Yr12 SociologyUnit 2E
Yr12 SociologyUnit 2E
Yr12 SociologyUnit 2E
UNIT 2 – EDUCATION
Parsons believed that schools provide a link between • Marxists – Hidden Curriculum
Bridge between the family and wider society which allows students to reinforces social inequality and
family and society. move from the ascribed status and particularistic maintains ruling class ideology.
Hidden Curriculum means the 2 values of the home to the meritocratic and
informal learning processes Parsons universalistic values of wider society. • Feminists – Hidden curriculum
that happen in school It is a maintains and reinforces patriarchy
side effect of education that not meritocracy.
This suggests that investment in education benefits the
teaches students the norms Developing Human wider economy. Education can provide properly
and values of society. • Wong – Functionalists see children
Capital trained, qualified and flexible workforce. They argue
3 that education makes sure that the best and most
as passive puppets of socialisation
when the process is much more
Schultz qualified people end up in jobs that require the most
complex and involves teacher –
skill.
pupil relationships.
The education systems provides a means to selecting
Particularistic Values means and sifting people into the social hierarchy. In a • There is a weak link between
Role Allocation educational achievement and
values and Rules which only meritocratic society access to jobs and power, wealth
4 and status are directly linked to educational economic success.
apply to that particular Davis and Moore achievement.
Person in a given situation
(e.g. Home)
New Right View of Education
Role of Education Influence of Education Policy
Similar beliefs to the functionalists but believe that he state takes 1980’s Vocational Education
too much of a role and the free market policies (marketisation) 1988 Education Reform Act:
Universalistic Values means would raise standards. • Funding formula
values and Rules which apply • League Tables
to all members of Schools should compete with one another and parents and
New Labour - Academies
Society equally. pupils should be seen as consumers.
Coalition Government
Chubb and Moe - Education Vouchers and Parentocracy. • Free Schools
• Privatisation of Education
Role and functions of Education: Marxism
The main role of education is to maintain capitalism and reproduce social inequality.
Ideological State
Apparatus means a Althusser Bowles and Gintis
Social institution whose
Reproduction of social Legitimisation of social
main role is to pass on Correspondence principal Myth of Meritocracy
the dominate ideology
inequality inequality
of the Ruling class. Education deliberate M/C has access to more School processes mirror the Education claims to be
engineers W/C failure in order cultural and economic capital world of work in order to meritocratic but schools
to create an unqualified which puts them at an prepare them for manual discriminate in favour of the
factory workforce. advantage. labour: middle class, e.g. language.
• wages not satisfaction
Private education prepares Education encourages • Lack of control Hidden Curriculum lowers
Repressive State
children of the elite for students to blindly accept • Obedience working class ambitions.
Apparatus means a
positions of power. capitalist values, through the • Achieved status
social institution whose
hidden curriculum. • Discipline and
role it is to enforce the
Hidden Curriculum is shaped consequences
dominant ideology by
to assist M/C achievement • Boredom
force or threat of force
– e.g. police and deter W/C achievement.
Evaluation
Correspondence Giroux – Neo Marxism Social Democratic Neo-Liberals New Right Postmodernism
Principal means the
Rejects the view that Halsey Floud and Martin Saunders claim that Chubb and Moe argue Marxists fail to
ways in which the
WC passively accept suggest that Marxists middle class that the Marxists fail to acknowledge that
education system
their position to become exaggerate the effect educational success is see how education has education actually
Mirrors the world of
compliant workers. the education has on due to biological failed all social groups reproduces diversity
work. E.g. hierarchy,
working class differences. not just the working rather than inequality.
punctuality and
Existence of anti-school achievement. class.
subcultures, truancy and Morrow and Torres claim
exclusion suggest both They point out that govt They believe that the students create their
the hidden curriculum policies such as education has failed to own identities rather
and correspondence comprehensivisation equip all students with than being constrained
Hidden Curriculum
principal have failed. have improved the the skills needed to be by traditional structures
means the informal
chances of the working successful in the global like class. In postmodern
learning processes that
Marxists often fail to class. market place. societies students are
happen in school it is a
acknowledge that able to make their own
side effect of education
gender and ethnicity choices about their
that teaches students
often combine with class identity e.g. increasing
the norms and values
to produce success or numbers of trans
of society.
failure. students.
