Gender and Educational Achievement - External factors (Females) Flashcards
What has the impact of feminism had on girl’s educational achievement?
What did McRobbie (1994) show to back this up?
-Challenged stereotypical views of a woman’s role = raising women’s expectations and self-esteem.
- In a study of girls’ magazines; she found that in the past there was an emphasis on girls getting married etc.
Now = more assertive, independent woman.
What changes in the family are there today?
How have changes in the family potentially improved girl’s educational achievement?
- Increases in divorce rate.
- Increases in cohabitation, decrease in number of first marriages.
- Increase in number of lone parent families; 9/10 headed by women –> breadwinner role
Changes –> well paid jobs needed to sustain living alone etc. –> come from good qualifications..
What changes in women’s employment are there?
- 1970 Equal Pay Act and 1975 Sex Discrimination Act.
- Women in employment; 53% in 1971 –> 67% in 2013
- Women are breaking through ‘glass ceiling’ to higher jobs.
= greater career opportunities, greater pay = incentive. - McRobbie (2008) - change in job market generally means more young women are expected to have degrees
How have girls’ ambition changed?
1) Sharpe (1994) interviewed girls in the 70s + 90s on ambition.
70s = low aspirations, educational success unfeminine; more focused on marriage.
90s = ambitions based around careers and independence.
Who confirmed Sharpe’s findings and what did she find?
Franics (2000) - confirmed the findings in the 90s, finding girls’ ambitions were aimed more for higher professional occupations.
How would Beck + Beck-Gernsheim explain girls rising educational achievement?
Individualisation.
What’s a major criticism of external factors raising girls’ educational achievement?
W/C children contiue to have stereotyped aspirations for marriage and children.
Reay: reflects the reality of girls' class position limited aspirations = limited job opportunities.
