Gender & Subject choice and Identity

Question 1

What is the pattern in subject choice

Answer 1

Girls and boys choosing subjects linked to ‘traditional gender routes’ at every stage of the education system

Question 2

What can be seen when picking subjects at GCSEs and A-level

Answer 2

Girls choose food technology, whereas boys choose resistant materials
The different become more noticeable as students have more choice

Question 3

What are some examples of gendered subject choice, and give some percentages

Answer 3

Boy:
Computor science - 80%
Physics - 75%

Girls:
Performing Arts - 90%
English literature - 78%

Question 4

Which courses are the most significant in showing gendered choices

Answer 4

Vocational courses
2016: 1 in 100 childcare apprenticeships were boys
2 in 100 construction apprenticeships were girls

Question 5

What does the evidence of gendered subject choice criticises the effectiveness of

Answer 5

Internal factor of equal opportunity policies such as WISE as girls still go into gendered subject/ choices

Question 6

What are the four causes of differences in gendered subject choice

Answer 6

Gender role socialisation
Gender subject images
gender identity and peer pressure
Gendered career opportunities

Question 7

Explain ‘Gendered role socialisation’ as a factor for gender and subject choice

Answer 7

Primary socialisation: boys and girls do different activities and are given different toys
Secondary socialisation: teacher encourage boys to be tough and girls to be quiet, help other and be organised
Gender domain: task and activies seen as male or femlae territory
Male domain: manual and focus on how things feel
Female domain: emotions and how people feel
Feel more confident in own domain

Question 8

What is the criticism for ‘Gendered role socialisation’ as a factor for gender and subject choice

Answer 8

Girls pick subjects in boys domain such as biology

Question 9

Explain ‘Gender subject images’ as a factor for gender and subject choice

Answer 9

Gender image subjects impact choice
Kelly: science teachers are more likely to be men
Science teachers more likely to be men
Examples in textbooks used represent boys interests
Boys dominate the apparatus used
Colley: computer science viewed as a ‘masculine subject’
Involves working with machine - male domain
Way its taught is off putting to female - few opportunity for pair work

Question 10

Who studied single sex schools for ‘Gender subject images’ and what did they do/found

Answer 10

Leonard: 13000 pupils studied
Girls are more likely to take math and science and males subject at uni
Boys were more likely to take English and languages

Question 11

Explain ‘Gender indentity and peer pressure’ as a factor gender and subject choice

Answer 11

other girls and boys apply pressure to someone if this disapprove of there choice
Carrie Paechter: pupils see sport as manly, girls who are ‘sporty’ have to cope with an imagine that contraditcts conventional female stereotype
Alison Deward: girls called ‘lesbian’ or ‘butch’ if interested in sport
Student police each other - girls faced peer pressure when it comes to science - particular physics

Question 12

What is a criticism for ‘Gender indentity and peer pressure’ as a factor for gender and subject choice

Answer 12

May change perception as it is a social construct eg womens footbal especially after 2022 euros

Question 13

Explain ‘Gendered career opportunities’ as a factor for gender and subject choice

Answer 13

Jobs tend to be sex-typed as ‘mens or womens’
Women are concentrated in a narrow range of occupation
4 catagories for womens jobs: clerical, secretarial, personal services, occupations such as cleaning
Affects both boys and girls
Vocational courses are much more gender-specific - feel acceptable by society

Question 14

What is a criticism for ‘Gendered career opportunities’ as a factor for gender and subject choice

Answer 14

Career are becoming less gendered such as male midwifes

Question 15

what are all the ways factors in school help to construct and reinforce pupil’s gender and sexual identities

Answer 15

Double standards
Verbal abuse
Male gaze
Male peer groups
Female peer groups - policing identity
Teachers and discipline

Question 16

What does Connell argue with that schools reinforce

Answer 16

Schools reinforce ‘hegemonic masculinity’ which is the dominance of a heterosexual masculine identity and the subordination of female and gay identities (may impact experiences of school, level of achievement and subject choice)

Question 17

Explain what is meant for ‘Double standards’ for constructing pupil’s gender and sexual identities

Answer 17

Apply one set of moral standards to one group but a different set to another
Sue Lee- found a double standards of sexual morality - boys boast about sexual exploits but girls get called ‘slag’ if they dress a certain way
Sexual stuff is approved by male peers and ignored by male teachers but ‘promiscuity’ among girls attracts negative labels

Question 18

How does ‘Double standards’ reinforce traditional gender identities

Answer 18

Feminists- double standards is an example of patriarchal ideology justifies male power and devalues women
Double standards = a form of social control that reinforces gender inequality by keeping females subordinate to men

