Pupils sexual and Gender identity

Question 1

What does Lees say about how double standards affect pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 1

LEES:
- Identifies a double standard of sexual morality in which boys boast about their own sexual exploits but call a girl a ‘slag’ if she doesn’t have a steady boyfriend or if she dresses and speaks in a certain way.
- Sexual conquest is approved of and given status by male peers and ignored by male teachers, but ‘promiscuity’ among girls attracts negative labels.

Question 2

What does Lees say about how verbal abuse affects pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 2

LEES:
- Boys called girls ‘slags’ if they appeared to be sexually available and ‘drags’ if they didn’t.

Question 3

What does Paetcher say about how verbal abuse affects pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 3

PAETCHER:
- Sees name calling as helping to shape gender identity and maintain male power. The use of negative labels such as ‘gay’, ‘queer’ and ‘lezzie’ are ways in which pupils police each others’ sexual identities.
- Both Lees and Paechter note that these labels often bear no relation to pupils’ actual sexual behaviour. Their function is simply to reinforce gender norms and identities.

Question 4

What does Mac an Ghaill say about how the male gaze affects pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 4

MAC AN GHAILL:
- Male peer groups often use verbal abuse to reinforce their definitions of masculinity as shown in studies by Epstein and Willis where boys who want to do well at school are subject to homophobic abuse.

Question 5

What does Archer say about how female peer groups affect pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 5

ARCHER:
- Archer’s study into working class identities and symbolic capital and symbolic violence can also be applied to working class girls in education.
- Archer explains how girls gain symbolic capital by adopting a hyper heterosexual feminine identity, having a boyfriend and being ‘loud’.
- However, these behaviours also brought them into conflict with the school and prevented them from gaining educational capital (qualifications) and economic capital (middle class careers).

Question 6

What does Haywood and Mac an Ghaill say about how teachers and discipline affects pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 6

HAYWOOD and MAC AN GHAILL:
- Found male teachers told boys off for ‘behaving like girls’ and teased them when they gained lower marks in tests than girls.
- Teachers tended to ignore boys’ verbal abuse of girls and even blamed girls for attracting it.

Question 7

What does Askew and Ross say about how teachers and discipline affects pupils’ gender identities?

Answer 7

ASKEW AND ROSS:
- Show how male teachers’ behaviour can reinforce messages about gender. For example male teachers often have a protective attitude towards female colleagues, coming into their classes to ‘rescue’ them by threatening pupils who are being disruptive.