Gender - Subject Choice

Question 1

Gender role socialisation

Answer 1

Process of learning the behaviour expected of males & females in society

• Byrne - teachers encourage boys to be tough while girls taught to be quiet. Boys and girls develop different tastes.
• Gender domains - the tasks and activities that boys & girls do are seen as male and female territory and shaped by early experiences.

Question 2

Gendered subject images

Answer 2

Gender image of a subject affects decisions & choices.

• Kelly (S) argues sciences and technological subjects such as IT and DT are seen as boys subjects and textbooks support male interests
• Single sex schooling holds less stereotyped subject images and make less traditional subject choices. -> Girls in SS schools 2.4x more likely to take A-level Physics than girls in mixed.

Question 3

Gender identity and peer pressure

Answer 3

Subject choice influenced by peer pressure if they disapprove of friends choice -> Boys opt out of music and dance to prevent negative responses -> Girls opt out of sport as it contrasts stereotypes.
-Absences of peer pressure from opposite sex -> less pressure on girls to conform to traditional subject choices.

Question 4

Gendered career opportunities

Answer 4

-Employment is highly gendered as jobs tend to be sex typed as ‘mens’ or ‘women’s’.
-Women’s jobs often involved with housewife work (nursing and
childcare) -> affects ideas of what jobs are acceptable and possible.
Fuller - ambitions arise from work experience -> often gendered and classed.