Education Policies (Equality)
Policies which increased equality in education
What are the three aims of education
policy in the UK?
Policy How it increased equality Evaluation
Economic Efficiency – develop the skills of 1988 Education Reform All schools had to teach the same core curriculum Not suitable for all – suits ‘academic’
the young to improve the labour force. This
involves making the education system meet
Act – National pupil more.
the needs of industry and employers. curriculum
Raising educational standards – UK 1965 – Got rid of the 11+ exam and made it so all students Comprehensives are large schools so
education needs to compete in a global Comprehensivisation would get ‘Parity of Esteem’ & ‘Equality’ within lack individual attention.
education market and is ranked against Act education
other countries – e.g. PISA
Schools Admissions Forbids discrimination in admitting pupil on grounds Covert selection still takes place by
Creating equality of educational opportunity
- ensuring that all students get the best Code of socio-economic backgrounds or ability. both schools and parents. Postcode
educational opportunities. lottery
Policies that improve Pupil Premium – additional funding for those students Kerr and West – too many other
What are the 4 aspects of educational inequality in from a poor socio-economic background. factors outside of school that impact
equality identified by Gillborn and circumstances Compensatory education achievement.
Youdell
Selection and Admissions Policies
Explain
3 types of selection Arguments against selection Over Subscription Policies
Every child should have the same
Equality of
• Faith
Equality of
chances of achievement in teaching can take place. Faith schools require a letter from spiritual
subscribed schools fill up quickly so
education regardless of socio- leader to gain insight to the potential
many parents don’t get their 1st
economic background. students family and commitment to both
choice.
the faith and the school ethos.
Education Policies (Marketisation)
Marketisation means the Three features of marketisation Policies which promote Marketisation and Raising standards
process of where by services
like education are pushed Independence – allowing schools Marketisation Policies Raising Standards Policies
towards operating like a to run themselves how they see fit.
business based on supply and League Tables Ofsted
Conservative
1979 – 1997
demand. Students are Local Management Schools National Curriculum
Funding Formula National Testing
Govt
considered consumers rather Competition – Making schools
than pupils. Open Enrolment
compete with each other for
students.
Privatisation in Education
Choice – Giving customers Business sponsored Academies Maximum class sizes for 5 -7 yr old
Labour Govt
means changing the internal
1997 – 2010
processes of a school to be (parents and students) more Specialist schools Building Schools for the future program
more like a business, for choice in where they go to school. Education Action zones
Business sponsored Academies
example treating Parents and
students as consumers, target Three elements of quality
setting, performance related control New Style Academies Pupil Premium
Coalition Govt
2010 - 2015
pay and league tables. Free Schools English Baccalaureate
Ofsted Inspections Reform of the National Curriculum
Reform of the Exams system
Privatisation of Education Tougher performance targets for schools
means opening up aspects of
education to Private Publication of performance Tables
businesses such as staff such as examination results.
training, school finances, Evaluation of Marketisation policies and raising standards
school Management
Parents do not have equal freedom to choose the schools which their child attends due
Parentocracy
(academy chains) and Exams National curriculum – baseline for to covert selection process, postcode lotteries in catchment areas, Middle class parents
Myth of
what is taught. have much more freedom in choice due to their cultural capital, higher education and
income.
Parentocracy means when a
child’s Educational Evaluation of Privatisation of Educational Teachers tend to allocate more resources to the students who are on the C/D boarder
achievement has more to line in order to achieve the 5 A* - C needed for the league tables thus ignoring those who
Education
Triage
do with parental wealth and are unlikely to achieve this.
wishes than student ability.
Parents are able to have more Positives Negatives
choice over where to send More efficient Takes money Due to the funding formula, schools need to retain and attract students in order to receive
their children. from the
Dumbing
funding. Schools will therefore lead to the dumbing down of teaching and standards in
Down
More choice for education order to retain students who might leave if they are pushed too hard or if the courses are
parents system. too difficult.
companies to schs stranded. the process by changing the standards and goal posts.
control
quality
support failing
schools Less equality
Globalisation and Education
Overview
ability Female
student based on how close the students fit the ideal pupil. Becker suggests that
in individual subjects. teacher/ pupil interactions are based upon these labels and can lead to a self
White fulfilling prophecy where the students take on the label and act accordingly.
