Feminist View on Education Flashcards
What has the feminist approach to education campaigned for
They have campaigned for equal rights for males and females at all levels of education since the introduction of mass education in 1870. Until the 1970s higher education was dominated by males and girls generally underachieved at school compared with boys.
What did feminist studies between 1970s and 80s highlight
The patriarchal practices and hidden forms of sexism in schools, particularly in science teaching
What did the work of feminist sociologists observation on teacher-pupil interaction result in
Education policy makers and teachers becoming more sensitive to the educational needs of females.
What happened in the 1980s
Schools saw a greater emphasis on equal opportunities in schools which resulted in the monitoring of teaching and resources for sex bias in order to ensure more girl-friendly schooling.
What do feminists say about the hidden curriculum
The hidden curriculum functions as part of the process of gender role socialisation to reinforce gender inequalities
What do feminists argue about girls achieving better than boys
Despite the fact girls achieve better sets of qualifications than males at all levels of the education system, there are still gender inequalities in school that mean that boys have greater opportunities for upward social mobility in terms of obtaining management jobs, promotion and pay.
Statistic that shows pay gap between men and women
In 2016 women on average earned 18 percent less than men
What do feminists argue about school subjects
That the disparities are rooted in gendered subject choices, especially at A Level and degree.
What have feminists recently studied on abuse
The recent studies have focused on the degree of sexual bullying, harassment and abuse by UK university staff and male students.
What have feminists been successful at
Drawing attention of educational policy makers and teachers to the plight of girls in schools and as a result many of the more obviously sexist aspects of education have disappeared.
What do some sociologists argue about the focus on girls education
That boys have been neglected and this may be one reason why boys now lag behind girls in terms of educational achievement
How do marxists criticise the feminist view on education
They argue that social class rather than patriarchy is the main cause of educational inequalities. This is supported by the fact that working-class girls perform poorly relative to middle-class girls
Is the feminist approach still relevant today and why
Yes and feminists have observed that females are under-represented at A level and university level, especially in maths and some science and technology subjects.
