Gender Differences

Question 1

Epstein

Answer 1

Investigated into the way masculinity is constructed in schools and found if w/c tried hard at school they were labelled as sissies or ‘swots’

Question 2

When was the equal pay act introduced?

Answer 2

1970

Question 3

What does O’connor say about girls?

Answer 3

Study of 14-17 year olds, found that marriage and kids are not a major part in their goals

Question 4

Becky Francis

Answer 4

Found although boys were given more attention, they were punished harshly and teachers had lower expectations of boys

Question 5

Mitsos and Browne

Answer 5

Girls are more succesful with coursework as they are:

• spend more time with work
• take more care

Question 6

What policies have lead to equal opportunities in education?

Answer 6

GIST and WISE

Boaler - says this makes it more meritocratic and is a key reason for girls success

Question 7

What does Jackson say?

Answer 7

League tables has helped girls be more equal as schools want high achieving girls, this creates a self fulfilling prophecy

Question 8

Who talks about hyper-heterosexual feminine identities?

Answer 8

Archer

• boyfriends
• being loud
• focus on looks

Question 9

Evans

Successful w/c girls

Answer 9

21 sixth form w/c girls, wanted to go uni to gain power to give back to families

C - however w/c girls are disadvantaged at uni as ‘caring’ for family means they cant travel far to good uni’s.

Question 10

DCSF (2007)

Answer 10

Reason for boys underachievement is parents read less to boys - bedroom culture

Question 11

What does Sewell say about education?

Answer 11

Educations been feminised, schools don’t nurture male qualities like competition but they like girls qualities like being quiet so boys do worse.

Question 12

Yougov (2007)

Answer 12

39% 8-11yr old have no male teachers but 42% of boys said a male teacher would make them work harder.

Question 13

External factors that cause differences in achievement

Answer 13

• Feminism (Mcrobbie magazines, don’t want married)
• Change in family (lone parent, symmetrical etc)
• Women working (1970 equal pay)
• Change in girls ambitions (O’Connor 14-17)

Question 14

Internal factors that cause differences in achievement

Answer 14

• Equal opp policies (Boaler)
• Role models
• Coursework (Mitsos and Browne) (Elwood counter, exams)
• Teacher attention (Francis)
• League tables (Jackson)

Question 15

Hyper heterosexual feminine identity

Answer 15

Archer -

An oversexual w/c identity, focused on looks to gain symbolic capital from peers.

Conflicts with school as doesn’t show ideal pupil, school marginalise them.

Question 16

w/c dilemma

Answer 16

• Gain symbolic capital from peers
• Gain educational capital

Archer says the 2 conflict and w/c feminine identities cause underachievement

Question 17

Decline of traditional male jobs

Answer 17

Mitsos and Browne - decline in male jobs causes an identity crisis for boys as feel they have no prospect for a proper job so they slack off at school.

Question 18

Counter for decline of traditional male jobs

Answer 18

Most men’s jobs don’t need qualifications so this is not a reason for boys underachievement.

Question 19

Counter for shortage of male teachers

Answer 19

Francis (2/3 of 7-8 year olds said teacher gender means nothing)

Question 20

Moral panic about boys

Answer 20

Ringrose - w/c boys are likely to grow up and be dangerous and threaten society

Focusing boys at school has caused 2 issues -

• Ignoring class and ethnicity issues
• Ignore girls issues like sexual harrasment

Question 21

Gender role socialisation

Answer 21

Norman - from an early age boys and girls are dressed differently, given different toys and do different things.

This leads on to school through out socialisation, causing differences in subjects.

for example English for girls due to bedroom culture.

Question 22

Gendered Subject Images

Answer 22

Kelly - argues science is male because

• male sci teachers
• boys control the class
• examples in sci link to male interests eg cars

Question 23

Gender Identity and Peer Pressure

Answer 23

Dewar - girls interested in sport are labelled butch or lesbian by boys

however in single sex skl, less stereotypical as no other gender to police it.

Question 24

Gendered career options

Answer 24

Jobs are male or female, womens are usually similar to their domestic role.

Explains why vocational courses are very gendered as they lead to work. e.g. girls do beauty, boys do carpentry

Question 25

Sue Lees

Answer 25

Boys gain status for bragging about sexual exploits but if girls do it they are labelled slags.

Question 26

Verbal abuse

Answer 26

Lees - girls are slags if available and drags if not, reinforce their identity

Parker - labels had no link to actual sexuality but there to reinforce norms

Question 27

Male Gaze

Answer 27

Mac and Ghaill - This is a way for boys to prove masculinity and those that don’t are ‘gay’

Question 28

Teachers discipline

Answer 28

Mac and Ghaill - Male teachers tease boys for being feminine, reinforcing gender norms