Gender Flashcards
Does school shape gender identity?…
The influence of male peer groups. Males use verbal abuse to reinforce their definitions of masculinity, boys in anti school subcultures often accuse boys who want to do well of being gay or effeminate.
Learning to Labour (Paul Willis 1977)…
Learning to Labour by Paul Willis (1977) is an ethnographic study of twelve working class ‘lads’ from a school in Birmingham conducted between 1972 and 1975. He spent a total of 18 months observing the lads in school and then a further 6 months following them into work.
Willis concentrated on a particular boy’s group in a non-selective secondary school in the Midlands, who called themselves ‘lads’. They were all white, although the school also contained many pupils from West Indian and Asian backgrounds.
Participant observation allowed Willis to immerse himself into the social settings of the lads and gave him the opportunity to ask the lads (typically open) questions about their behaviour that day or the night before, encouraging them to explain themselves in their own words…which included detailed accounts of the lads fighting, getting into trouble with teachers, bunking lessons, setting off fire extinguishers for fun and vandalising a coach on a school trip. predominantly working class in intake.
Teachers and their discipline…
Teachers and their discipline Research shows that teachers reinforce dominant definitions of gender identity. Haywood and Ghaill found that male teachers told boys off for behaving like girls and ignored boys verbal abuse of girls and even blamed girls for attracting it.
We see this in the subject that school teachers teach, Male teachers tend to teach STEM subjects whereas women teacher tend to teach the humanities. This reinforces gender norms and stereotypes.
Double standards…
The final way schools reinforce gender identity is through double standard These exist when we apply one set of moral standards to one group but a different set for another group/ Sue Lees found a double standard in sexual morality in which boys brag about their sexual exploits whereas girls are labelled as “slags” If they did the same. Sexual conquest is approved ay of gaining status or boys and ignored by male teachers but classed as promiscuity in girls.
Feminists argue that this creates the patriarchal ideology that justifies devaluation of women and creates a subordinate gender identity.
Socialisation…
According to Oakley gender role socialisation is the process of learning the behaviour expected of males and females in society. Early socialisation influences gender identity, schools also play a role as Byrne shows that teachers encourage boys to be tough and punish and feminine behaviours. Girls on the other hand are expected to be quiet, helpful ant punished for being rough or noisy.
Subject choice…
Schools not only have a massive impact on shaping gender identity they also determine subject choice and therefore career options in later life.
Browne and Rose argue that children beliefs about gender domains are shaped by expectations of adults. Gender domains refer to the tasks that boys and girls see as their territory. For e.g. cars are a male domain and cooking a female domain. Children are more confident in engaging in tasks of their own domain.
The gender image that a subject gives off affects who will want to choose it. Sociologists tried to explain why some subjects are boys schools while others are girl subjects. For example Kelly argued science is seen as a boys subject as teachers tend to be men, the examples in textbooks tend to draw on male experiences and in science lessons boys monopolise the apparatus and dominate the lab. Colley notes that computer science is also seen as masculine as it involves working with machines and the way it is taught is often off putting for females as there is less group work.
Single-sex schools…
Students who attend single sex schools tend to have less stereotypes subject images. Leonard found that this results in them taking less traditional subjects. She looked at 13,000 pupils and found that compared to mixed schools girls were more likely to take maths and science A levels. Subject choice can be influenced by peer pressure as peers may disprove of subject choice. Boys tend to opt put of drama and music as it attracts negative responses from male peers.
Paetcher found that girls who chose sports tend to be subject to taunts such as being called butch or lesbian. However in single sex schools girls are more likely to select sports as they do not receive as much ridicule. The absence of boys puts less pressure on girls to conform to gender stereotypes.
Vocational courses…
One of the main reasons for gender difference in subject choice is that employment is highly gendered. Jobs tend to be sex typed as women jobs tend to be jobs that mirror the housewife role such as clerical, cleaning, secretarial and personal services. Over half of all women’s employment falls within these categories compared to only one 6th of men falling in this category. This explains why vocational courses are gender specific more so than academic courses as vocational studies are more closely liked to students career paths which is gender stereotyped.
Internal factors affecting gender and achievement…
Many sociologists argue that feminists have had a strong impact on the education system. Those who run the education system are now much more aware of gender issues and stereotyping. Policies such as GIST and WISE encourage girls to pursue careers in science and technology, female scientists visiting schools also encourages girls to pursue science.
Similarly national curriculum removed gender inequality by making girls and boys study the same subjects. This has changed girls achievement levels. Many of the barriers have been removed and education has become meritocratic so girls who generally work harder are now achieving more.
GIST and WISE…
GIST stands for Girls into Science and Technology.
WISE stands for Women in Science and Engineering. Because of a historic tendency for girls and women to avoid STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiatives have existed to encourage and celebrate female engagement with these subjects. In the early 80s there was GIST and WISE still exists today.
Role models…
In recent years there has been an increase in proportion of female teachers and head teachers. These women require extensive education to get to that position which encourages young females to find role models who are qualified and well educated.
Assessment methods…
Some sociologists argue that changes to the way pupils are assessed has favoured girls and disadvantaged boys. Gorard found that the gender gap was quite constant until 1988 when GCSE and coursework was introduced. Gorard concludes that the gender gap is a product of the changed system of assessment rather than a failing boys.
Browne found that girls are more successful at coursework as they are more conscientious and better organised. These factors helped girls to over achieve. Oral exams also benefit girls as they have better developed language skills. These factors result in girls achieving educational success and leave boys behind.
Teachers interaction…
The way teachers interact with boys and girls also effects gender differences in achievement. Spender found that teachers spend more time interacting with boys. However French found that boys tend to receive more negative attention for poor behaviour and girls receive more positive attention which is work related and helps them achieve.
Stereotypes…
Some sociologists argue that removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks which was previously a barrier in achievement, has contributed to gender difference in achievement. In the 70’s and 80’s girls were portrayed as housewives and mothers and boys as scientists and inventors. The removal of such images has helped raise girls achievement by presenting with them more positive images of what women can do.
Marketisation…
These policies have created a more competitive climate In which schools see girls as more desirable recruits and achieve better results. Jackson notes that introduction of exam league tables places higher value on academic achievement, and has improved opportunities for girls as high achieving girls are sought after by top schools whereas low achieving boys are not. As a result boys end up in unpopular schools which leads to self fulfilling prophecies as unpopular schools tend to have the worst results. Girls attend better schools helping them over achieve.
