Gender - sexual & gender identities

Question 1

Double standards - Lees (1993)

Answer 1

E- Lees double standards of sexual morality in which boys boast about own sexual exploits but call girl ‘slag’ is doesn’t have a steady boyfriend, dresses in certain way.
E - Reflects patriarchal control as it rewards male sexual activity while shaming and controlling female sexuality. Reinforces dominant heterosexual masculine identities while devaluing femininity.
E - Archer suggests some girls construct alternatives identities like the ‘hyper-heterosexual’ identity which reject traditional femininity and challenge double standards. - resist and redefine gender norms in education.

Question 2

Verbal abuse - Connell

Answer 2

E - Connell ‘rich vocabulary of abuse’ is one of ways in which dominant ideology and sexual identities are reinforced.
E - e.g. Parker (1996) boys labelled as ‘gay’ for being friendly. These labels hav nothing to do with sexual identity but their function is to simply reinforce gender norms and identities.
E - Ringrose & Renold (2010) argues this oversimplifies complex interactions. They argue labelling behaviors as bullying individualizes the issue and neglect institutional contexts that perpetuate gendered power relations.

Question 3

The male gaze - Mac an Ghaill (1994)

Answer 3

E - Mac an Ghaill argues male gaze is the way pupils and teachers look girls up and down, seeing them as sexual objects and making judgements about their appearance.
E - Sees this as a form of surveillance where boys regulate both their own and others masculinity by demonstrating heterosexual powers - priorities male dominance and objectifies female students.
E - However, symbolic interactionism also emphasises individual agency suggesting girls can react to the male gaze in different ways such as rejecting it or redefining its impact.

Question 4

Male peer groups - Epstein & Willis

Answer 4

E - Epstein (1997) observed that male students use homophobic language to police eachothers behaviour. Willis (1977) documented how a group of WC ‘lads’ in Midlands school developed a counter school subculture that devalued achievement.
E - These interactions underscore how male groups collectively construct male norms emphasizing traits such as toughness.
E - However, Curry (1991) observed male peer groups in sport settings may engage in behaviors that objectify women and reinforce sexist attitudes.

Question 5

Female peer groups - Ringrose (2013)

Answer 5

E - Ringrose study of 13-14 year olds WC peer groups in South Wales school found being popular was crucial for their identity - idealised feminine identity, sexualized identity.
E - These interactions reveal how peer groups function as sites where dominant femininities are both reinforced and contested, influencing girls social positioning.
E - However, McRobbie (2004) argues the idea of ‘post-feminist masquerade’, suggesting societal pressures encourage young women to adopt hyper feminine appearances presenting them as choice.

Question 6

Teachers & discipline - Askew & Ross (1988)

Answer 6

E - Askew & Ross observed that male teachers often exhibit protective behaviours towards female colleagues such as intervening to address disruptive students in their class.
E - Such actions contribute to the continuation of traditional gender norms within education as it reinforces the idea they are less capable of handling challenging situations, teaching the younger girl students women cannot cope alone.
E - However, Williams (1992) glass escalator - men in female professions such as teaching often experience advantages to get them into higher positions. Suggests their protective behaviour comes from systematic expectations not only personal attitudes.