Topic 4-Gender differences in education(unfinished) Flashcards
External Factors and gender differences in underachievement(4)
-The impact feminism
-Changes in the family
-Girl’s changing ambitious
-Class,gender and ambition
The impact of feminism
1960s
Changes in the family
(internal)
-An increase in the divorce rate
-Smaller families
-An increase in the number of lone parent families
-An increase in cohabitation and a decrease in the number of first marriages
Effected girls in ways such as: increased in female-headed lone parent families=more women take the role of the breadwinner/creating a new role model for girls, financially independent woman.TO ACHIEVE THIS women need to achieve good qualification and get a good job
Class,gender and ambition
WC girls still contain the same ambition and have the traditionally stereotypes
-Reay=limited aspirations ,limited job opportunities
Equal opportunities
(internal)
Policymakers are now much more aware of gender issues and teachers are more sensitive to the need to avoid stereotyping.Boys and girls are entitled to the same opportunities is now part of mainstream.
-Policies such as GIST(girls into science and technology) and WISE(women into science and engineering)
Encourage girls to pursue careers in these non-traditional careers\
Positive role models
(internal)
Increase in proportion of female teachers. Get inspired for educational achievement.Shows them women can achieve positions of importance and giving them non-traditional goals to aim for
National Curriculm
Removed gender inequality by girls and boys and both study the (mostly)the same subjects
Boaler(national curriculum)
Many barriers have been removed and school has become more meritocratic
Meritocratic
Equals opportunities
Teacher attention
(internal)
The way that teachers interact with boys and girls differs
Jane and French(Teachers attention)(internal)
They analysed a class interaction and found that boys received more attention because they attracted more attention+decipled more harshly+felt picked on by teachers who had lower expectations of them.
Swann(Teacher attention)(internal)
Found differences in communication styles.Boys dominate in whole class discussion/often interrupt each others speech ,whereas girls prefer pair-work and group-work and are better at listening and cooperating-this may be why teachers respond more positively to girls=to SFP positive interactions with teachers lead to raising their self esteem and achievement levels.
GCSE an Coursework( don’t use it anymore)
Girls-Mitsos and Browne
-Spend more time on their work
-Take more care with the way it is presented
-Bring the right equipment and materials to lessons
-Are better at meeting deadlines
-Better language
GCSEs and Coursework(sociologists)
These characteristics and skills are the result of early gender role socialisation in the family-girls are more encouraged to be neat,tidy,patient=become an advantage for girls.
Selection and League tables(internal)
Exam league tables has improved opportunities for girl through marketisation as it has created a more competitive climate in school which see girls as more desirable recruits because they achieve better at exams
Selection and League tables(Jackson)
Exam league tables has improved opportunities for girl-high achieving girls are attractive to schools compared to low achieving boys=creates SFP as girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools therefore do well
Two views of girls achievement:Radical feminists
-Sexual harassment of girls continues in school.
-Education still limits girls subject choices and career options.
-Male teachers are still more likely to became headteachers in secondary schools.
-Women under-presented in many areas of the curriculum(history)
Selection and League tables(Slee)
Boys are less attractive to schools cause they are more likely to be suffering from behavioral difficulties, may been seen as liability students
Two views of girls achievement:Liberal feminists
They celebrate the progress made so far in improving achievement, further progress will be made by continuing developing equal opportunities, overcoming stereotypes and sexist attitudes, encouraging positive role models
Identity,Class and girls achievement
-Symbolic capital
-Hyper-heterosexual feminine identities
-Boyfriends
-Being loud
-Working-class girls dilemma
-Successful WC girls
Symbolic capital
Refers to the status,recongnition and sense of worth that we are able to obtain from others
Archer
Girls gained symbolic capital from their peers by performing their WC feminine identities such being loud,having bf ad adopting a hyper-heterosexual feminine identity=this brought them in conflict with school-preventing them from acquiring educational capital and economic capital also the schools value
Hyper-heterosexual feminine identity
Girls would put effort,time,money in constructibg desirable and glamorous hyper-heterosexual feminine identities.They would construct identities that combone black urban American styles with uniseex sportwear ‘sexy’clothes ,make up,hairstyles bringing them symbolic capital,while avoiding being bullied.HOWEVER they would be punished by the school for wrong appearance bring them in conflict with school as teachers saw these preoccupation with appearance as a distraction that prevented them from educational success.
Hyper-heterosexual feminine identities led to schools differentiating the girls
Labelled them as ‘not one of us’.
