External Factors, Gender Differences in Achievement

Impact of Feminism
1. women used to think working was "unfeminine" and "unattractive". They don't think like this anymore
2. Reflected in magazines that show strong, independent women, this is what women now aspire to
Changes in the Family
1. Increase in one parent, female headed families. May mean more women take breadwinner role. Creates new financially independent role models for girls
2. Expectation that women may need to provide for themselves and so need to get good qualifications
3. Increase in divorce rate may send the message to girls that they shouldn't depend on their husband to provide
Changes in Women's Employment
1. Equal Pay Act
2. Proportion of women in employment has risen from 47% in 1959 to 70% in 2007
3. Since 1975 the pay gap has reduced to 17% to 30%
4. Some women are now breaking through the "glass ceiling" the invisible barrier that keeps women out of high level professional jobs
Changing Girl's ambitions
1. Sharpe
  1. Interviewed girls in the 70's and found they had low asperations, felt educational success was unfeminine.
    1. Believed that if they appeared as too ambitious boys wouldn't like them. Priorities were love, marriage and children
  2. Interviewed girls in the 90's & found they had asperations of independence & a good career rather than depending on their husband. Priorities as work
2. Francis
  1. Asked girls about their career ambitions, most had high ambitions and very few saw themselves in traditional female jobs

Resource summary

	Created by MeganAbigail almost 11 years ago