sociologists for gender differences within education

Question 1

Sue Sharpe (Feminist)

g

girls change in attitude

Answer 1

AO1: Studied changing attitudes of girls toward education and careers. Found girls in the 1990s were more focused on careers and independence, unlike in the 1970s when they prioritised marriage and family.
AO2: Reflects how changing gender roles and feminism have contributed to girls’ educational achievement.
AO3: Criticised for overgeneralising — not all girls experienced this shift equally; working-class girls may still hold traditional aspirations.

Question 2

Mitsos and Browne (Liberal/Feminist)

better organised

Answer 2

AO1: Argue that girls are more conscientious and better organised than boys, giving them an advantage in coursework and exams.
AO2: Explains the gender gap in achievement, particularly after the introduction of coursework in the 1980s.
AO3: The impact of coursework has declined with reforms (e.g. linear exams), yet girls still outperform boys — suggesting other factors are at play.

Question 3

Tony Sewell (New Right)

femenisation of education

Answer 3

AO1: Argues that boys underachieve due to the feminisation of education and lack of male role models. Schools reward feminine traits like attentiveness and discipline.
AO2: Links underachievement to the absence of male authority figures and the dominance of female teachers in schools.
AO3: Overemphasises gender and ignores the impact of social class and ethnicity on boys’ underachievement.

Question 4

Archer (Feminist)

symbolic capital

Answer 4

AO1: Found that working-class girls often form ‘symbolic capital’ through fashion and peer status, which can conflict with school values and lead to underachievement.
AO2: Shows how class and gender intersect, leading some girls to reject education as a way to preserve self-worth.
AO3: Fails to acknowledge girls who both retain their identity and succeed educationally — reinforces deficit view of working-class culture.

Question 5

Francis and Skelton (Feminist)

identity and long term goals

Answer 5

AO1: Found that many girls see education as part of their identity and long-term career goals, contributing to high levels of motivation.
AO2: Helps explain why girls increasingly outperform boys, especially in key subjects.
AO3: Gender differences are not uniform — some boys also identify strongly with education, especially from middle-class backgrounds.