Gender And Subject Choice

Question 1

What is the first reason for difference in subject choice?

Answer 1

1. Gender role socialisation. Early studies show how boys and girls are dressed, spoken to differently and are encouraged to play with different toys and this develops different interests and skills. Browne and Ross state children develop ideas on ‘gender domains’ based on early experiences e.g childcare is for girls and mechanic jobs for boys and therefore children feel more comfortable when working on task they perceive to be part of their gender domain and pay more attention in these subjects.

Question 2

What is the second reason for gender differences in subject choice?

Answer 2

2. Gendered subject images.
   - gender image of a subject refers to if a subject is perceived to be masculine or female.
   - Kelly argues that science is seen as a males subject for three reasons: 1) teachers tend to be male 2) examples given often reflect male interests 3) boys dominate equipment and space within the lessons
   - Colley argues ICT falls into the male gender domain as it involves working with machines
   - students who attend single sex schools instead of mixed schools tend to hold less stereotypical views and were most likely to take A levels associated with the opposite gender e.g girls who attend a same sex school as 2.5 times more likely to pick A level physics than girls who attend a mixed school.

Question 3

What is the third reason for gender differences in subject choice?

Answer 3

• peer pressure may influence a student to choose particular subjects, not wanting to choose subjects out of their own gender domain to avoid a negative response.
• Dewar found that girls who were seen as sport had to cope with having an unconventional gender domain and often being called lesbian and butch by male students - as this peer pressure does not exist in same sex schools it could explain why them is a difference in the subjects students choose.

Question 4

What is the fourth reason for gender differences in subject choice.

Answer 4

Students choose subjects they feel will help contribute to their chances of gaining employment. Women's work is similar to the work similar to their duties in the home e.g childcare, cleaning, nursing. This explains the significant difference in vocational course enrolment e.g 99% of child care students are female and 2% of construction students are female. 
- Fuller states that working class girls are more likely to choose child care as it reflects their working class habitus and reflects what they perceive to be a realistic option for them as a career.