Feminism

Question 1

Role & Function 1:
To socialise students in a culture of inequality through the hidden curriculum
Skeleton

Answer 1

Discusses the ‘hidden curriculum’ that hinders the development of girls within education.
Gendered behaviour - students subconsciously reinforce traditional gender roles by using processes such as inclusion and exclusion to promote ‘gender appropriate behaviour’ amongst peers
Teachers expectations - acknowledges that girls can outperform boys as teachers and deliver of content
Gendered rules - uniforms/ activities e.g. rugby boys vs netball girls

Question 2

Role & Function 2:
To reinforce the ideologies that ‘prepare’ students to accept the patriarchal world of work ( creates horizontal segregation in relation to STEM subjects and careers
Kelly

Answer 2

Claimed that science is packaged as a boys’ subject, science textbooks have very women portrayed and often use male examples e.g. the use of cars/ footballs when teaching forces

Claims that teachers allowed boys to dominate science classrooms, by grabbing equipment first.

Kelly worked on projects that identified gender inequalities in education e.g. sex differentiation project.
Aimed to discuss strategies of how to encourage girls to be active policy makers/work in STEM careers.

Question 3

Role & Function 2:
To reinforce the ideologies that ‘prepare’ students to accept the patriarchal world of work ( creates horizontal segregation in relation to STEM subjects and careers
Colley

Answer 3

Argues that school subject choices are affected by 3 things: perception of gender roles, subject preferences and learning environment

Subject choices are negatively influenced.

Question 4

Role & Function 3:
To reinforce & reproduce a culture of inequality through the transmission of patriarchal values
Heaton and Lawson

Answer 4

Male history, white men authors covered in English literature, male composers.

The concept of ‘cultural transmission’ shows how culture, particular expectations of gender can be transmitted from one generation to the next.

Argue that the hidden curriculum is a major source of gender socialization and operates in an additional 3 ways:
Patriarchal curriculum
Teachers expectations
Lack of positive role models

Primary schools: 26.9% of full-time equivalent teachers and 19.4% of deputy head teachers were men, despite men only making 15.5% of all primary teachers.

Question 5

Role & Function 4: Reinforces gender role socialisation
Spender

Answer 5

Described women as invisible in education, argued the curriculum is male biased, limiting attention towards the role of women in history, science or arts. Boys receive more attention and encouragement from teachers.
Cambridge university did not allow women to qualify for degrees until 1948, girls’ education often focused on preparing them for a role as wives and mothers, taking subjects like cookery, needlework and home economics.