gender - external factors Flashcards
the introduction of feminism
1960’s challenging patriarchal power and the historical sex stereotype based on the idea that differences in biology drive differences in behaviour. Sex stereotype – females are naturally intuitive, nurturing, domestic and passive – males are rational, proactive and adapted to the public world of work. Impact – changes in the law, raising women’s expectations and self-esteem, communicated in the media.
changes in the family
Relate to what you know from your family structure/demographics – E.g. lone parent, female head, role models financially independent woman for girls, requirement for good job = qualification.
changes in employment
Proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013 – The growth of the service sector and flexible part time work has offered opportunities for women.
Sharpe (1976 1994)
1976 that girl’s priorities were ‘love, marriage, husbands, children, jobs and careers’ more or less in that order. However, when she repeated her study in 1994, she found that this has changed from job first place, followed by carer and being able to support themselves.
McRobbie (2008
argues that changes in the job market have meant that more and more women are expected to get higher qualifications, which will help them in the future of having a rewarding career. This is an aspiration which has replaced marriage and motherhood.
The family and peers
activities undertaken in the home maybe sex-stereotyped, boys’ underachievement may be due to poorer literacy and language skills. One reason for this maybe that parents may be spending less time reading to their sons. Another maybe that is mothers who do most of the reading to you children come to see reading as a feminine activity. Boys may have an ‘outdoor’ lifestyle, sport etc. with other boys, girls tend to have a ‘bedroom culture’ centred on staying in and talking with friends. See above for the role of family structure and the potential issue of single parenthood – male role model?
The wider society - Hartley and Sutton(2011)
They proposed wider society, parents and the media contributed to boys under performance by routinely using phrases like ‘silly boys’, ‘school boy pranks….’
Patterns and trends in subject choice by gender. Different sociological explanations of gender differences in subject choice, eg in relation to subject image, teaching and learning styles and primary socialisation.
After the compulsory element of the National Curriculum, when give choice GSCE options, AS/a level+ vocational courses, ‘gender routes’ seem to be followed. Although choices within NC are gendered i.e. DT –food technology v. resistant materials. AS/a level – boys are opting maths and physics, girls sociology, English and languages – mirrored in HE. Girls in physics(2012) – 20% for 20 years. – calls into question the effectiveness of WISE and Gist. Only 1 in 20 childcare apprentices is a boy.
