The gender gap in education- external factors

Question 1

Statistics about girls vs boys in education?

Answer 1

-Girls outperform boys in all areas in SATs, in GCSE’s (except science)
-In GCSE english 2/3 of girls get an A*-C grade compared to 1/2 of all boys
-Girls more likely to stay on till higher education, get accepted into uni and pass all 3 a levels
-In vocational course (male dominates) girls are more likely to receive a distinction

Question 2

What claim can be made about the gender gap in education?

Answer 2

Girls are massively out preforming boys

Question 3

What are the 4 external factors?

Answer 3

-The impact of feminism
-Changing family
-Employment opportunity’s
-Changing ambition and social attitudes?

Question 4

What is the impact of femenism?

Answer 4

Feminism has increased rapidly over the last deceased due top different acts, suffragette movements etc
Women are now taking back power from men and are completing education, getting careers and not conforming to the role of the housewife

Question 5

What sociologist/acts agree with the impact of feminism?

Answer 5

-Sharpe- Just like a girl
-McRobbie- Jackie
-Sex discrimination act 1975
-Abortion reform act 1969
-Divorce reform act 1970

Question 6

The impact of feminism- Sharpe just like a girl?

Answer 6

Interviewed girls in 1979 and 1994 and compared their social attitudes and plans for life
1979- love, marriage, husband, children then a career
but in 1994- career, independence then potentially a relationship
Showing that within 15 years social attitudes can really change as well as the influence of feminism from young girls

Question 7

The impact of feminism- McRobbie

Answer 7

McRobbie noticed that in the 1970s the popular magazines such as ‘Jackie’ presented women as cleaning and being a housewife but now due to the growing impact of social media we are getting more positive role models who have their own careers etc

Question 8

The impact of feminism- The sex discrimination act 1975?

Answer 8

Prevents and prohibits sex discrimination within the workplace

Question 9

The impact of feminism- The abortion reform act 1969

Answer 9

this act gave women more control over their bodies and giving them the opportunity to have an abortion if they desire to not carry an unwanted pregnancy

Question 10

The impact of feminisation- The divorce reform act 1970?

Answer 10

Women now don’t have to stay in abusive marriages and enables divorce to be more accessible

Question 11

In changes in the family who are our sociologist/points?

Answer 11

Lobban
increase and decreases in trends
willmott and young march of progress
primary socialisation

Question 12

Changes in family- Lobban

Answer 12

-in story books women are perceived as dependant, passive, quiet and sensible
males- boisterous, independant, active and adventurous

Question 13

Changes in family- primary socialisation?

Answer 13

the traditional female socialisation has become more suited to education compared to males

Question 14

Changes in family- increase and decrease in trends/march of progress Willmott and Young

Answer 14

increased- divorce rate, cohabitation and lone parents
decreased- birth, marriage and family size
Showing that now as a society men and women are becoming more equal, women getting what we want

Question 15

Employment opportunity’s for women- sociologists/points?

Answer 15

Mitsos & Browne
Webb et al (2008)
Francis (2001)
The equal pay act (1970)
The sex discrimination act (1975)

Question 16

Employment opportunities for women- Mitsos and Browne?

Answer 16

As we are seeing a growing service sector, there has become much more ‘feminised’ jobs such as hospitality, healthcare, teachering, clerical and childcare

Question 17

Employment opportunities- Webb et al (2008)

Answer 17

-The number of employment in 1958- 47% in 2007- 70%
-The pay gap has fallen from 30% to 17% since 1975
-More women are breaking through the ‘glass ceiling effect’

Question 18

Employment opportunities- Francis (2001)

Answer 18

Interviewed girls based on their career aspirations and found that girls are becoming a lot more ambitious as they wanted to become doctors and solicitors

Question 19

Employment opportunities- The equal pay act 1970?

Answer 19

Illegal to pay different amounts to men and women if they are doing the same job

Question 20

Employment opportunities- The sex discrimination act (1975)?

Answer 20

Prohibits sexual discrimination within the workplace

Question 21

What is the changing social attitudes, perceptions and ambitions of the workplace?

Answer 21

Women are being perceived differently in our contemporary society, womens ambitions are much bigger
Feminism + changes to the family + employment opportunities + changing social attitudes etc= increased educational success

Question 22

Evaluation of external factors- Feminisation of education?

Answer 22

White w/c women are still underperforming so it doesn’t affect all girls the same

Question 23

Evaluation of external factors- Changes in the family?

Answer 23

Lone parent family’s more likely to be LIC so still underperforming

Question 24

Evaluation of external factors- Employment opportunities’?

Answer 24

Higher education is becoming saturated due to the fact that more accessible to different groups
Still mainly unskilled low paid jobs

Question 25

Evaluation of external factors-Changes in social attitudes?

Answer 25

Policy’s say they help women but yet still ignores preference theory that women like being a housewife