Education - Gender

Question 1

Education Reform Act (1988)? Girls A, Changes

Answer 1

Introduction of coursework - girls are more methodological and organised.
Introduction of the national curriculum meant that boys and girls were entitled to the same education.

Question 2

GIST and WISE? Girls A, Changes

Answer 2

Teacher training changed to develop girls in different ways than previously seen. Exam questions, textbooks and classroom language has changed to recognise girls.

Question 3

Mitsos and Browne? Girls A, Attitudes

Answer 3

Statistics show that boys are underachieving, yet they also believe that girls are disadvantaged through their subject choices and life chances.
Balanced position focusing on reasons for girls achievement and boys underachievement.

Question 4

Sue Sharpe? Girls A, attitudes

Answer 4

Found that girls priorities have changed. Shift from focus on marriage and children to career are supporting themselves. Being career focused means that girls work harder in education to ensure success. Education was seen as the main route to a good job and financial independence.

Question 5

Francis and Skelton? Girls A, attitudes

Answer 5

Majority of students saw their future identity in terms of their career, rather than seeking employment as a gap before marriage.
Girls, especially in middle class families, were under increasing pressure from parents to achieve exam success.

Question 6

Beck? Girls A, attitudes

Answer 6

Risk society where society is categorised by greater risk and uncertainty. This can be seen in greater concern about this risks of divorce, relationship breakdown and loss of jobs.
People are now more concerned about their personal needs, being more self- reliant.
Young women are putting their women financial independance first and are more wary of the risks associated with marriage and economic dependence on a husband.

Question 7

Burns and Bracey? Girls A, socialisation

Answer 7

Girls put more effort into homework and unlike boys prepared for draft and redraft assignments.
Girls appear to mature earlier than boys.
Appears that girls work harder and are more motivated than boys.

Question 8

Oakley? Girls A, socialisation

Answer 8

Manipulation
Canalisation
Verbal Appellations
Different activities

Question 9

McRobbie and Garber? Girls A, socialisation

Answer 9

Girls were more protected by their parents and given less freedom than boys. As a result they tended to spend more time at home and developed bedroom cultures which also meant they were more likely to study.

Question 10

Arnot? Girls A, job market

Answer 10

Growing number of female teachers and women in management positions in school and HE. Provides positive role models.

Question 11

Mac an Ghail? Girls A, job market

Answer 11

Studied masculine subcultures. Deindustrialisation and the decline in masculine jobs.

Question 12

Mitsos and Browne? Girls A, job market

Answer 12

Girls and boys socialisation is different and that girls socialisation may enhance their opportunities.

Question 13

Kelly? Girls U, job market

Answer 13

Science subjects are packaged for boys

Question 14

Colley? Girls U, job market

Answer 14

Gendered subject choices due to perception of gender roles, learning environment, and teacher/parental encouragement.

Question 15

Mac and Ghail? Male U, job market

Answer 15

Macho lads and anti school subculture. Crisis of masculinity due to deindustrailisation. Saw a shift to office based jobs that ‘suited the lifestyles of women’.
The men had some options: gain white collar jobs, face the prospect of low paid work, face unemployment.

Due to their attitudes, they did not have the academic qualifications needed in order to move into new working class jobs roles.

Question 16

Mitsos and Browne? Male U, job market

Answer 16

Culture of masculinity, anti school subculture in relation to WC and MC differences.
MC boys wanted to go into white collar professions like their fathers
WC boys wanted to be footballers and lacked clear aspirations.

Question 17

Willis? Male U, culture of masculinity

Answer 17

Displayed strong hegemonic masculinity. Wanted to follow in their fathers footsteps, and didn’t value education. Consequently, underachieved.

Question 18

Sewell? Male U, culture of masculinity

Answer 18

Lack of positive role models, hyper masculine, anti school subcultures.

Question 19

Frosh et al? Male U, culture of masculinity

Answer 19

Studied boys attitudes to learning and found they were feared being called ‘gay’ by their peers if they worked hard. This lead to them acting masculine. As a result they may underachieve.

Question 20

Jackson? Male U, culture of masculinity

Answer 20

Boys asserting laddish identities as a way of re developing their masculinity. Anti school and emphasise the idea that working hard is not masculine.
Boys are more confident in their abilities so think that they do not need to work hard.

Question 21

Epstein? Male U, expectations

Answer 21

2 explanations for male underachievement

• poor boys discourse: boys are seen as victims, discriminating against boys
• boys will be boys discourse: teachers claim that boys have a natural inclination to be boys, lazy, noisy, demanding etc.

Question 22

Francis and Skelton? Male U, expectations

Answer 22

Identities 2 further discourses:

• The ‘problem boys discourse’: boys are seen as the problem by teachers
• The ‘at risk’ boys discourse: where boys aren’t bad, but vulnerable. They are socially excluded and disconnected from the wider society, confused, insecure and possessing low self esteem.

Question 23

Coffey? Male underachievement evaluation

Answer 23

Moral panics, fears reflect wider concerns about a fall in educational standards and loss of traditional masculine identities.