M/Class
Streaming means Deterministic
placing students in Quiet Focuses on the negative effects
Evaluation
groups according to Labelling theory attributes too much importance to ‘teacher agency’ (the
ability across all autonomous power of teachers to influence and affect pupils) – structural
subjects. sociologists might point out that schools themselves encourage teachers to label
students
Teacher training.
Ideal Pupil means the Self fulfilling prophecy
characteristics that a
Reactions
teacher Rejection of the label - Margaret Fuller’s (1984) research on black girls in a London
subconsciously looks Bernstein – Language Codes comprehensive school found that the black girls she researched were labelled as
for in a good pupil. low-achievers, but their response to this negative labelling was to knuckle down and
Restricted Code Elaborate Code study hard to prove their teachers and the school wrong.
Self Fulfilling W/C M/C
prophecy means Limited vocab Wide vocab
when a pupil takes
Short unfinished Grammatically Labelling – Case Studies
sentences complex
on the label that they Grammatically Varied and Rosenthal and Jacobson Ray Rist Hempel Jorgenson
have been by the simple abstract
school and acts Context bound Context free
Pygmalian in the classroom. US Primary school study. Ideal pupil varies according
accordingly. Teacher used home the make up of the school.
Fake IQ test given to students. background to
Random 20% students group/segregate students. Aspen – W/C sch. Discipline
identified as bright (bloomers), Tigers – Neat m/c, fast was a problem. Ideal pupil is
went back after a year and students. quiet, passive and obedient.
found that those students had Cardinals – W/C middling
made more progress then ability. Rowan – M/C sch. Few
others. Clowns – W/C troublesome. dicispline problems. Ideal pupil
is defined by personality &
Labels carried through later academic ability rather than
years behaviour.
Pupil Identities and Subcultures
Subcultures - A Pupil Subcultures How Schools shape Pupil Identities
subculture is a group of
people within culture
Types Peer Groups and Symbolic Capital Symbolic Violence – Archer
that differentiates itself Characteristics
from the parent culture Mac An Ghaill (1994) Reinforcing acceptable behaviours by Schools impose forms of symbolic
ostracising those that don’t conform violence against students whose
to which it belongs often Committed to The academic achievers: and giving status to those that do. identities are shaped by designer
maintaining some of the
achievement. • English Baccalaureate (Ebacc). These are the highest scores from
the sciences, computer science, geography, history and
languages.
• Open group. Any remaining GCSEs and other approved
academic, arts or vocational qualifications.
External Factors – Factors
outside of school which A student’s Attainment 8 score is calculated by adding up their points for
impact a students their top eight subjects and dividing by 10 to get their Attainment 8 score.
educational achievement. Students don't have to take eight subjects, but they score zero for any
unfilled slots.
government or government
been placed.
University
agencies.
It looks at the different social groups to see differences in
acceptance of places at university. NOT the offers or applications.
Differential Educational Achievement: Class (Internal Factors)
Factor Outline Impact on Achievement Evaluation
Middle Class means
occupations that are Labelling theory suggest that teachers often Self fulfilling prophecy Deterministic
mostly white collar attach a label to a pupil that has little to do with Focuses on the negative effects
and professional jobs. their actual ability or aptitude. Instead they form Rejection of the label - Margaret Fuller’s (1984) Labelling theory attributes too much importance
Highly Educated
Labelling
an opinion of the student based on how close research on black girls in a London to ‘teacher agency’ (the autonomous power of
the students fit the ideal pupil. Becker suggests comprehensive school found that the black girls teachers to influence and affect pupils) –
that teacher/ pupil interactions are based upon she researched were labelled as low-achievers, structural sociologists might point out that
these labels and can lead to a self fulfilling but their response to this negative labelling was schools themselves encourage teachers to label
Working Class means prophecy where the students take on the label to knuckle down and study hard to prove their students
mostly blue collar and act accordingly. teachers and the school wrong. Teacher training.
and manual jobs.
Low educational
achievement. When students take on the label that is A negative label usually placed on W/C Deterministic
attributed to them by the teacher or school. This students can lead to students forming an anti- Rejection of the label - Margaret Fuller’s (1984)
Self Fulfilling
can either be a positive or negative label. school subculture and underachieve at school. research on black girls in a London
Prophecy
classes within individual subjects. streams/sets which can lead to lower self students to be stretched and the lower ability
esteem and therefore under achieve. Being students to be supported which can lead to
Educational Triage Streaming is the placement of students into placed in lower streams can also limit student higher achievement.
means putting ability groups going across all subjects. achievement by not allowing them access to
students into 3 opportunities to achieve.
streams. M/C in the
top streams, C/D
Boarder line, W/C in
lower streams.
