gender and educational achievement - subject choice

Question 1

what are examples of female subjects?

Answer 1

sociology,food tech,biology

Question 2

what are examples of male subjects?

Answer 2

chemistry,maths,physics,pe

Question 3

what are the 4 explanations for different subject choice?

Answer 3

1) gender role socialisation
2) gendered subject images
3) gender identity and peer pressure
4) career opportunities

Question 4

what is gender role socialisation?

Answer 4

studies have found that girls and boys are brought up to dress differently and play with different toys.
Sociologists argue that children develop ideas on ‘gender domains’ and children tend to feel more confident when working on tasks they perceive to be part of their gender domain - they pay more attention in these lessons and therefore succeed in it

Question 5

what is gendered subject images?

Answer 5

• where a subject is perceived as being masculine or feminine
• for example physics is seen as a male subject as teachers tend to be male and boys can relate more to subjects

Question 6

what is gender identity and peer pressure?

Answer 6

• the pressure from other students that may influence and students subject choice often not wanting it to be out of their gender domain
• e.g girls who were seen as sporty were called a ‘lesbian’ and ‘butch’ by male students

Question 7

how does career opportunities affect subject choice?

Answer 7

• student choose subjects they feel they are more likely to gain employment in
• womens jobs often involve work similar to their duties at home explaining why many are cleaners

Question 8

what are some of the ways that schools are argued to reinforce stereotypes by recreating a dominance of heterosexuality?

Answer 8

1) double standards e.g pe girls do netball when boys do rugby
2) male Gaze
3) verbal abuse
4) male peer groups