subject choice and gender Flashcards
sex and gender
SEX: Refers to biological and physical differences between males and females.
GENDER: Refers to the learned differences between males and females: ie masculinity & femininity.
NATIONAL CURRICULUM OPTIONS
Stables & Wikeley (1996): Where there is choice in the national curriculum, boys and girls choose differently!
AS & A Levels: The differences become more noticeable after the National Curriculum when pupils are free to choose. Boys opt for maths and physics, girls opt for Sociology, English and foreign languages. This continues on into university!
Vocational courses: These prepare pupils for specific careers. Gender segregation here is very noticeable! EG: Only 1 in 100 childcare apprentices is male.
Fiona Norman:
Fiona Norman: Claims children are socialised differently according to their gender.
Eileen Byrne
In school, boys & girls are treated differently. Boys are encouraged not to be weak, or ‘sissies’, whereas girls are encouraged to be neat, tidy and helpful.
Murphy & Elwood
Believe these differences lead to varied choices in books. Boys pick hobby books and information books, whereas girls read stories about people.
GENDER DOMAINS
Brown and Ross (1991) argue that children’s beliefs about gender domains are shaped by their early experiences and expectations of adults.
Gender domain is either male or female territory.
Boys see mending a car as a male domain.
Girls see looking after the sick a female domain
Kelly: GENDERED SUBJECT IMAGES
Kelly argues that Science is seen as boys subject for the following reasons.
Science teachers are more likely to be men.
Textbooks and examples used are often of boys experiences.
Boys monopolise the equipment and dominate the laboratory in science lessons.
Anne Colley
Anne Colley argues that computer science is seen as a masculine subject for two reasons:
It involves working with machines-part of the male gender domain.
The way it is taught is off putting to females. Tasks are abstract and teaching styles formal with few opportunities for group work (which girls prefer).
However: In 2007 the DfSE discovered that pupils at single sexed schools had less stereotyped images.
PEER PRESSURE
Other pupils can have an impact on the subject choice.
A pupil moving outside their gender domain can experience negative attention from other pupils.
Boys taking dance could be seen as sissie.
Girls taking PE could be seen as butch.
Paetcher argues that sport is seen as a male domain.
Sporty girls have to cope with an image that contradicts the conventional female stereotype. EG “Butch”
GENDERED CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Sex typing of jobs affect ideas of girls and boys about what kind of jobs are possible and acceptable.
Boys and girls base their qualification options around what kind of job they plan to do.
Boys are less likely to take childcare as they might have the message that being a nursery nurse is a girls job.
GENDER, VOCATIONAL CHOICE & CLASS
W/C children may make decisions about vocational courses that are based on traditional gender identity. EG: Fuller (2011) studied W/C girls who mainly wanted to go into hair & beauty or childcare because they were deemed appropriate for ‘people like them’.
Fuller (2011): Work experience placements are often gendered and classed.