Anti –school Pro – School W/C are more likely to be part of an anti-school Not all students become part of a pro or anti
Pupil sub cultures
Habitus – learned or taken for granted ways of M/C have power to set the habitus of the school Postmodernists argue that class doesn’t have as
Pupil’s class Identity.
thinking, being or acting that are shared by a giving M/C students an advantage. much of an impact on students identity
particular social class (Bourdieu) anymore due to the pick and mix culture.
W/C habitus is devalued by schools and W/C
It includes their tastes, outlook on life, students felt that they had to change who they
expectations and what is normal or realistic for are in order to be academically successful.
people ‘like us’
W/C habitus sees HE as undesirable and
unrealistic.
Differential Educational Achievement: Class (External Factors)
Cultural Deprivation means having inferior norms and values, Material Deprivation means not having the resources External Factors means elements from
skills and knowledge that make it difficult to access or spaces available to do well in school – linked to outside of the school environment which will
education. poverty. effect educational achievement.
The way parents communicate with their children essential Material deprivation refers to poverty and lack of Bourdieu states that there are three interlinked
part of cognitive development and it is suggested by Hubbs- material necessities which aid educational types of capital which combine both material
Overview
Tait that parents who challenge their children to evaluate achievement. and cultural factors to explain why MC
Types of Capital
their thinking are more likely to have higher cognitive ability. Poverty and lack of material necessities is closely students do better than their WC counterparts.
Feinstein suggested that this is more likely to happen in linked with social class as it is more likely that the His three types of Capital are:
Language
families where the parents are educated and therefore working class are going to have a low household • Cultural Capital – referring to the
middle class. income and inadequate housing which can lead to knowledge, attitudes, values,
Bernstein identified that the working class and the middle low educational achievement. language and abilities of the middle
class have different language codes, the working class use a class.
restricted code which involves simple grammar, limited vocab • Economic Capital – referring to money
Although education in the UK is provided free at the
and gestures. Where as the Middle class use an elaborate and household income.
point of services there are many hidden costs to
code which involves complex grammar, fuller sentences and • Educational Capital
education that can leave working class pupils at a
more abstract ideas. This puts MC students at an advantage
Cost of Education
disadvantage. Tanner points to the costs of transport,
at school as teachers, textbooks and the education system
books, computers, uniforms, equipment and field trips Bourdieu argued that these three types of
tend to use the elaborate code
can place a heavy burden on working class families. capital could be converted from one to
Douglas argues that parental attitudes to education and their Flaherty also suggests that there is a stigma attached anther and were inexorably interlinked. For
to those on FSM which prevents to some from taking
Conversion
Parents education
own levels of education often have a big impact on example middle Class have the economic
educational achievement. He argued that working class up the entitlements. Smith and Nobel also suggest that Capital (money) to be able to provide cultural
parents place less value on education and therefore are less working class pupils are at a disadvantage as they experiences such as holidays abroad and trips
likely to push their children academically and visit school less cannot afford private tuition or schools. Ridge to museums which then leads to academic
often and as a result the children have lower levels of highlights that working class pupils might need to take achievement and Educational Capital.
motivation and achievement. Feinstein also states that on paid work whilst still at school in order to help the Additionally Economic Capital can be used for
parents levels of education impact achievement as middle household which takes time away from study. private schooling and tutors to increase
class parents socialise their children differently, in particularly academic attainment.
terms of parenting style where middle class parents are more
Housing and health can have both a direct and
consistent in terms of discipline and educational behaviours.
indirect affect on educational achievement. For Completed a study to assess students cultural
example overcrowding can have a direct effect in capital. She used questionnaires and got 465
Housing and Health
Language
Bowker (1968): ‘The Education of Coloured Immigrants’ A lack of be unemployed than Whites.
standard English creates a huge barrier to UK education. • 15% of minority groups live in overcrowded homes (2%
Trends in Ethnicity and for Whites).
