EDUCATION - Gender and Education... Girl's achievement, identity and class Flashcards
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M.C AND W.C GIRLS’ ACHIEVEMENT
Symbolic Capital - Archer
Feminist sociologists such as Louise Archer et al 2010 believe that the primary reason for the differences in educational achievement is down to the W.C identities
She found that W.C girl identities allowed the girls to gain symbolic capital from their peers but conflict with the school because their identities prevented them from achieving educational capital, which would then lead them to attaining economic capital.
These girls followed several strategies to create a sense of self which included adopting a hyper-heterosexual identity.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M.C AND W.C GIRLS’ ACHIEVEMENT
Archer: Hyper-heterosexual feminine identities
Many of the girls in the study spent a significant amount of time and money in their construction of a glamorous feminine identity. One girl spent all of the £40 she received from babysitting each week, on her appearance.
This consisted of black urban American style and unisex sportswear, extravagant hairstyles and excessive makeup.
This conflicted with the school ethos and they were often punished for having the wrong appearance e.g., excessive jewellery and makeup. The school labelled them as ‘not one of us’ and so they were seen as incapable of educational success.
From the school’s perspective, the ideal female pupil is the de-sexualised and M.C one.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M.C AND W.C GIRLS’ ACHIEVEMENT
Archer: Boyfriends
Having a boyfriend = having symbolic capital
This got in the way of schooling and lowered the girls’ aspirations as they were so preoccupied with love.
They didn’t care for university or ‘masculine subjects’ because they wanted to ‘settle down’ and have children while earning money locally in low-paid and feminine jobs such as childcare.
One girl in Archer’s study dropped out after becoming pregnant.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M.C AND W.C GIRLS’ ACHIEVEMENT
Archer: Being loud
These W.C girls had adopted the loud feminine identities which led them to be outspoken, independent and assertive … they often questioned the teacher’s authority.
This assertiveness failed to adhere to the school’s traditional stereotype of the ideal female pupil identity as the passive and submissive girl who never conflicted with their teachers.
The teachers mistook their assertiveness as aggressive and so there were further complications in the relationship between the school and the W.C girl.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M.C AND W.C GIRLS’ ACHIEVEMENT
Archer: W.C girl dilemma
They could either gain symbolic capital by adhering to the hyper-heterosexual female identity or they could gain educational and economic capital by conforming to the school’s notion of what is respectable and ideal.
Some girls defined themselves as ‘good underneath’ - this self-imagery is a metaphor for the conflict they face in an education system where they face a battle for self-worth while devaluing their entire identity.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M.C AND W.C GIRLS’ ACHIEVEMENT
Archer’s conclusions (Cohen’s ASH)
She found that W.C identities and educational success conflict with one another and the investment of time and money into the W.C identity is a big contributor to why W.C girls may not perform as well as their M.C peers.
Cohen - alternative status hierarchy.
SUCCESSFUL W.C GIRLS?
What are the disadvantages that the W.C girls who DO take their education seriously face?
Evans: cross-over with external class factors
Sarah Evans found that in her study of 21 W.C year 12/13 pupils in a South London Comprehensive….
she found they wanted to go to uni to increase their economic capital.
this was not individual self-pursuit… it was for their families.
this motivation was reflected in their W.C feminine identities… caring strong motherly characteristic.
the fear of debt and cost of living meant that living at home and travelling was the best option… this restricted the universities they applied to.
preference for locality is a key feature of the W.C habitus - Bourdieu.
even the successful W.C girls are bound by their identities because of their desire for locality.
