Gendered Subject Choices

Question 1

Gender Socialisation

Answer 1

• Girls: pink and dolls. Encouraged to be kind, caring and pretty, resulting in them choosing subjects such as languages, English and Health and Social Care and beauty.
• Boys: blue and trucks. Encouraged to be outgoing and adventurous. Choosing subjects like sport and physics as a result.

Question 2

Gender Domains

Answer 2

• Real or imaginary areas which are seen as male or female.
• Physics is seen as a masculine domain, boys are more likely to choose it.
• Childcare is seen as more feminine so girls are more likely to choose health and social.

Question 3

Peer Pressure

Answer 3

• Students face negative informal sanctions for behaviour judged to be different from what is seen as normal for boys and girls.
• Paetcher found that girls feared being called lesbian or butch if they do masculine things like sports. Boys feared being called gay for doing drama.

Question 4

The Male Gaze

Answer 4

• Male teachers and students behaviour reflects dominant ideas of masculinity which encourages girls to behave in a stereotypically female way and choose subjects like health and social care, beauty and childcare.
• Whilst boys choose subjects that allow them to exert their masculinity e.g. science and sport.