Achievement Bollard and Driver – language problems cease to be a problem by the • Pakistanis are 2X as likely to be in semi/ un-skilled jobs
Overview
age of 16. compared to Whites.
The Swann Report (1985) found that language differences had little
DfES (2007): impact on achievement. According to the Swann Report (1985), Social Class
differences account for a high proportion of differences in
• Only 24% of White male Many sociologists argue that ‘dysfunctional’ family types are to blame for the achievement between ethnic groups.
pupils who were on free underachievement of certain ethnic groups.
school-meals gained 5 A*- This argument is paradoxical. We cannot tell if these groups
• Murray 1984: African Caribbean Lone-Parenthood to blame. Lack of male underachieve within education because they are working
C Grades. role-models means that mothers struggle to socialise children adequately.
• White & Asian pupils on class, or if they end up being working class because other
Family Structures & Support
Overview
companies but alternated between the names ‘Evans’ &
the UK.
These arguments suggest that different ethnic groups are socialised ‘Patel’……… the replies to the ‘White’ candidate were
Attitudes and Values
into (or ‘inherit’) different attitudes & values. more helpful and informative.
• Within every ethnic group,
M/C pupils do better than Tronya and Carrington (1990) – argue that the descriptions
Arnot (2004) suggests that the Media have created a negative anti- of some cultures are little more than racist stereotypes.
W/C pupils. school role model for Black pupils in particular which he describes as
‘the Ultra-Tough Ghetto Superstar ‘ reinforced through rap lyrics &
• Among all groups other MTV videos. Cultural research can be used against certain groups –
than Gypsy/Roma children, Sivanandan argues that afro-caribbean culture is used by
girls out perform boys. Driver (1977) highlights how ethnicity can be an advantage in some right wing groups to justify the view that they are a
education e.g. African Caribbean Girls actually do very well in school. problem for society.
Differential Educational Achievement: Ethnicity (Internal Factors)
Labelling Pupil Identities Pupil responses and subcultures
Archer: Teachers often define pupils by stereotypical Fuller studied a group of black girls in year 11 in a London
Interactionist/ Labelling theory look how teachers
Overview
ethnic identities which often lack the favoured ideal pupil Comprehensive who were in lower streams yet were achieving
label pupils from different ethnic groups differently.
Rejection of
characteristics. This leads to negative labelling. highly. These girls did not conform to all the values of school (e.g.
Particular focus is on how Black & Asian pupils are
Labels
respect for teachers) but did value educational success enough to
Overview
labelled negatively
Archer argues that the teachers dominant way of looking push themselves.
at things shapes and defines the pupils ethnic identity. Mac an Ghaill discovered similar findings in his study of Black & Asian
When students challenge these stereotypes they are A-Level pupils. Each of these studies show how labelling does not
Gilbourn & Youdell: Teachers were quick to discipline
Expectations’.
Types of Identity
identity Asexual / therefore causing under-achievement.
Foster: Teachers stereotypes of black students could repressed Unintelligent
Setting and
result in them being put in lower sets and there for a Normal sexuality sexuality
Streaming
Sewell:
self fulfilling prophecy of under achievement. Peer – led
stereotypes.
Machismo’ .
ability and Slogger who
The conformists - The majority of Black pupils accepted the values of
talent. succeeds Underachiever
Wright study of a multi-ethnic primary school saw that the school & were eager to succeed.
through hard
Asian Pupils
Asian students also suffer labelling. She found that The Retreatists - A small minority who isolated & disconnected with
work rather than
teachers held ethnocentric views. Which affected peer group subcultures & the school. These kept a low profile.
natural ability.
who they related to Asian pupils including leaving The Innovators - Second largest group who were pro-education but
them out of discussions or using childish language anti-school. They distanced themselves from ‘Conformists’ enough
when speaking to them leading to marginalisation. to keep credibility with the ‘Rebels’ whilst valuing education success.
