Gender

Question 1

4 External factors of gender differences in achievement

Answer 1

Impact of feminism
Changes in the family
Changes in women’s employment
Girls changing ambitions

Question 2

Impact of feminism on gender

Answer 2

since 1960’s, Feminist movement challenged traditional stereotype of a womens role as solely a mother and housewife and inferior to men
-Raised women’s expectations and self esteem
Mcrobbies study- of girl magazines. 1970’s importance of getting married and not being “left on the shelf” but now they contain images of assertive independant women.

Question 3

Impact of changes in the family on gender

Answer 3

• increase in divorce rate: unwise to rely on husband to be provider. Encourages girls to get their own qualifications
• increase in lone parent families: more women take on breadwinner role. New role model of financially independant women
  -increase in cohabitation

Question 4

Impact of changes in women’s employment on gender

Answer 4

1970 equal pay act
More women in paid work
“Breaking through glass ceiling” (invisible barrier keeping them out of high-level professional and managerial jobs)
Encouraged girls to see future in terms of paid work rather than housewives. Incentive for girls to gain qualifications

Question 5

Impact of girls changing ambitions on gender

Answer 5

Sharpe’s- interview with girls in 70’s and 90’s. Girls had low aspirations, educational success unfeminine, ambitious=unattractive, priorities: marriage husband children
90’s- career and independence
Beck- links this to trend towards individualisation in modern society where independence valued more strongly

Question 6

6 Internal factors of gender differences in achievement

Answer 6

Equal opportunities policies
Positive role models in school
GCSE and coursework
Teacher attention
Challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
Selection and league tables

Question 7

Impact of equal opportunities policies on gender

Answer 7

Feminist ideas had major impact. teachers more sensitive to avoid stereotyping, GIST and WISE. Female scientists visited schools. Intro of national curriculum (study same subjects)

Question 8

Impact of Positive role models in school for gender achievement

Answer 8

More female teachers and heads. Women can achieve senior positions of importance. To become a teacher, must undertake a lengthy and successful education herself

Question 9

Impact of GCSE and coursework on gender achievement

Answer 9

Gender gap fairly constant till gcse introduced and coursework. Mitsos and Browne- girls more successful in coursework and better organised. These factors help girls benefit. These characteristics are result of early gender role socialisation in the family eg girls told to be neat and tidy

Ao3- Elwood- Exams have more influence than coursework overall

Question 10

Impact of teacher attention on gender achievement

Answer 10

French- analysed classroom interaction. Boys recieved more negative attention due to reprimands. Disciplined harsher and teacher’s had lower expectations of them.
Swann- Boys dominate whole class discussions and girls prefer pair work (better at listening and cooperating). Girls involve turn taking while boys do hostile interruptions. Explains why teachers respond positively to girls. May lead to self fulfilling prophecy

Question 11

Impact of challenging stereotypes in the curriculum on gender achievement

Answer 11

Removal of gender stereotypes from learning materials. Before- women housewives, frightened by science.
Now- sexist images removed.

Question 12

Impact of selection and league tables on gender achievement

Answer 12

Girls desirable as better exam results. Self fulfilling prophecy as more likely to do well. Boys may be seen as “liability students” as they suffer from more behavioural difficulties and an obstacle to a high league table score

Question 13

Radical feminist view of girls achievement

Answer 13

Sexual harassment of girls continues
More female head teachers but male more likely to become heads
Women underrepresented in many areas of curriculum eg their contribution to history largely ignored

Question 14

Archer et al- 3 ways wc girls gain symbolic capital

Answer 14

Hyper- heterosexual feminine identities
Boyfriends
Being loud

Question 15

Hyper-heterosexual feminine identity

Answer 15

Invested time effort and money into constructing desirable and glamorous identities. Brought status from female peer group and avoided them being called a ‘tramp’ for wearing the wrong brand.
Conflict with school. Punished for having the wrong appearance. School “othering” the girls, incapable of educational success and less worthy of respect. Bordieu- symbolic violence

Question 16

Boyfriends

Answer 16

Got in the way of schoolwork and lowered aspirations. No longer wanted to go uni or study “masculine” subjects.
Work locally. settle down, have children
One girl had to drop out after becoming pregnant

Question 17

Being “loud”

Answer 17

Questioning teachers authority.
outspoken, independent and assertive. Teachers interpreted as aggressive rather than assertive

Question 18

Working class girls dilemma

Answer 18

Symbolic capital or educational capital.
Some girls tried to cope by saying they are “good underneath”

Question 19

Successful working class girls study

Answer 19

Evans- 21 wc sixth form girls, girls wanted to go uni to increase earning power for family. Reflected their wc feminine identity of caring.
Fear of debt so lived at home. Limits their success from elite unis

Question 20

2 internal factors affecting boys achievement

Answer 20

Boys and literary
Globalisation and decline of traditional men’s jobs

Question 21

2 external factors affecting boys achievement

Answer 21

Feminisation of education
Shortage of male primary school teachers

Question 22

symbolic capital

Answer 22

status, recognition and sense of worth we obtain from others

Question 23

boys and literacy

Answer 23

poorer literacy and language skills. parents spend less time reading to sons. Mostly mother so seen as a feminine activity.
Boys leisure pursuits like football do little to develop their language and communication skills. Girls have a bedroom culture centered on staying in and talking with friends.