-incapable of educational success thus less worthy of respect.
Boyfriends
-Got in the way of school work even if it bought. symbolic capital
-Lost interest to going to unis
-Lost aspirations
-Avoided studying masculine jobs+gaining professional careers
-Aspired to settle down and become mothers+work in WC jobs(childcare )
Being Loud
-Adopting one of these identities led them to be outspoken and independent.
-They questioned teachers authority and failed to conform schools stereotypes of ideal female ‘pupil’ identity(submissive and passive)=this bought conflict with teachers as they interpret their behaviour as aggressive.
Bourdeiu
Identified that SV(symbolic violence) is created by the harm done by denying someone symbolic capital,for instance defining their culture as worthless
WC dilemma
Either gaining SV VS gaining educational capital
Successful WC girls(Evans)
Found that girls wanted to go to unis-this was in order to gain earning power and provide for their families.
WC do underachieve but some achieve and go to higher education
Fear of cost and debt was a further reason for them to live in poverty and at their family homes=limited their choices of uni
Boys and Literacy
Poor literacy and language skills caused a gender gap and effected wider subjects.
REASONS of these are:
-parents spend less time reading to their boys/mothers conduct most reading therefore they make associations with reading being feminine and avoid it
ALSO boys leisure pursuits(football) did little to help develop their language and communication skills
What external factors have sociologists identified that may be responsible for boys’ underachievement?
-Boys and literacy
-Laddish Subcultures
-School teachers
-Shortage of male primary teachers
-Feminasation of education
-Globalisation an the decline of traditional mens job
Globalisation an the decline of traditional mens job
Since the 1980s, globalisation meant industrial manufacturers relocated to developing countries =
due to a decline in jobs, boys develop an ‘identity crisis’, with a loss of motivation.
boys believe they wont get a job so don’t try to get qualifications.
Traditional manual jobs didn’t require many qualifications, so;it’s unlikely that this affected boys’ attitudes to qualifications
Mitsos and Browne(globalisation)
There was a decline in male employment opportunities=identity crisis for men=boys believed they had little chance to get a job=reduced their motivation and self-esteem=gave up trying for qualifications
Shortage of male primary school teachers
ONLY 14% of primary school teachers are male
-Culture of priary has became feminised-more staff women-unable to control boy behaviour
Sewell(feminisation of education)
Boys fell behind as education has became feminise=schools dont nurture masculine traits(competitiveness and leadership)
Are more male teachers really needed?(Francis)
2/3 of 7-8 years old believe gender teachers dont matter.NOT A MAJOR FACTOR IN BOYS UNDERACHIEVEMENT.
Laddish subcultures(Epstein)
Examined the way masculinity is constructed within school,argues laddish subculture contribute to male underachievement.WC likely to be harassed labelled as sissies+subjected to homophobic verbal abuse.=this threaten their masculinity so they perform these laddish subculture
The moral panic about boys
Critics of feminism argue that policies to promote girls education are no longer needed.They believe girls have succeed at the expense of boys,who are the new disadvantaged.
Why does boys’ poor language and literacy skills affect their overall achievement?
Because language and literacy are important in most subjects, so affects their overall school performance.
Moral panic(Ringrose)
The moral panic reflects a fear that underachieving WC boys will grow up dangerously and unemployable
Gender,class,ethnicity
-Both sexes performance has improved.Boys may be behind girls but boys are achieving more than in the past.
McVeigh
Similarities in girls and boys achievements are far greater than their differences
Gender and subject choice
National Curriculum
Gives pupils little freedom to chose or drop
subjects by making most subjects compulsory until 16.Girls and boys choose differently
Internal factors and gender differences
-Challenging stereotypes in curriculum
-Equal opportunities
-Teachers attention
-Selection and league tables
-Positive role models in schools
-GCSE and coursework(isnt as acknowledged-dont mention)
Swan found differences in communication in gender:
-when speeches,girls took turn instead of hostile take overs.
-may explain why teachers responded more positively to girls=saw them as cooperative
-may lead to SFP
-teachers interaction promote girls self esteem and higher achievement levels
Swan found differences in communication in gender: sociologists
argue that the removal of gender stereotypes in text books, reading schemes and other materials have removed barriers of girls achievements.
-in 1970 and 80s girls were portrayed scared from science and showed them as mainly mothers and housewives
Explanation for differences in subject choices
-Early socialization
-Peer pressure
-Gendered career opportunities
-Gendered subjects images
