Evaluation of male underachievement

Question 1

1

Answer 1

Weiner, Arnot and David are sceptical about the sudden discovery of male underachievement. They argue that the media have created a misleading moral panic which exaggerates & distorts the extent and nature of any problem.

Question 2

2

Answer 2

It can be argued that social class and ethnicity are more important than gender in determining educational achievement. A Department of Education study (2007) found the class gap at GCSE is three times wider than the gender gap. Boys & girls of the same social class tend to achieve similar results.

Question 3

3

Answer 3

Moreover, for some groups ethnicity is more important. Fuller found black girls are more successful than black boys because they view their femininity in terms of educational achievement & independence. In contrast, black boys opposed education as they saw it as effeminate.