Gender (Internal) - Pupils' sexual and gender identities Flashcards
What factors affect pupils’ experiences in school construct and reinforce their gender and sexual identities?
1) double standards
2) verbal abuse
3) the male gaze
4) male peer groups
5) Female peer groups: policing identity
6) Teachers and discipline
How does LEES describe the double standard in sexual conquest between genders?
boys boast about their own sexual exploits, but call a girl a ‘slag’ if she doesn’t have a steady boyfriend or if she dresses and speaks in a certain way.
What does feminists see the double standards as?
a form of social control that reinforces gender inequality by keeping females subordinate to males.
How does PARKER explain that the rich vocabulary of verbal abuse reinforces gender norms and identity?
boys were labelled gay simply for being friendly with girls or female
teachers, yet these labels often bear no relation to pupils’ actual sexual behaviour. Their function is simply to reinforce gender norms and identities.
How does the male gaze reinforce gender norms and identity according to MAC AN GHAILL?
the male gaze as a form of surveillance through which dominant heterosexual masculinity is reinforced and femininity devalued.
What does MAC AN GHAILL say is the male gaze?
to prove their masculinity, male pupils and teachers look girls up and down, seeing them as sexual objects and making judgements about their appearance
How does socialisation into gender identity affect pupils’ school experiences?
It influences their achievements and subject preferences, reinforcing gender and sexual identities.
What is ‘hegemonic masculinity’ according to Bob Connell?
The dominance of heterosexual masculine identity and the subordination of female and gay identities.
What is a double standard in gender identity?
Applying different moral standards to boys and girls, such as boys boasting about sexual exploits while girls are negatively labeled for similar behavior.
How do feminists view double standards in sexual morality?
As a patriarchal ideology that justifies male power and devalues women, reinforcing gender inequality.
What role does verbal abuse play in reinforcing gender identities?
Boys use name-calling to put girls down and enforce gender norms, using terms like ‘slag’, ‘gay’, and ‘queer’.
What is the ‘male gaze’ in the context of school?
The way male pupils and teachers view girls as sexual objects, reinforcing dominant heterosexual masculinity and devaluing femininity.
How do male peer groups reinforce definitions of masculinity?
Through verbal abuse and labeling boys who do well academically as ‘gay’ or ‘effeminate’.
How do different class-based masculine identities manifest in schools?
Working-class ‘macho lads’ dismiss studious boys, while middle-class ‘real Englishmen’ project an image of effortless achievement.
How do female peer groups police identity?
By enforcing a hyper-heterosexual feminine identity and using labels like ‘tramp’ to control conformity.
What tension do girls face between different identities in school?
Balancing an idealised feminine identity with a sexualised identity, risking ‘slut shaming’ or ‘frigid shaming’.
How is shaming used as a social control device among schoolgirls?
It regulates and disciplines identities by labeling girls based on their competitiveness or lack of interest in boys.
How does a ‘boffin’ identity affect girls in school?
Girls conforming to an asexual, studious identity risk being excluded and labeled by their peers.
How do teachers reinforce dominant gender identities?
By reprimanding boys for ‘behaving like girls’, ignoring verbal abuse, and subtly reinforcing stereotypes through protective behavior.
How does male teachers’ protective attitude towards female colleagues reinforce gender messages?
It suggests that women cannot cope alone and need male intervention to manage disruptive students.