Institutional Racism
Marketisation &
Critical Racism Theory Ethnocentric Curriculum Assessment Access to opportunities New ‘IQ ism
Segregation
Sees racism as a feature of Gillbourn – marketisation allows A curriculum which reflects the Gilbourn - System is rigged to In G&T programs whites are Teachers and Policy makers make
society. from more covert selection to culture of one ethnic group, validate the dominate culture twice as likely to be identified false assumptions about the nature of
Roithmayer – institutional racism take place which can lead to usually the dominant culture. superiority. as G&T over EM’s pupils ability or potential.
is a locked in inequality so large segregation. This is a prime example of Potential is seen as fixed and can be
and historical that it is no longer institutional racism. Sanders & Horn - Changing EM’s are less likely to be measured through old style IQ tests or
a conscious though. Commission for Racial Equality Tronya and Bell – lack of from a written tests to teacher entered for higher tier exams psychometric tests, however Gillborn
Gillborn sees racism so ingrained 1993 noted that covert selection teaching of Asian languages assessment led to black despite policies and initiatives suggests that these test only test what
in education that is now procedures led to EM students Ball – Little Englandism: NC students underachieving. to raise EM achievements. This is currently known or learnt not what
inevitable. more likely to be in unpopular ignores black and Asian history is due to teacher labelling and could be.
schools. SFP These tests are skewed to dominant
culture.
Differential Educational Achievement: Gender (Internal Factors)
Gender Gap in Factor Outline Impact on Achievement Evaluation
Achievement
Government policies for education that have Boaler suggests that these policies are the Liberal Feminists
Opportunities
2013 Teacher aimed to create more opportunities for girls key reason for the changes in girls
to take part in what have traditionally been achievement as they removed many of the
Starting school
Equal
make subjects for example GIST & WISE. barriers faced by girls and has made
that girls were out The national curriculum also levelled the education more meritocratic. made in education and achievement
performing boys in playing field as girls and boys had to study for girls but believe that there is still work
literacy, language, the same subjects. to be done. They see the need for
maths and PSED continued equal opportunities policies,
In the last 20 years there has been an By having role models to look up to in no more positive roles models and
Role models
increase in the number of females taking up traditional positions Girls are more likely to education against sexist attitudes and
Girls continue to do head teacher and senior teacher roles which work harder to achieve these goals stereotypes in order for true equality in
acts as role model for girls showing them that themselves which leads to them achieving education to be achieved.
Key Stage 1 - 3
better in boys
they can achieve positions of importance more educationally.
especially in English
and power.
where the gap
continues to widen
but the gap begins
Course work was introduced in 1988. Gorard Mitsos and Browne suggest that girls are more Radical Feminists
noted that the achievement gap was fairly successful in coursework because they are
Coursework
to narrow in the
GCSE and
constant between 1979 and 1989, however more conscientious and better organised
sciences and maths. once coursework was introduced girls began than boys which puts them at an advantage. Radical feminists recognise that girls are
to out perform boys and the gap widened. achieving more but they emphasis that
The average gap at this is in spite of the patriarchal nature of
Key Stage 4
with girls and boys differently. Boys get more which could lead to a self fulfilling prophecy
Teacher
attention in the classroom but it is negative allowing girls to achieve and boys to they have experienced
The gap at A Level is attention. Boys also tend to dominate in underachieve unwanted sexual touching in
whole class discussion where as girls tend to school.
much narrower than
Keys Stage 5
textbooks, reading schemes and has been significant change with teachers and history a Women Free Zone.
called ‘boys
removed a barrier to girls aspirations and textbooks challenging the traditional • There are still many more
subjects’ such as achievement. In the 1970’s and 1980’s girls stereotypes which has led to greater
maths and science. were portrayed as wives and mothers and achievement in girls as they are presented
men in positions of authority
textbooks would reinforce this image as well with more positive images of what they can in education such as Head
Although boys are Teachers especially in
Vocational Education
qualification than girls more desirable for schools as they are girls to a self fulfilling prophecy. League of subjects and career
Selection
girls, girls are still likely to achieve better grades. Slee points tables have created greater opportunities for options which limit girls
more likely to out that boys are more likely to have girls and they fact they are more desired by
behavioural issues and four times more likely schools means that girls take on a self fulfilling
choices and options.
receive a
to be excluded which reflects badly on a prophecy and master status of higher
distinction. school in the competitive nature of achievement.
education today.
Differential Educational Achievement: Gender (External Factors)
Factor Outline Impact on Achievement Evaluation
The ‘Feminist Movement’ has improved the Sue Sharpe Interviewed girls about their career Glass Ceiling and Pay Gap still exists
rights of women as well as raising expectations aspirations & concluded that, due to
& self-esteem/ motivation of women. Women increased employment opportunities, females Traditional gender roles in regards to
Feminism
are no longer strictly bound to the ‘Mother/ have become extremely ambitious & aim for motherhood
Housewife Role’. ‘high professions’ such as Doctors & Solicitors.
