Gender differences Flashcards
External factor - Impact of feminism
First Wave: women’s suffrage
Second Wave: global feminism
Third Wave: female sexuality challenging objectification
Fourth Wave: social media-fuelled activism
From inferior housewife to breadwinning CEO - raising self-esteem and aspirations
McRobbie (1994) - media presents them as assertive and independent
External factor - Changes in the family
How has the family changed since the 1970s?
Increase in divorce rates
Increase in cohabitation and decrease in marriage
Increase in lone-parent families
Smaller families- less children
A02 - UK heterosexual marriage rate falls to lowest on record
This means girls in school have higher aspirations, to be able to be economically self sufficent and focus on own goals instead oh stereotypical goals of housewife and family
External factor - Changes in women’s employment
Women are breaking the ‘glass ceiling’
1970 Equal Pay Act
1975 Discrimination Act
The gender pay gap has halved from 30% to 15%
The proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% (1971) to 67% (2013)
Service sector & flexible part-time work available
Girls are encouraged to be like them, they’re role models so girls aim to achieve in school to become like them
External factor- Girls’ changing ambitions
Sue Sharpe (1994):
1970s: low aspirations, educational success is masculine
1990s: career-driven independent women
Carol Fuller (2011):
For ambition, girls need a good education - creators of their own future.
Beck & Beck-Gernsheim (2001) - individualism in modern society - career is part of a woman’s life project because it promises recognition & economic self-sufficiency.
A03 - class, gender and ambition
Not all girls aim to be career-driven
Diane Reay:
Traditional gender identity for WC girls - gendered aspirations
Marriage, children & NF
Biggart:
Motherhood is the only option for WC girls
Educational achievement is pointless
Internal factor - Equal Opportunities Policies
Impact of feminism on educational policies
GIST
WISE
Women in STEM programmes
National Curriculum
Jo Boaler: removing barriers for girls’ educational achievement = meritocratic
Internal factor - Positive Role Models
Majority of teachers are women
Important role models - length
educational success
Showing women can achieve positions
of importance
A02 - 86% of women in 2012 in nursery/primary schools
However, this is more than in secondary schools also less women are headteachers showing male dominance on having authority, and how teachers are usually a caregiving role
Internal factor - GCSE & Coursework
Gorard:
Assessment styles that suit girls (coursework)
Mitsos & Browne (1998):
Girls favour coursework:
Organised
Conscientious workers
Socialisation into gender roles:
Spend more time on work
Care about presentation
Better at meeting deadlines
Bring the right equipment / materials to lessons
Focus on oral examinations (girls have better language
skills)
Internal factor - Teacher Attention
Francis (2001) - boys get more attention but disciplined harshly - lower expectations
Swann (1998) - gender differences in communication styles - boys dominating whole class discussion & girls preferring paired/group work (listening and cooperating)
This may explain why teachers respond more positively to girls than boys, SFP means that girls ‘ self-esteem is promoted
Internal factor - Stereotypes in the Curriculum
Weiner:
Getting rid of gendered stereotypes in learning materials has removed the barrier to girls achieving
1970s/80s - books portrayed women as
housewives
1990s - challenged these stereotypes and sexist images have been removed from learning materials (positive imagery)
Internal factor - Selection & League Tables
Marketisation - competitive school environment
Girls achieve higher/better results
Same-sex girls schools usually excel
Jackson (1998):
Exam league tables - high achieving girls are attracted to well performing schools
SFP cycle
Slee (1998):
Boys have behavioural difficulties that make them less desirable students - ‘liability students’
A03 - Feminist views
Liberal feminists would be happy with the changes especially internal ones such as equal opportunities policies GIST and WISE.
Radical feminists would want to have all-girls schools only, boys dominating the classroom is not showing improvements as it just resembles patriarchy.
