Education

Education

1. The role of school

   • Much of gender socialization goes on through school's hidden curriculum, eg hidden teaching of attiutdes, behaviour
     • TEACHERS ATTITUDES
       • teachers attitudes - teachers traditionally encouraging boys more in science and computers, placing more emphasis on their progress than girls
       • Different advice to boys and girls
     • SUBJECT CHOICE
       • Girls are more likely to to study home economics, textiles, food technology
       • Boys are more likely to choose electronics, woodwork, Graphic technology
       • Gender division is also found in sport, with rugby, cricket for boys and hockey, netball for the girls

2. THEORIES

   • Functionalist
     • we all need to conform to gender roles to make society function as a whole. Therefore accepting these hidden attitudes and behaviours from teachers
   • Feminism
     • feminists see the education system as transmitting patriarchal values.
       • For example, Heaton and Lawson (1996) argued that the hidden curriculum taught patriarchal values in schools.
     • Liberal feminists would point out these remaining issues of patriarchy in education while also acknowledging significant strides towards equality in the education system.
     • Radical feminists argue that the education system is still fundamentally patriarchal and continues to marginalise and oppress women.
     • Black and difference feminists point out how not all girls have the same experience in education and that minority-ethnic girls are often victims of specific stereotyping and assumptions.

3. Evaluation

   • Education has a big effect on gender roles as it conciously and unconciously makes boys and girls divide into different roles and subjects which form hegemonic identities. However as we become more socialized we have become much more flexible and open to subjects given to students and behaviours towards them