Gender differences in education Flashcards
External - The impact of feminism (Gender differences in achievement)
Feminist movement has challenged the traditional stereotype of a women’s role - mother and housewife.
- These changes are somewhat reflected in the media.
MCROBBIES - study of girls magazines - used to be women getting married - now independent women.
Girls attitudes have changed and this could explain improvement’s in education.
External - Changes in family (Gender differences in achievement)
- Increase in divorce rate
- Increase in cohabitation
- Increase in number of lone parent families.
Lead to changes in girls achievement as women are now leading lone parent families and being the breadwinner.
External - Girls changing ambitions (Gender differences in achievement)
SHARPE’S study:
1974 - girls had low aspirations, they believed educational success was unfeminine - they gave priority to ‘love, marriage, husbands etc.
1990’s - girls ambitions had changed - careers were number one and girls wanted to be independent.
External - Changes in women’s employment (Gender differences in achievement)
1970 equal pay act - makes it illegal to pay women less than men.
- Pay gaps have halved from 30% to 15%
- Women in employment has risen.
- Women are breaking through professional jobs.
Internal - GCSE’S and coursework (Gender differences in achievement)
Some sociologists argue that changes in the way pupils are assessed have favoured girls and disadvantaged boys.
STEPHAN GORAD - found that the gender gap in achievement was fairly constant and then increased.
Year GCSES’s were introduced. - Concludes that the gender gap in achievement is a product to the changed system rather than the general failing of boys.
Girls:
- Spend more time on coursework.
- Present it well.
- Meet deadlines
Help girls achieve better than boys.
Internal - Teacher attention (Gender differences in achievement)
JANE AND FRENCH -
- The way teachers interact with boys and girls differs.
- They analysed classroom interaction:
- Boys received more attention and prefer paid work.
- Girls are cooperative - boys are destructive.
Internal - Selection and League tables (Gender differences in achievement)
Marketisation policies have created more of a competitive climate in which schools see girls as desirable - better grades.
DAVID JACKSON - notes that the intro to league tables has improved opportunities for girls.
-High achieving girls are wanted by schools.
- Boys are not.
- creates a self fulfilling prophecy as girls are more likely to get recruited.
Internal - Positive role models in school (Gender differences in achievement)
Increase in the proportion of female teachers and heads.
These women in senior positions may act as role models for girls.
Allows girls to see what they can achieve and this makes them want to do well.
Internal - Equal opportunities policies (Gender differences in achievement)
Policies such as GIST (Girls into science and technology) and WISE (Women into science and engineering).
- encourage girls to pursue careers into these non traditional areas.
- The introduction of the national curriculum removed one source of gender inequality.
- Making boys and girls study most of the same subjects.
Internal - Challenging stereotypes in the curriculum (Gender differences in achievement)
Some sociologists argue that the removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks, reading and other materials has removed a barrier to girls achievement.
- Portrayed girls as mainly housewife’s and mothers.
GABY WEINER- since the 1980’s teachers have challenged this.
Girls achievement - Symbolic capital
According to feminists such as LOUISE ARCHER.
- one reason for these differences is the conflict between WC girls, feminine identities and ideas of the school.
- uses the concept of ‘symbolic capital’ to understand this conflict - refers to the status, recognition and sense of worth we are able to obtain from others.
Girls achievement - ‘successful working class girls’
Although WC girls in general are likely to underachieve, some do succeed and go onto higher education.
SARAH EVANS - shows her study of 21 WC SF girls.
- Found that girls wanted to go to uni to increase their earning power.
- Not for themselves but to give back to their families.
- The girls motivation reflected their WC feminine identities
- often stayed at home for Uni due to economic necessity.
Girls achievement - Boyfriends
While having a boyfriend brought Symbolic capital, it got in the way of schoolwork.
- Lowered girls aspirations
-Losing interest in Uni
- girls aspired to settle down, have children and work locally.
Girls achievement - Hyper sexual feminine identities.
Many girls invested considerable time, effort and money in constructing ‘desirable’ and ‘glamourous’ feminine identities.
- Girls performance of this identity brought status from their female peer group and avoided them from being ridiculed.
- However it brought conflict with school - punished for wearing wrong clothing, jewellery and prevented them from engaging with education.
BOUDIEU - describes this as symbolic violence - defining their culture as worthless.
Girls achievement - ‘Being loud’
Some working class girls adopted the ‘loud’ feminine identities
-Often led to them being outspoken, independent and assertive.
- Questioning teachers authority
- Failed to conform to schools stereotype of the ideal female pupil identity
- conflict with teachers.