Gender: gendered subject choice Flashcards
What are the four explanations to why there are gender differences in subject choice?
- Gender Role Socialisation
- Gendered subject images
- Gender identity and peer pressure
- Gendered career opportunities
What is gender role socialisation?
The process of learning the behaviour expected of males and females in society
What sociologist commented on how school socialises each gender?
Byrne (1979) - teachers encourage boys to be tough and show initiative vs girls who are encouraged to be helpful, neat and quiet
How does socialisation lead to differences in subject choice?
Murphy and Elwood (1998) boys read hobby and information books - preference in science subjects vs girls who read stories about people = preference to English
What are gender domains?
The tasks and activities boys and girls see as female or male territory and therefore relevant to themselves e.g kitchen = female domain vs fixing cars = male domain
Did children feel more confident when engaging in tasks associated with their gender domain?
Yes
How does Murphy (1991) distinguish what boys and girls pay attention to in a particular task?
Boys focus on how things are made and work vs girls who more on how people feel.
Leads to boys preferring science and girls humanities and arts
Why did Kelly argue that science is typically seen as a boys subject?
- Science teachers are more likely to be men
- Examples that teachers and textbooks use are more aligned with boys’ interests than girls’ interests
- In science lessons, boys monopolise the apparatus and dominate the laboratory acting as if it was theirs
How does Colley (1998) explain why computer science is male dominated?
- It involves working with machines which is part of the male gender domain
- The way it is taught is off-putting to girls - few opportunities for group work and the tasks set are abstract and formal
How does single sex schooling affect subject choice?
If you’re in a single-sex school, there will be less gendered subject choices e.g. Leonard (2006) girls are more likely to take maths and science A levels in an all girls school, whereas boys are more likely to be in language and literature subjects in an all boys school.
- Also found that those girls were more likely to take degrees in male-dominated subjects
How does peer pressure affect subject choice?
Boys and girls can apply pressure to an individual if they disapprove of their subject choice if it is outside of their gender domain e.g. boys pressured to drop dance or music
What did Paetcher (1998) have to say about girls who do sports?
Seen as part of the male domain; girls have to deal with an image that contradicts the conventional female stereotype - explains why girls opt out of sports more than boys
What sociologists stated that girls would be labelled lesbians or butch by male students if they showed an interest in sports?
Dewar (1990)
How do peer groups police each other in mixed schools?
Peer pressure influences gender identity - peers police one another’s subject choices to ensure boys and girls are adopting an appropriate gender identity
How does peer pressure differ in single sex schools?
Absence of it - absence of boys in all girls’ schools allows girls to be in traditionally masculine subjects without being judged or pressured to conform.