Question 19

What is a criticism for ‘Double standards’ reinforcing traditional gender identities

Answer 19

Postmodernist society would say it is becoming more visible through people and celebs such as Taylor Swift
Also the new acceptance of gender fluid combats the idea of double standards as it does not work

Question 20

Explain what is meant by ‘Verbal abuse’ for constructing pupil’s sexual and gender identities

Answer 20

Connell- ‘a rich vocabulary of abuse’ - ways dominant genders and sexual identities are reinforced
Lees - name calling used by boys to put girls down
Girls get called ‘slags’ if appear to be sexually active and ‘drags’ if they don’t
Paetcher - name calling helps maintain male power
‘Gay, queer, lezzie’ are names used to police each other - used by both genders

Question 21

How does ‘Verbal abuse’ reinforce traditional gender identities

Answer 21

Verbal abuse reinforces gender norms and identities even if they have nothing to do with the pupils identity
Helps men be superior to women as a form of peer policing

Question 22

What are the criticisms for ‘Verbal abuse’ reinforcing traditional gender identities

Answer 22

Labels such as ‘gay’ are declining in the level of how offensive it is as groups such as LGBTQ are becoming more accepted

Question 23

Explain what is meant by ‘Male gaze’ for constructing pupils’ gender and sexual identities

Answer 23

Mac an Ghaill - ‘male gaze’: the way male pupils and teachers look girls up and down, seeing them as sexual objects making judgements about their appearance
It is a surveillance which is dominant with heterosexuality
A way boys prove masculinity to friends
Boys who do no express masculinity in this way are at risk of being labelled

Question 24

How does the ‘Male gaze’ reinforce traditional gender identities

Answer 24

It is a way of reinforcing dominant heterosexual masculinity and devaluing femininity
Reinforces the idea that females belong in private sphere and should focus on appearance - subjects them too it

Question 25

Explain what is meant by ‘Male peer groups’ constructing pupils’ gender and sexual identities

Answer 25

Male peer groups also use verbal abuse to reinforce definition of masculinity
Epstein and Willis - boys in anti-school subculture often accuse boys who want to do well at school to be gay or effeminate
Mac an Ghaill - Parnell school examines peer group reproduce a range of different class-based masculine gender identities
WC- ‘macho lads’ and are dismissive of boys who try to enter into MC
MC- project ideas of ‘real Englishmen’
Redman and Mac an Ghaill - dominant definition of masculine changes from lower schools to sixth form

Question 26

How does the ‘Male peer groups’ reinforce traditional gender identities

Answer 26

Fear of being different and being labelled causes boys to conform to traditional hegemonic gender identities

Question 27

What are the criticisms for ‘Male peer groups’ for constructing pupils’ gender and sexual identities

Answer 27

A shift away form WC definition of masculine to more MC - not separate
They are joining together

Question 28

Explain what is meant by ‘Female peer groups - policing identity’ constructing pupils’

Answer 28

Archer - female WC gain cultural capital from female peer by performing a hyper-heterosexual feminine identity
‘Sexy’ Nike appearance using brands
At risk of being called a ‘tramp’ if they fail to conform
Jessica Ringrose - 13/14 year old WC girls deemed being popular as a crucial to girls identity
Idealised feminine identity - loyalty to female peers, non-competitive and getting along with everybody
Sexualised identity- competing for boys in dating culture
Currie et al - relationships provide symbolic capital but it is also risky
‘Boffin’ identity - girls that want to be successful educationally feel the need to conform to ideal feminine identity

Question 29

How does ‘Female peer groups - policing identity’ reinforce traditional gender identities

Answer 29

For girls it is a balancing act to fit into the patriarchal system
When girls choose to pursue education it causes peers to exclude them - just for choosing an identity that goes against traditional hegemonic norms

Question 30

What are the criticisms for ‘Female peer groups - policing identity’ for constructing pupils’ gender and sexual identities

Answer 30

As you move up in education girls doing an academic career is no longer looked down upon by others - become indifferent

Question 31

Explain what is meant by ‘Teachers and discipline’ constructing pupils’ gender and sexual identities

Answer 31

Chris Haywood and Mac an Ghaill - male teachers told boys off for behaving like girls and teased them when they gained lower marks then girls
Teachers ignore verbal abuse to girls from boys and blame girls for attracting it
Due Askew and Carol Ross - male teachers behaviour can subtly reinforce messages about gender
Male teachers have a protective attitude towards female colleagues

Question 32

How does ‘Teachers and discipline’ reinforce traditional gender identities

Answer 32

Reinforces idea that women cannot cope alone and acting like a girl is a negative
Reinforces that males should be dominating with better marks than females