Topic 5 - educational attainment + gender Flashcards
Introduction?
In the 1940s and 1950s, boys outperformed girls in school, with the belief that girls’ education was less important as they would marry and have families. It was also thought that men were naturally more talented. In the 1960s and 1970s, feminists challenged these views, presenting research showing that boys and girls received different educational experiences. This led to significant changes, and by the 1980s, girls began outperforming boys in exams.
Gender is a social construct?
Connel argued that the biological differences between males and females are overstated, with greater variation within each gender than between them. Social assumptions about gender often place women in inferior roles, and some still view masculinity as superior. In the 1990s, Helen Wilkinson coined “genderquake” to describe shifts in traditional gender roles. Initially, boys outperformed girls in education, but sexist practices in schools suppressed girls’ achievement. Today, research focuses on boys’ underachievement, with “masculinity” now seen as a barrier to success.
Causes of under attainment + gender
Feminists began researching girls’ underachievement in the 1960s, shifting focus from class inequality, which had previously been the main concern, and highlighting the overlooked issue of gender inequality.
Functionalists?
They see gender as being linekd to male and female social roles.
Therefore, what happens in education is a reflection of society.
Marxists?
They are concerned with class and therefore gender inequalty is not seen as important
Interactionists?
Studies show that both teachers and students reinforce traditional gender roles, which are reproduced in schools through formal teaching and the hidden curriculum.
Feminists?
They show how patriarchy extended into schools from the wider society
They looked for and found evidence that girls lost out within the education
system
The New Right?
New Right theorists align with functionalists but highlight boy’s underachievement, advocating policies to reverse this trend
Post modernists?
Postmodernists view gender as a choice and argue that enforcing gender identity in schools is a harsh form of social control.
Genetic theories and genetic differences of crime
Sociologists largely reject genetic explanations for gender differences in attainment. Some argue boys and girls learn differently, leading to support for single-sex education. However, if biology were the cause, achievement patterns wouldn’t change over time.
Gender socialisation?
Sue Sharpe (1976) argued that gender identity is shaped through primary socialization at home and reinforced by education and media. This influences subject choices, with boys and girls opting for traditionally masculine or feminine subjects. The national curriculum aimed to challenge these norms, but gendered subject choices persist, often influenced by social class.
School Organisaiton
Changes in education policies and exams favor girls, while the female-dominated teaching profession limits male role models. Success in school is linked to femininity, leading some boys to reject it to assert masculinity. Efforts have focused on helping girls enter male-dominated subjects, with less emphasis on boys challenging gender stereotypes.
Women into science and engineering
WISE promotes women in science and engineering but lacks a boys-into-childcare equivalent. Coursework in the 80s and 90s favored girls’ learning styles, as they are seen as more attentive, while boys prefer active learning. Boys are also viewed as more challenging in behavior and are three times more likely to be excluded.
Hegemonic masculinity?
Willis (1977) linked boys’ rejection of education to hegemonic masculinity, shaped by traditional male-dominated industries requiring few qualifications. Francis (2000) argued that as girls enter male fields, boys distance themselves from femininity, rejecting success strategies. This self-defeating attitude harms future job prospects, as modern employment demands qualifications.
Feminism?
Feminism has influenced girls’ expectations, increasing career ambition and commitment to education. Sharpe (1970s) found girls once prioritized marriage, but by the 90s, they focused on careers. With traditional male jobs declining, modern work values communication and social skills—traits traditionally linked to women.
New right?
The New Right argues that single-mother households leave boys without strong male role models, leading them to idolize media figures who succeed without education. This discourages school effort, harming achievement and employability. However, this view oversimplifies, as middle-class boys often outperform girls academically.
