French say about teacher attention
A
- French (1993): most attention directed towards boys is in relation to behaviour and reprimands
15
Q
what does Francis say about teacher attention
A
- Francis: boys are punished more harshly, and felt picked on by teachers who had lower expectations of them
16
what does Swann say about gendered communication styles
- Swann (1998): there are differences in gendered communication styles
- boys dominate whole class discussions + are more likely to interupt teachers
- girls prefer paired/ group work and are better at listening + taking turns to express their views
17
what is the Liberal feminist view on girls' achievement
- gradual progress and gender equality has been made
- more work opportunities for women
- programmes like GIST, WISE, Pretty Smart, help women in STEM
- the introduction of science as a core subject in 1988 aided this
- progress will continue with improved policies, attitudes and laws
17
what is the link between marketisation and girls' achievement
- Slee: schools market their schools as female - centered to attract more female pupils as they achieve higher and have less behavioural issues
- this is done through subjects offered, more pictures of girls on the website, etc
18
what is the Radical feminist view on girls' achievement
- although new laws for gender equality have been made, women are still in a patriarchal (male-dominated) system because;
- sexual harassment still occurs in schools
- education still limits girls in subject choices and career options
- women are underrepresented in many aspects of the curriculum
19
what did Archer find in her study of working class girls
- Archer: w/c girls gain symbolic capital from their peers through feminine identities (heavy makeup, jewellery, having a BF, being loud)
- this brings them into conflict with school, preventing them from acquiring educational and thus economical capital
19
outline hyper-heterosexual feminine identities among w/c girls
- many girls spend considerable time, effort, money contructing 'desirable' hyper heterosexual identities
- this identity combines black urban american style, sportwear and sexy clothes as well as heavy makeup
- this brought status / symbolic capital from peers as well as avoiding being ridiculed as a 'tramp'
20
how does the hyper heterosexual feminine identities of w/c girls bring themselves into conflict with schools
- teachers saw girls' preocupation with appearance as a distraction form education - led them to 'othering' them - theyre less worthy of respect + incapable of educaitonal success
- this is symbolic violence
- schools' ideal pupil: m/c and desexualised
21
outline boys and literacy
- boy have lower levels of literacy. reasons for this may be;
- parents spend less time reading to their sons, and if they are read to, its usually by mothers - which makes reading seem like a feminised task
- boys are often steered towards sports + computer games which don't develop literacy skills
21
outline the working class girls' dilemma
- either gaining symbolic capital from peers by conforming to hyper heterosexual feminine identity
- OR gaining educational capital by rejecting their w/c identity and conforming to schools' m/c habitus
22
what did Evans find in her study of w/c girls in relation to uni
- girls wanted to go to uni to increase their earining power to help their families
- cost and fear of debt are major issues for many w/c students
- whilst living at home makes higher education more affordable, it also limited choice of unis and market value of degrees
23
outline an A03 evaluation of boys lacking literacy skills
- there are programs to help this matter;
- the National Literacy Strategy focuses on improving boys' reading
- Reading Champions scheem uses male role models celebratin their own reading interests
- Dads and Sons encourages fathers to be more involved with their sons' education
24
outline globalisation and boys' achievement
- since the 80s, there has been a decline in blue collar industries like mining, manufactoring
- Mitsos + Browne: this decline in WC male employment opportunites has led to an identity crisis for men
- many WC boys now believe they have little career opportunities and so lack motivation
25
outline an A03 evaluation for globalisation and boys' achievement
- in the modern day, many boys in school dont aspire to work in mines - its an outdated view
26
outline the feminisation of education
- Sewell: the whole education system is geared towards girls - they nurture feminine traits such as organisation, neatness and tentativeness, bringing in homework on time
- these skills are often taught early in girls' primary socialisation
- boys are often socialised to be more competitive, aggressive and loud
27
outline an A03 evaluation about feminisation of education causing boys' underachievement
- Francis: 2/3 of 7-8 year olds believe gender doesnt matter
- Read: criticises the claim that only male teachers can exert firm disciplinarian discourse 'needed' for boys as most female teachers use this type of discipline
27
outline laddish subcultures + how boys will be treated if they dont conform to it
- Francis: Laddish subcultures is becoming more widespread due to girls moving into traditionally masculine areas such as education
- boys respond by becoming increasingly laddish to contruct themselves as non-feminine
- if boys dont conform, they would be harrassed with homophobic verbal abuse - being called 'swats' or 'sissies'
28
why may education be seen as feminine among the W/C
- in w/c culture, masculinity is equated with being tough and doing manual labour
- non-manual work, such as school work, is seen as effeminate and inferior
29
outline boys and role models
- theres a shortage of male role models at home and in school - causes boys underachievement
- there are many boys being raised in the 2.7 million female-led lone parent families
- theres also a shortage of male primary school teachers (20% are male)
30
outline an A03 evaluation for girls' educational policies
- critics of feminism: policies to help female achievement are no longer needed, as girls 'have it all'
31
outline Murphy's study
- Murphy: she asked boys and girls to design boats and vehicles and to write an estate agents advert for a house
- boys designed sports cars, powerboats, battleships with elaborate weaponry and little living accomodation
- whereas girs designed family cars
- when writing estate agent adverts, boys focused on masculine spaces, such as a garage space
