Education: External factors for gender difference in achievement (girls) Flashcards
Feminism
Overtime, women have challenged the sterotypes of a womans role in the family which is typically a housewife/mother in a traditional nuclear family, playing an expressive role towards their children and they are seen as less than to men. Feminists are moving towards achieving full equality between genders, the movement has had success with improving womens rights and opportunities through changes in law which has helped to improve the self esteem and expectations of women.
These changes can encourage more girls to pursue their ambitions and have a career instead of starting a family and thus improving their educational achievement in oorder ot strive to complete those goals.
McRobbie (feminism)
McRobbie conducted a study of girls magazines in which he found that in the 1970s, it was highlighted that women should get married whereas nowadays women are portrayed as confident, independent and assertive.
development
Feminism evaluation
The gender pay gap still exists and inequality still exists in the wokrplace (glass ceiling)
Changes in the family
Primary socialisation - it is highlighted that womens socialisation is more appropriate to fit education than boys. Due to particularistic values, girls may be told to stay at home rather than go out, thus adopting a bedroom culture, this can work itself well in education specifically in english lessons in which they can understand content further as they may read more books or write in journals.
bedroom culture could be an example
Lone parent (changes in the family)
Nowadays, more lone parent families are developing, these are typically matrifocal in which more women are the head of the house, in which more women will take on the breadwinner role. This can cause girls to see these women as role models as they are financially independent and in order ot achieve this independence, they will have to work hard in education and achieve high grades in order to obtain a well paying job.
Increase in divorce rates (changes in the family)
Due to the increase in divorce rates and the increase in lone parent families, it may suggest to girls that they dont need to rely on a man for finances and that they can do it all on their own through achieving in school.
development
changes in the family evaluation
DWP state that women in lone parent families tend to be in poverty.
DWP - Department for work and pensions
Changes in employment
Mistos and Browne show that there has been a growth in care and service industries in which the economy has created more ‘feminised’ career opportunities for women e.g. health care, teaching etc. We are seeing more women take on manager roles in their careers now.
Equal pay act and breaking the glass ceiling (changes in employment)
The equal pay act has offered more opportunites in girls as well as encouraging them to see their futures with paid work.
Girls now are determined to break the glass ceiling in workplace.
development
Changes in employment evaluation
Inequality stil lingers in the workplace as the gender pay gap still exists and women nowadays are penalised for having a child whilst also managing a career.
Changes in girls ambitions
Changes in the family and employment has helped change girls ambitions.
Sue Sharpe (changes in ambition)
She conducted a study in which she interviewed girls i nthe 1970s and the 1990s to see if there was a difference in the way that girls see their future, she found that the girls interviewed in the 70s viewed education and ambitions as unfemenine/unattractive and their priorities involved love, marriage at the top and a career at the bottom. Whereas girls in the 90s had a different set of priorities, they wanted to support themselves and saw being independent and having an education was important rather than depending on a man.
Individualisation thesis (changes in ambition)
Beck and Beck-Gernsheim - independence is very valued now in gaining recognition and status in modern society and in order to do this, girls recognise that they need a good education to do so.
development
Changes in ambition evaluation
W/c girls still value marriage and children before pursuing a career. Diane Reay argues that their limited aspirations reflect the job opportunties they percieve as being available to them due to their class position.
class, gender and ambition
