Peer Group Interactions

Question 1

What are Peer group interactions

Answer 1

• influence of friendship groups and other students
• girls seen as more positive in supporting peers
• Boys see education as feminised and not masculine

Question 2

Female Peer groups

Answer 2

• Francis - females are encouraged to develop academic identities by the school
• Female peer groups have more co- operation and collaboration when it comes to schoolwork
• Archer et al - development of hyper-heterosexual identities reinforced by peers amongst W/C girls

Question 3

Male peer groups

Answer 3

• Archer et al - Nike identities - conformity in working-class males to wearing branded sportswear to gain symbolic status
• Francis - boys conform to macho stereotypes in order to fit in
• Epstein - Laddish subcultures use derogatory terms to describe boys who achieve - similar to Ward and Willis

Question 4

How peer group interactions influence educational achievement

Answer 4

• Girls develop more pro-school and pro-education behaviours
• behaviours are often reinforced by school and female role models in particular
• boys develop more anti-authority values and display resistance to school
• Teacher reactions lead to boys being denied status in education

Question 5

Evaluations

Answer 5

• Peer group interactions are often class-based and cannot be judged on gender alone
• Generalisation that boys act in an anti-authority manner - Ward and Willis both had boys that conformed
• Other factors such as rise in feminism and role models influence peer group interactions in both boys and girls