pupils’ sexual and gender identities

Question 1

what is hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 1

• concept by bob connell (1995)
• refers to the dominance of heterosexual masculine identity
• leads to the subordination of female and gay identities
• reinforced through school experiences, subject choices, and peer pressure

Question 2

1 double standards

Answer 2

• double standard = different moral rules for different groups
• sue lees (1993):
  
  • boys praised for sexual exploits
  • girls labelled ‘slag’ for similar behaviour
• male sexual conquest gains peer approval, often ignored by teachers
• female promiscuity seen as negative
• feminists argue this reflects a patriarchal ideology
• used as social control to keep girls subordinate to boys
• reinforces gender inequality

Question 3

2 verbal abuse

Answer 3

• bob connell: “a rich vocabulary of abuse” reinforces dominant identities
• sue lees (1986):
  
  • girls called ‘slags’ if seen as sexually available
  • or ‘drags’ if not
• carrie paechter: name-calling shapes gender identity and maintains male power
• labels like ‘gay’, ‘queer’, ‘lezzie’ used to police sexual identities
• andrew parker (1996): boys labelled ‘gay’ for being friendly with girls or female teachers
• labels often don’t reflect actual behaviour
• purpose is to enforce gender norms and keep pupils within traditional roles

Question 4

3 male gaze

Answer 4

• mac an ghaill: male gaze = way male pupils and teachers sexualise girls
• involves looking girls up and down, judging appearance
• a form of surveillance that reinforces dominant heterosexual masculinity
• femininity is devalued
• used by boys to prove masculinity to peers
• often includes boasting about sexual conquests
• boys who don’t take part risk being labelled gay

Question 5

4 male peer groups

Answer 5

• verbal abuse used to define masculinity
• boys in anti-school subcultures call boys who do well at school gay or effeminate (Epstein, Wills)
• working-class ‘macho lads’ dismiss boys who work hard, calling them “dickhead achievers” (Mac an Ghaill)
• middle-class ‘real Englishmen’ promote effortless achievement — succeed without trying, though some work hard quietly
• Redman & Mac an Ghaill: dominant masculine identity shifts from toughness in lower school to intellectual ability in sixth form, reflecting more middle-class atmosphere

Question 6

5 female peer groups: policing identity

Answer 6

• archer: working-class girls gain symbolic capital by adopting a hyper-heterosexual feminine identity (e.g., nike brands).
• peers police this identity, and girls risk being labelled “tramps” if they fail to conform (archer)
• they face a balancing act between:
  
  • an idealised feminine identity (loyalty, non-competition),
  • a sexualised identity (competing for boys).
• girls who are too sexually assertive face “slut shaming”, while those who don’t compete for boys risk “frigid shaming” (ringrose, 2013; currie et al., 2007).
• girls aiming for academic success may perform an asexual identity, risking being labelled a “boffin” and excluded (reay, 2001).
• middle-class boffins may label working-class girls as “chavs” (francis, 2010).
• these pressures shape their identities and highlight social control within peer groups.

Question 7

6 teachers and discipline

Answer 7

• male teachers reinforce gender stereotypes by:
  
  • telling boys off for “behaving like girls” and teasing them when they score lower than girls (haywood & mac an ghaill, 1996).
  • ignoring boys’ verbal abuse of girls, sometimes even blaming girls for attracting it.
• male teachers subtly reinforce gender norms by adopting a protective attitude towards female colleagues, often intervening to “rescue” them from disruptive pupils, which implies that women cannot cope alone (askew & ross, 1988).