P1 Education - Gendered Subjects Flashcards
What are the traditional patterns with subjects?
There continues to be fairly traditional pattern of girls and boys subject choices.
Boys = maths, physics
Girls = languages, art, cookery
What are gender routes?
Where the national curriculum allows for choice, girls and boys tend to follow gender routes in education
What is gender role socialisation?
Gender socialisation is where society influences people believing certain things are for certain genders
What does Eileen Bryne argue?
She proved that teachers have an important role within gender socialisation, encouraging young boys to be tough and girls to be quiet and tidy.
This impacts their personality and preferences for example boys prefer to read books about hobbies, whereas girls prefer people which affects their subject choice.
What is gendered subject images?
The gender image of a subject affects who will want to choose it. Kelly argues science is seen as a boys subject because:
- Science teachers are more likely to be men
- Examples teachers use often draw on boys interests
What is gender identity / peer pressure?
Subject choice can often be influenced by peer pressure by other girls and boys.
For example boys tend to opt out of music and dance.
What does Carrie Paecther say?
She found that because pupils see sport as mainlyy within the male gender domain, girls who are sporty have to cope with an image that contradicts the conventional stereotype and appear “lesbian” + “butch”
What is gender vocational choie / class?
There is a social class dimension to choice of vocational course. Working class pupils in particular may make decisions about vocational courses that are based on a traditional sense of gender identity. For example most of the working class girls had ambitions to go into jobs such as child care and beauty.
What does Bob Connel argue?
He talks about “hegemonic masculinity” the dominance of a masculine identity and subordination of female and gay identities in schools. This is reinforced in 6 ways:
1. Double standards
2. Verbal Abuse
3. The Male Gaze
4. Male Peer Groups
6. Female Peer Groups
What does Sue Lees say about double standards?
She identifies a double standard of sexual morality - boys boasts about sexual exploits, girls called a slag if they don’t have a steady boyfriend.
Females see this as double standards - example of patriarchal ideology, justifies male power - form of social control, reinforces gender inequality
What does Connell say about verbal abuse?
He reinforces that a rich vocabulary of abuse reinforces dominant gender and sexual identities - boys use name calling to put girls down
What does Mac an Ghaill say about the male gaze?
That there is a visual aspect to the way pupils control identities.
“The male gaze” = the way male pupils and teachers look girls up and down seeing them as sexual objects.
Mac an Ghaill see this as a form of surveillance - reinforcing masculine heterosexuality
What does Epstein say about male peer groups?
Boys in anti school subcultures accuse boys who want to do well of being gay
What is said about female peer groups?
Archer = symbolic capital vs educational capital
Ringrose 2013 - being popular crucial to identity - balancing act between idealised identity and sexualised identity - shaming is a social control device
