Gender Identity And Schooling

Question 1

How do schools reproduce ‘Hegemonic Masculinities?’

Answer 1

Connell argues the dominance of heterosexual masculine identity + subordination of female/gay identities reproduces patriarchy

Question 2

What are the ways schools reproduce patriarchy?

Answer 2

• Verbal abuse
• Teachers
• The Male gaze
• Double standards
• Female peer groups

Question 3

How has ‘Verbal Abuse’ impacted Gender Identity?

Answer 3

• Connell; ‘Rich vocabulary of abuse’ polices sexual identities via negative labels
• Lees; Boys call girls ‘slags’ if they appear sexually available
• Mac An Ghail; Anti-school WC Boy subcultures use verbal abuse to reinforce definitions of masculinity

Question 4

How have ‘Teachers’ impacted Gender Identity?

Answer 4

• Haywood + Mac An Ghail; Male teachers reinforced gender identities by telling off boys for ‘behaving like girls’ + ignoring verbal abuse
• Askew + Ross; Male teachers reinforce gender subtly E.g. Rescuing a female colleague from a disruptive class

Question 5

How has ‘The Male Gaze’ impacted Gender Identity?

Answer 5

• Social control where male pupils + teachers look at girls as sexual objects
• Boys who don’t participate are labelled ‘gay’

Question 6

How have ‘Double Standards’ impacted Gender Identity?

Answer 6

• Lees; Boys boast about their sexual exploits + conquests

- Girls’ are labelled negatively for sexual behaviour

Question 7

How have ‘Female Peer Groups’ impacted Gender Identity?

Answer 7

• Archer; WC Girls gain symbolic capital by performing hyper-heterosexual identities
• Ringrose; WC Girls faced tension between idealised feminine identity + sexualised identity
• ‘Slut’ + ‘Frigid’ shaming policed identities