External Factors, Gender Differences in Achievement

External Factors, Gender Differences in Achievement

1. Impact of Feminism

   • women used to think working was "unfeminine" and "unattractive". They don't think like this anymore
   • Reflected in magazines that show strong, independent women, this is what women now aspire to

2. Changes in the Family

   • Increase in one parent, female headed families. May mean more women take breadwinner role. Creates new financially independent role models for girls
   • Expectation that women may need to provide for themselves and so need to get good qualifications
   • Increase in divorce rate may send the message to girls that they shouldn't depend on their husband to provide

3. Changes in Women's Employment

   • Equal Pay Act
   • Proportion of women in employment has risen from 47% in 1959 to 70% in 2007
   • Since 1975 the pay gap has reduced to 17% to 30%
   • Some women are now breaking through the "glass ceiling" the invisible barrier that keeps women out of high level professional jobs

4. Changing Girl's ambitions

   • Sharpe
     • Interviewed girls in the 70's and found they had low asperations, felt educational success was unfeminine.
       • Believed that if they appeared as too ambitious boys wouldn't like them. Priorities were love, marriage and children
     • Interviewed girls in the 90's & found they had asperations of independence & a good career rather than depending on their husband. Priorities as work
   • Francis
     • Asked girls about their career ambitions, most had high ambitions and very few saw themselves in traditional female jobs