5. EDUCATION - Gendered Subject Choice

Question 1

EXPLANATIONS FOR GENDER SUBJECT CHOICE:
1.) Gender Role Socialisation
The process of leaning the behaviour expected.
Boys and girls dress different, given different toys, encouraged to do different things.

Answer 1

These effect subject as girls are used to reading stories etc so will take more literate subjects such as english and art
Boys read hobby books and have more leadership and practical skills so will choose technology or maths.

Question 2

EXPLANATIONS FOR GENDER SUBJECT CHOICE:
2.) Gender Subject Images
The actual subjects have gender images. 
Kelly (1979): science is seen as a boys subject as the teachers are more likely to be male, examples and books will be male and draw on masculine interests. 
Why won’t girls take it?

Answer 2

They feel out of their territory and aren’t confident enough to take it if there’s a male teacher and a room full of boys.

Question 3

EXPLANATIONS FOR GENDER SUBJECT CHOICE:
3.) Gender Identity and Peer Pressure
If a girl takes a sports subject or ‘boys’ subject she’ll be labelled as ‘butch’
and the same for boys if they chose art or english they’d be labelled as ‘gay’.
How is this different in same sex schools?

Answer 3

there’s no boys or girls subjects.

Question 4

EXPLANATIONS FOR GENDER SUBJECT CHOICE:
4.) Gendered Career Opportunities
Subject choice may be influenced by employment patterns.
Why so?

Answer 4

Women will less likely want to take science or a sport as most of these professions are ‘male’