Feminist theories of the education system

Question 1

Stanworth (1983)
- teachers behaviour towards students

Answer 1

• teachers favoured boys more and would recall boys names more easily
• teachers linked girls futures to marriages or the types of jobs they did e.g assisting jobs or lower paid jobs
• boys took more management jobs

Question 2

More stanworth (1983)

Answer 2

• number of female students going into higher education is low
  -this maintains the glass ceiling which is the barrier stopping women from going into top jobs
  HOWEVER - we have to be in education till 18 so this has been overcome (introduced in 2009) p

Question 3

Heaton and lawson (1996)

Answer 3

• argued that the hidden curriculum taught patriarchal values in school
• subject choice - more girls pick expresssive subjects e.g english lit, drama whereas it is opposite for boys HOWEVER this is gradually changing
• gendered language and stereotypes - very heteronormative and books present boys as stronger and smarter
• curriculum - male dominated curriculum and womens achievements are omitted from the curriculum HOWEVER is it a deliberate underrepresentation?

Question 4

Evaluation of the feminist theory

Answer 4

• However more progress and statistical outcomes outweigh the idea that men excel more and boys and girls are becoming more equal