- girls focused on aspects such as decor and the kitchen design
32
outline gender domains
- tasks / activities that are seen as gendered and are therfore relevant to themselves ro not
- children are ususally more confident + comfortable engagin in tasks that they see as part of their domain
- girls: caring for a sick child, working in a nursey, cooking
- boys: builder / electrician / plumber, constructing and using machinery, mending a car
33
outline gender socialisation + theorist's perspectives
- Oakley (1973): sex is our inborn physical difference, whereas gender is taught + learned through socialisation
- gender role socialisation is the process of learning the roles played by men and women in society
- Norman (1988): reveals how different dress, activities and characteristics are assigned to each sex
34
outline gendered subjects for differences in subject choice
- some subjects are seen as either masculine or feminine. for example, science is seen as a masculine subject
- science teachers are most likely to be male
- boys dominate lab settings
- computers involve machine work
35
outline peer pressure and gender differences in subject choice
- Paetcher: students apply pressure to stay within their gender domain otherwise there will be social judgement
- girls who do masculine subjects may be labelled as lesbian or butch
36
outline gendered career opportunities and gender differences in subject choice
- over 1/2 of women’s employment falls into one of these four categories: clerical, secretarial, personal services and cleaning
- only 1/6 of men work on these jobs
- the ‘sex typing’ of these occupations means that boys and girls will have different ideas as to what jobs are ‘for them’
- this can influence which subjects pupils choose - e.g. Gs picking health and social care
37
outline Leonard's view of gendered subject choice
- Leonard (2006): students from same sex schools are less likely to hold gendered subject images
- shows the effect of enforced gendered spheres in mixed education + lack of in single sex
37
outline verbal abuse in relation to hegemonic masculinity
- Connell: there’s a ‘rich vocabulary of abuse’ which keeps men in their dominant position
- Lees: there is verbal abuse towards women who are sexually promiscuous (called ‘slags or ‘drags’ if they don’t ‘put out)
- Parker: a dominant male identity is also enforced through calling boys ‘gay’ if they deviate from the masculine identity
38
outline a double standard
- a double standard is when a set of standards are applied to one group but not another
- Lees (1993): for example, if a girl performs in an overly sexual manner - she is labelled as a slag. whereas if a boy acted the same, he gains respect
38
define male gaze
- male gaze = the visual aspect in which female identity is controlled, through the way that male teachers and peers scrutinise + sexualise female pupils
38
outline female peer groups
- Archer: w/c girls gain symbolic capital from a hyper heterosexual feminine identity
- Ringrose: found in her study that being popular was crucial and there was often conflict between; an idealised feminine identity and a sexualised identity (competing for boys)
- there was a balance between not being slut shamed and not being too frigid
39
outline teachers and discipline in relation to hegemonic masculinity
- Mac and Ghaill: male teachers told off boys for ‘behaving like a girl’ and teased them when they did worse in a test compared to girls
- feminists: toxic masculinity is still prevalent in schools today
- male teachers can use gendered terms to address their students
39
outline male peer groups in relation to hegemonic masculinity + education
- Epstein and Willis: boys in anti-school subcultures will label hard working boys as effeminate
- effortless achievement is the ultimate goal for m/c boys
40
state a contemporary example for how gender expectations are enforced
- hegemonic masculinity/ gender ideas are enforced through social media - particularly for girls - due to the filters, desire for likes, the influencers
41
outline Ringrose's view
- Ringrose: by focusing on boys, there's a distraction from the problems faced by the w/c, ethnic minorities, and girls in education
42
how many lone parent families are there in the uk
- there are 3.2 million lone parent families
- 85% are female led
- 15% are male led
43
outline male teacher's communication styles
- they refer to male pupils as 'mate' (equality, masculinity), and female pupils as 'love' (nurturing, condescending, feminine)
- this reinforces gender roles + a power imbalance; men as dominant, and women as caregivers, and inferior
- feminists: perpetuates a patriarchal framework
44
(essay structure) what are the 5 external themes to measure gender inequalities within education
- impact of feminist movement/ changing ambitions (Jackie magazine)
- changes in family (more F LPFs, divorces, smaller fams)
- employment (glass ceiling, FTSE top 100, acts)
- globalisation (less blue collar work for M)
- role models at home (F LPFs)
45
(essay structure) what are 10 internal themes to measure gender inequalities within education
- educational schemes (GIST, Boys and Fathers)
- educational role models in schools (M-F primary teachers)
- assessment (coursework, Gs perform higher)
- teacher labelling + attention (Swann, French, Archer)
- streams/ selection/ admission (marketisation policies geared toward girls)
- symbolic capital (laddish subcultures, Archer WC Gs)
- feminisation of education (laddish subcultures)
- subcultures (Archer, Willis)
- subject choice (gender domains, socialisation)
- peer + teacher pressure (subject choice, Fuller)
46
what is an AO3 criticism of coursework as a reason for gender attainment gap
- Elwood: while coursework has some influence, it's not the sole cause of the gender gap in academic achievement, as exams have a greater impact on final grades
- other internal factors, e.g. labelling + peer groups, also play a significant role in shaping student achievement
47
what is an AO3 evaluation for the idea that people underachieve due to inequality in education
- Functionalists: the education system is meritocratic + all people have equal opportunity to succeed
- failure to do so is the fault of the individual - the 'problem' is a lack of intellect
48
since _, the pay gap between men and women has fallen from _% to _%
- since 1975, the pay gap between men and women has fallen from 30% to 9%
49
name 3 laws put in place for gender equality
- Sex Discrimination Act 1975
- Equality Act 2010
- Equal Pay Act 1970
