Gender differences in edu

Gender differences in edu

1. The gender gap-From starting school girls do consistantly better

2. External factors

   • Feminists have raised womens expectations+self-esteem
     • McRobbie compared girls magazines-1970 -emphasised getting married whereas now they contain independant assertive women
   • Changes in family (more divorce+ lone parent families)Eg more women need to take breadwinner role
   • Changes in womens employment-girls encouraged toward paid work Better opportunities and pay offer incentive
   • Evidence for girls' changing ambitions (Sharpe)
     • 1970-girls had low aspirations Acting intelligent=unattractive Prioritites -marriage husband children
     • 1990-priorities-careers+ supporting themselves More likely to see themselves as independant

3. Internal factors

   • Equal opportunities policies-teachers aware to avoid stereotyping GIST WISE encourage non-traditional careers National curriculum-study same subjects
   • Positive role models in school (female (head)teachers)
   • GCSE+coursework-favor girls-Spend more time Care about presentation Better with deadlines Bring right equipment Due to early gender role socialisation
   • (French)teacher attention-more with boys (Swann+Graddol) boys; dominant +disruptive=more opportunity to speak Teachers respond +vely to girls
   • Removal of gender stereotype from learning material-removed a barrier
   • Marketisation=girls more desirable=self-fulfilling prophecy (Boys more likely to suffer from behavioural difficulties)
   • 2 views of girls acheivement
     • Liberal feminists-celebrate progress Further progress due to equal opportunities, +ive role models + overcoming sexist attitudes
     • Radical feminists-system remains patriarchal (Sexual harassment Edu limits subject choice Male head teachers more likely in secondary school)
   • Boys + acheivement
     • Boys have poorer literacy+language skills due to parents reading less to them+boys leisure persuits
     • Less heavy industries(mining, etc)=decline of 'mens jobs' =identity crisis for men-undermines motivation+self-esteem
     • Feminisation of edu-schools don't nurture masculine traits Eg coursework
     • Less male primary school teachers-less role models
     • WC-masculinity=manual work Non-manual work =effeminate+inferior Francis-laddish culture spreading as girls move into traditionally masculine areas
   • Boys are not a lost cause Class gap greater than gender gap=b+g of same class=similar results Influence of gender varies Interaction effect,

4. Subject choice + gender identity

   • 'gender routes' G+B always choose different subjects Eg Boys-math+physics Girls-soc
     • Explanations of gender differences in subject choice
       • Early socialisation-G+B learn the behaviour expected of them G+B are dressed differently, given different toys+encouraged in different activities
         • Parents reward B when active+G when passive Teachers expect B to be tough+show initiative while G-expected to be helpful+tidy
           • =develop differently in reading tastes-G-fiction/B-non-fiction=different subjects
       • Gender domains-tasks/activities that are seen as female/male-children more confident in there domain G+B also interpret tasks differently
         • B+G pay attention to different detail G-focus more on how people feel B-focus more on how things are made (G-humanities+art B-science)
       • Science seen as boys subject because science teachers more likely to be male+examples used involve boys interest+boys dominate in practicals
         • DfES-pupils who attend a single sex school tend to hold less stereotyped subject images=less traditional subject choices
       • Peer pressure Eg boys tend to opt out of music/dance because they are out of their gender domain=attract -ive response of peers+vice versa
       • 'Sex typed' jobs Womens often similar to housewife
   • Gender identity
     • Verbal abuse-1 way that dominant gender+sexual identities are reinforced Eg girls called slags
     • Macho lads are dismissive of MC boys who work hard
     • Male teachers tease boys when they get lower marks than girls+they ignore boys verbal abuse of girls+they may also be protective of female teachers
     • The male gaze-femininity devalued, dominance reinforced+ way to prove masculinity
     • Double standards-boys boast about their sexual exploits but a girl...