Diane Reay – Class Gender and
More role model who ‘have it all’ Ambition
Primary Socialisation: Perhaps traditional Bedroom culture – quiet, reading, submissive Myth of Meritocracy
Changes in the Family
Mitsos & Browne (1998) highlight how the The changes have encouraged girls to see
Changes in Women's
growing Service Sector/ Economy has created their future as more than housewives and
more ‘feminised’ career opportunities for mothers but having greater career
employment
Decline of traditional gender roles – Stay at In order to achieve the desired goals of
Changing Girl’s
home Dads, duel earning families. independence and self sufficiency girls now
recognise the need for good education.
Ambitions
Factor
Internal or
Outline Impact on Achievement Policies to improve Boys Achievement
External
RBA was a four-year project (2000-2004) which
DfCSF (2007) argue that the ‘Gender gap’ is the Lower vocabulary limits achievement
Achievement
focused on issues associated with the apparent
Raising Boys
result of poor literacy amongst males. through language code and the ability differential academic achievement of boys and
Project
Literacy
Reading is seen as a feminine activity as it is of students to express ideas coherently. girls at key stage 2 and key stage 4 in schools in
Internal generally mothers who read with their children. England.
Bedroom culture – Girls are socialised to talk and
discuss which increases their vocab.
Mitsos and Browne- decline in male employment Decline is mainly in manual working class
words with the class.
External opportunities has led to ‘identity crises’ jobs, which didn’t need qualifications.
• Twenty minutes devoted to reading or writing
Unlikely that disappearance of such jobs
on their own or in small groups.
would impact on boys motivation to
• The final 10 minutes should be spent in a
obtain qualifications
group going over all the main points.
• The strategies have only ever been
Schools do not nurture masculine traits, such as Boys become ‘bored’ with school recommended, not compulsory
of Education
Feminisation
champions
celebrate qualities such as attentiveness in class,
Reading
reading interests.
Internal methodical working
Sewell thinks coursework should be replaced with
exams and emphasis in outdoor education within
the curriculum.
Teaching is a feminine profession, and schools lack This could help explain why learning is Playing for Success was an initiative which
Lack of Male
many ‘real’ men role models. This is especially seen as ‘girlie’ by many boys and not aimed to raise literacy, numeracy and ICT
Playing for
teachers
Success
Primary
critical at primary schools where women worth their time. standards amongst demotivated KS2 and KS3
Internal dominate. pupils by holding out-of-school-hours study
support centres at football clubs and other
sports grounds.
capable than they really are. This belief runs preparation for examinations and class
Recruitment events at universities across the
Ability
Recruitment
through to their GCSE exams where they fail to do work. Accepting responsibility is showing
Over
teachers
country, which have been targeted particularly
of Male
External as well as thy imagined but blame everyone but weakness.
themselves. This overconfidence to come from at male students in STEM subjects.
living in a patriarchal society where men assume
they will always succeed over women
Subject Choice
Gender
Trends in subject choice at GCSE GENDERED SUBJECT IMAGE – The gender subject image affects who chooses that a social construct.
subject at GCSE and A Level. Kelly argues that science is seen as a boys subject • Programs such as GIST
There is very little choice given in the due to there being more male teachers, textbook illustrations focus on boys interests and WISE help to draw
national curriculum and at GCSE however such as sport. Which ever gender dominates in the lesson can influence the gender girls into the sciences.
trends can be seen in options with boys image, e.g. girls dominate in Drama and the Arts where as boys Dominate in PE.
taking more practical and vocational based GENDER IDENTITIES & PEER GROUP PRESSURES – Students can face extreme pressure
subjects such as Business and Technology to conform to gender stereotypes in order to be accepted by their peers. Paechter
where as girls opt more for the humanities found that sport is often seen as a male domain and girls will be seen as unfeminine
and arts based subjects. if they opt for it. Dewar also found that when students opt of opposite domain
subjects they are subjected to name calling and bullying.
Trends in subject choice at A Level Ethnocentric Curriculum – BAME students may be put off from studying Globalisation has created a
subjects such as English and History due to the focus on white British culture. more multicultural
Ethnicity