Pupils' Sexual and Gender Identities

Question 1

What is hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 1

Ways in which pupils’ experiences in school construct gender identities, which reinforce hegemonic masculinity which the dominance of heterosexual masculine identity and the subordination of female and gay identities

Question 2

How do double standards enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 2

• When one set of morals to one group but is different to another. Lees (1993) identifies one on sexual morality, where boys boast their sexual exploits but call a girl a ‘slag’ is she does the same
• Can be seen as a form of social control that reinforces gender inequality by keeping females subordinate to men

Question 3

How does verbal abuse enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 3

• Connell argues a ‘rich vocabulary of abuse’ reinforces dominant gender and sexual identities. Lees suggests girls are labelled ‘slags’ if sexually available and ‘drags’ if not.
• Paechter seems name-calling as helping to shape gender identity and maintain male power. The use of negative labels like ‘gay’ are ways in which pupils police each other’s sexual identities.
• Parker suggests boys are called ‘gay’ if they deviate from masculine behaviour, being friendly to girls.
• Both Lee and Paechter note these labels beer no relation to sexual behaviour, they simply reinforce gender norms and identities

Question 4

How does the male gaze enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 4

• Refers to the visual aspect to the way pupils control each other’s identities. The way male pupils or teachers look at girls up and down, seeing them sexual objects.
• Mac an Ghail sees it as form of surveillance where the dominant heterosexual masculinity is reinforced and femininity devalued. Boys are able to prove their masculinity to their friends and is often combined with telling stories about sexual conquests. Boys who do not display their heterosexuality they run the risk of being labelled as gay.

Question 5

How do male peer groups enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 5

• Mac an Ghail suggest how peer groups reproduce a range of class-based masculine gender identities. WC ‘macho lads’ are dismissive of other hard working boys while middle class groups portrayed an image of ‘effortless achievement’
• Redman and Mac an Ghail found the dominant definition of masculine identify changes from that of macho lads in the lower school to that of the real Englishmen in the sixth form.
• This represents a shift away from a WC definition based on toughness to a MC one based on intellectual ability. This reflects the more MC composition and atmosphere of sixth form.

Question 6

How do female peer groups enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 6

• Archer shows how WC girls gain symbolic capital from hyper-heterosexual feminine identity.
• Ringrose conducted a small-scale study of 13-14 year old WC girls and found popularity was crucial to them and their identity had conflicts between the idealised feminine identity (loyalty to female group) and sexual identity (competing for boys)
• Currie et al argues relationships with boys enable symbolic capital. Girls are then forced to balance between: being competitive and risk ‘slut shaming’ which excludes them from friendship culture and not competing for boyfriends and face ‘frigid shaming’ by other girls

Question 7

How do teacher and discipline enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 7

• Mac and Ghail found male teachers told off boys for ‘behaving like girls’ and teased them when they did worse in tests compared to girls. Teachers can reinforce gender stereotypes
• Askew and Ross show male teachers’ behaviour can subtly reinforce messages about gender. e.g. male teachers often have a protective attitude towards female colleagues, coming into their classes to ‘rescue’ them by threatening pupils who are disruptive. However this reinforces the idea that women cant’ cope alone