Question 24

globalisation and decline of traditional men’s jobs

Answer 24

since 1980’s- significant decline in heavy industries such as mining and engineering. Result of globalisation which has led to much manufacturing industry relocating to developing countries such as china to take advantage of cheap labour.
Mitoses and Browne- decline in male employment opportunities has led to an ‘identity crisis for men’. undermines motivation so give up trying to get qualifications.

Question 25

A03 of decline in traditional male jobs

Answer 25

decline largely in manual wc jobs that require little to no qualifications

Question 26

feminisation of education

Answer 26

sewell- schools dont nurture 'masculine' traits like competitiveness and leadership. Instead, they celebrate qualities more closely associated with girls like methodical working & attentiveness in class. Some coursework should be replaced with final exams

Question 27

shortage of male primary teachers

Answer 27

large number of boys being brought up in 1.5 million female-headed lone parent families in uk. only 14% of primary school teachers male most boys surveyed said the presence of a male teacher made them behave better and 42% said it would make them work harder.

Question 28

Read's 2 types of language

Answer 28

disciplinarian discourse- teachers authority made explicit and visible eg shouting (associated with masculinity) liberal discourse- authority implicit and invisible. involves pseudo-adultification (teacher speaks to pupil as if they were an adult and expects them to be respectful (associated with femininity)

Question 29

Read's study findings

Answer 29

study of 51 primary school teachers found most teachers used disciplinarian discourse of control which disproves the claim that the culture of primary school has become feminised as sewell and others argue. female teachers just as likely to use a 'masculine' discourse to control pupils behaviour disproves claim that only male teachers can provide stricter classroom culture in which boys are said to thrive.

Question 30

laddish subcultures

Answer 30

in wc culture, masculinity= being tough and doing manual work. non manual work= seen as effeminate and inferior (eg extension schoolwork). so reject schoolwork to avoid being called gay

Question 31

moral panic about boys

Answer 31

critics of feminism- policies to promote girls education no longer needed. Girls have succeeded at the expense of boys Ringrose- moral panic reflects a fear that underachieving wc boys will grow up to become a dangerous, unemployable underclass that threatens social stability. has caused a shift in educational policy. 2 negative effects: by narrowing equal opportunities policies down to boys it ignores disadvantaged wc and minority ethnic. ignores other problems faced by girls like sexual harrassment

Question 32

osler (gender)

Answer 32

focus on underachieving boys has led to a neglect of girls as girls often disengage more quietly but boys have public displays of 'laddish' masculinity that attract attention from teachers & policymakers

Question 33

AO3 of GIST & WISE

Answer 33

boys opting for science and maths girls opting for sociology, english. calls into question the effectiveness of policies like gist and wise encouraging girls to take up subjects like physics

Question 34

vocational courses

Answer 34

1 in 100 childcare apprentices is a boy

Question 35

4 explanations of gender differences in subject choice

Answer 35

gender role socialisation, gendered subject images, gender identity and peer pressure, gendered career opportunities

Question 36

gender role socialisation

Answer 36

early socialisation shapes children's gender identity. Norman- from an early age boys and girls dressed differently, given different toys Byrne- teachers encourage boys to be tough and show initiative and not be weak. Girls expected to be clean and tidy. Murphy & Elwood- leads to different subject choices. Boys read hobby or information books while girls read stories about people. Murphy also found that boys and girls pay attention to different details when tackling the same task.girls= how people feel boys= how things are made/work

Question 37

gendered subject images

Answer 37

-science teachers more likely men -boys monopolise apparatus and dominate laboratory like its theirs single-sex schooling- male less traditional subject choices

Question 38

gender identity and peer pressure

Answer 38

can opt out if it doesnt align with gender domain so it doesnt attract negative attention from peers. male students would call girls 'lesbian' if they were interested in sport.

Question 39

gendered career opportunities

Answer 39

over half of all women's employment is in 4 categories: clerical, secretarial, personal services and occupations like cleaning.

Question 40

hegemonic masculinity

Answer 40

dominance of heterosexual masculine identity and subordination of female and gay identities

Question 41

double standards

Answer 41

Lees- sexual morality. boys boast about sexual exploits but call a girl a 'slag' if she doesnt have a steady boyfriend or dresses and speaks in a certain way. sexual conquest approved of and given status but girls have negative labels.

Question 42

male gaze

Answer 42

boys prove masculinity by constant retelling of stories about sexual conquests. If not, risk being labelled gay.

Question 43

Ringrose's study

Answer 43

13-14 year old wc girls peer groups. tension between an idealised feminine identity- showing loyalty to female peer group and getting along with everyone sexualised identity- competing for boys in dating culture

Question 44

boffin identity

Answer 44

girls who want educational success may feel the need to conform to the schools ideal feminine pupil identity. Lacking interest in fashion or boys. Risk being labelled boffin by girls.

Question 45

teachers and discipline

Answer 45

male teacher behaviour can subtely reinforce messages about gender male teachers 'rescue' female teachers from threatening pupils who are being disruptive. this reinforces the idea that women cannot cope alone.