Topic 4- gender differences

Question 1

What policies are there to deal with underachievement?

Answer 1

For boys:
- National literacy strategy - improving boys reading
- Dads and sons - encouraging fathers to be more involved
For girls:
- National curriculum - girls and boys study the same subjects, including science becoming a core subject
- WISE - encouraging girls to pursue careers in non traditional areas

Question 2

What are the 4 explanations for gender differences in subject choice?

Answer 2

1. Gender role socialisation
2. Gendered subject choice
3. Gender identity and peer pressure
4. Gendered career opportunities

Question 3

How is gendered subject choices an explanation for gender differences?

Answer 3

Kelly found that boys are likely to choose science due to the teachers being mainly men, the textbooks being drawn from a boys experience and boys can dominate a lab

Question 4

How can gender identity and peer pressure be an explanation for gender differences?

Answer 4

Dewar (1990) found that male pupils will call girls ‘butch’ or ‘lesbian’ if they engage in sport because sport is seen to be the ‘male domain’

Question 5

What is double standards?, use an example as said from Lees

Answer 5

When we apply a set of moral standards to one group, but a different set to another.
Lees (1986) - found an example of this is that boys boast about sexual exploit, but a girl is called a ‘slag’ if she dresses a certain way or is not in a steady relationship.
This can be seen as a patriarchal ideology.

Question 6

What is the male gaze?

Answer 6

The way male pupils and teachers look girls up and down, seeing them as sexual objects and making judgements about their appearance. (Mac an Ghaill)

Question 7

What did Haywood and Mac an Ghaill say about teachers and discipline, and how they play a part in the definitions of gender idenitiy?

Answer 7

Male teachers told boys off for ‘behaving like girls’ but ignored boys verbal abuse and even blamed girls for attracting it.