EDUCATION - Boys and Girls + Subject Choice Flashcards
What are the 6 factors that affect why boys and girls pick different subjects?
Gender role socialisation, Gendered subject image, Gender domains, Single sex schooling, Gender identity and peer pressure and, Gendered career opportunities.
What do Brown and Ross say about Gender domains? HINT: Primary socialisation!
They argue that children’s beliefs about ‘gender domains’ are shaped by their early experiences and the expectations of adults - Primary socialisation!
What does Murphy say about Gender domains? HINT: Attention to detail!
Murphy’s study found that boys and girls pay attention to different details even when they are tackling the same task. FOR EXAMPLE –> Girls focus more on how people feel, whilst boys focus on how things are made and how they work. This helps to explain why girls choose humanities and arts subjects, whilst boys choose science!
Why did Paechter say about Gender identity and peer pressure? HINT: Sports!
They found that, because pupils see sport within the ‘male’ gender domain (or as something that is ‘masculine’) girls who are ‘sporty’ have to cope with an image that contradicts the conventional female stereotypes. This helps to explain why girls are more likely to opt out of sport than boys are!
What did Dewar say about Gender identity and peer pressure? HINT: Girls being given nicknames for doing sports.
Dewar studied American college students and found that male students would call girls ‘lesbians’ or ‘butch’ if they appeared to be interested in sports - This same came be said of some science subjects, such as Physics, especially in mixed schools.
What did Norman say about Gender role socialisation?
She notes that, from an early age, boys and girls are dressed differently/dressed in a certain way, and given different toys; these help to encourage them to take part in different activities.
What did Byrne say about Gender role socialisation?
Her study shows that teachers encourage boys to be tough and show initiative, and not to be weak or behave like ‘sissies’. Girls, on the other hand, are expected to be quiet, helpful, clean and tidy!
What did Murphy and Elwood say about Gender role socialisation?
They show how differences in socialisation lead to boys and girls developing different tastes in reading –> Boys read hobby books and information texts, whilst girls are more likely to read stories about people.
What did Kelly argue about Gendered subject images?
She argues that science is seen as a boys’ subject for several reasons:
- Science teachers are more likely to be men
- The examples that teachers use, and those in textbooks, often draw on boys’ rather than girls’ interests
In science lessons, boys monopolise the apparatus and dominate and take over the lab acting as if it’s ‘theirs’.
What did Colley argue about Gendered subject images?
She noted that computer studies is seen as a masculine subject for 2 reasons:
- It involved working with machines - this is seen as being part of the male gender domain
- The way computer studies is taught is off-putting to female, as tasks tend to be abstract and teaching styles are very formal; there are very few opportunities for group work, which is something that girls favour in education.
What did Leonard say about Single sex schooling?
She found that (compared to pupils in mixed schools) girls in girls’ schools were more likely to take maths and science A levels, while boys in boys’ schools were more likely to take English and languages = Girls from single-sex schools were also more likely to study male-dominated subjects at university.
