feminist perspective on education Flashcards
trends in gender and education
-overall girls do better than boys at every stage in the education system
-higher proportion of girls remain in sixth form +further education-university
-gap between girls and boys is closing
what do feminists see the education system as transmitting?
-patriarchal values
Heaton and lawson
argue hidden curriculum taught patriarchal values in schools
how does the hidden curriculum teach patriarchal values?
-traditional family structures in textbook
-gender stereotypes
-subjects aimed toward specific genders
-gender divisions in pe and sport
-gender division in labor in schools(predominantly female teachers and male managers)
despite their higher academic achievement feminists argue
the attention underperforming boys receive eclipses many problems remaining for girls
what do feminists believe?
education remains patriarchal
problems remaining for girls
1.wc girls still underachieve, tend to have lower aspirations
2.huge differences in subject choice-girls tend to choose arts and humanities, boys tend to choose stem subjects
3. women still treated unequally in the workplace - glass ceiling
4. girls may experience sexual harrasment
reasons for achievement of girls
- feminism
- primary socialisation
- national curriculum
- teachers labelling
feminism
-more opportunities for girls to succeed
-women no longer solely aspire to fulfil traditional female role of housewife=aspire to professional careers which require qualifications, more motivated to succeed, work harder in school
-equal pay act=more opportunities
Sharpe
-carried out research into girls’ aspirations in 1970 and found girls’ priorities were ‘love,marriage,husbands,children,jobs and careers’ in that order
-by 1990s these had changed - jobs,careers,being able to support themselves
liberal feminism
-point out these remaining issues of patriarchy in education but acknowledge significant strides towards equality in the education system
- biggest change since 1980s girls now outperform boys=if the system is a patriarchal one,designed to favour boys, it is singularly failing
Michelle Stansworth (1983)
noticed that there was still higher expectations of boys and teachers more likely to recommend boys apply for higher education than girls at the same academic level
radical feminism
-argue education system still fundamentally patriarchal continues to marginalize + oppress women
-reinforcing patriarchal ideology through formal and informal curriculum
-education still not accessible for every girl in the world= currently still major global issue
primary socialisation
-girl socialised to be quiet, passive and calm
-encouraged to take part in quiet activities e.g reading= bedroom culture
- means when they start school= behave in a way that is accepted and praised in primary school= positive labelling
-boys socialised to be assertive, aggressive and loud= negative labelling
national curriculum
means girls and boys can take the same subjects = before restricted