Pupils' Sexual and Gender Identities

Question 1

What is hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 1

The dominance of a 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 for one group is different to another.
• Lees identifies one on sexual morality, where boys boast their sexual exploits but call a girl a ‘slag’ if 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

• Paechter argues name-calling helps 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.
• Boys are called ‘gay’ if they deviate from masculine behaviour or are friendly to girls.
• These labels simply reinforce gender norms and identities

Question 4

How does the male gaze enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 4

• Refers to how pupils control each other’s identities visually which is 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 by telling stories about sexual conquests. Boys who don’t display their heterosexuality run the risk of being labelled as gay.

Question 5

How do male peer groups enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 5

• Peer groups reproduce a range of class-based masculine gender identities. e.g WC ‘macho lads’ are dismissive of hard working boys while MC groups portray an image of ‘effortless achievement’
• Redman and Mac an Ghail found the definition of masculine identify changes from that of macho lads in the lower school to that of those in the sixth form.
• This represents the difference of a WC definition based on toughness to a MC one based on intellectual ability.

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)
• However boys don’t have this conflict as they can boost about the sexual relationships to their friends, without being judged, showing male dominance.

Question 7

How do teacher and discipline enforce hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 7

Mac an 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