Pupils sexual and gender identities Flashcards
What are the 6 factors that effect the way pupils experiences in school shape their identity?
- Double standards
- verbal abuse
- male gaze
- male peer groups
- Female peer groups
- Teachers and discipline
Double standards
People apply different standards to one group
LEES - identifies a double standard of sexuality morality in boys which boast about sexual exploits but call girls ‘slag’
- sexual acts status for males but promiscuous for girls
Feminists see these double standards as patriarchal ideology that devalues women - form of social control
Verbal abuse
PAECHTER / CONNELL
CONNELL - one way sexual identities are reinforced.
PAECHTER - sees name calling as shaping gender identity / maintain male power - ‘gay’ negative label in ways students police other sexual identity
They note that these labels have no relation to their sexual identities but perform a function of reinforcing gender norms about sexuality.
The male gaze
MAC AN GHAILL
Visual aspect of controlling each others identities.
The way male and pupil teachers look girls up and down making judgements
Allows for dominant heterosexual masculinity to be reinforced whilst femininity devalued.
Boy’s who do not show masculinity in this way run the risk of being labelled ‘gay’
male peer groups
uses verbal abuse to reinforce their definitions of masculinity.
MAC AN GHAILL - study of parnell school - examines how peer groups reproduce masculine identity
WC boys dismissive of those who work hard - calling them ‘dickhead achievers’
MC - projected image of working without trying though worked in silent
In secondary WC boy attitudes in sixth from MC
Shift from toughness to intellectual ability - suggesting a more MC atmosphere to sixth form
Female peer groups - policing identity
Archer - heterosexual feminine identity
RINGROSE - study found popular crucial to girl’s identity
Tension when transitioning to friendship → dating culture
A idealised feminine identity - showing loyalty to peer group and getting along with all
A sexualised identity - involved competition for boys in dating culture
CURRIE - girls have to balance not being to competitive risk being ‘slut shamed’ but can’t be to ‘frigid’
‘Boffin’ identity - smart successful
FRANCIS - MC boffins respond in kind by defining WC girls as chavs
Teachers and discipline
Teachers play a role in reinforcing dominant definitions of gender identity.
HAYWOOD / MAC AN GHAILL -bfound male teachers told boys off for behaving like girls
blamed girls for attracting boys verbal abuse