FEMENISM

• how might the education system be patriarchal

  • through subjects eg sociology and dance (female)
  • dress code (no midriff) distracting sexualises girls young
  • behaviour - girls are policed more 'boys will be boys'
• liberal feminists 


  they would point out that there are remaining issues of patriarchy in education but also acknowledge the improvement towards equality

  in 1940s and 50s under the tripartite system boys had a lower pass rate than girls but more boys were being admitted into grammar schools

  some subjects were promoted as being specifically for one gender
• liberal feminists

  today once subjects become optional there are still quite clear gender preferences for certain subjects but all subjects are open to all pupils (more choice) eg maths boys and sociology girls

  biggest change since the 1980s is that girls now outperform boys in education (2019 stats girls do better than boys)
• Michelle Stanworth liberal feminist (1983)


  she noted that there was still higher expectations of boys and teachers would be more likely to recommend boys to apply for higher education than girls at the same academic level
• Radical feminists 


  they argue that the education system is still fundamentally patriarchal and continues to separate and oppress women

  it does this through the formal and hidden curriculum and normalising the separation and oppression of women so that by the time the girls leave school they see it as normal nature rather than as patriarchy
• Black and difference feminists 


  They 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

  for example teachers might assume that muslim girls have different aspiration in relation to career and family from their peers
• evaluation of feminism 


  ignores class

  education is a female dominated

  more girls go into higher education disagreeing with stanworth

  girls outperform boys
• Liberal Femenists

  • there are still remaining issues of patriarchy in society
  • but also acknowledges strides towards inequality
  • 1940s + 1950s, under the tripartite system, boys had a lower pass rate for the 11+ than girls, but more boys were being admitted to a grammar school.
  • Some subjects were promoted as being specifically for one gender and one for the other
  • Today, still clear gender preferences for subjects but they are open to all students
  • 1980s - now, girls now outperform boys
• Liberal femenism

  Michelle Stanworth -> still higher expectations for boys and teacgers would be more likely to recommend boys to apply for higher education than girls
• Radical femenism

  • The education system is still patriarchal and continues to marginalise and oppress women
  • Through reinforcing patriarchal ideologys eg formal and hidden curriculum, normalising the marginalisation and the opression of women so when girls leave school they see it as normal rather than as patriarchal opression
  • sexual harrassment -> sexism not taken seriously eg bitch and it is not treated as seriously as other forms of bullying
• Black and Difference femenists

  • Not all girls have the same experience in education and that minority-ethnic girls are often victims of specific stereotyping and assumptions
  • eg teachers might assume that Muslim girls have different aspirations in relation to careers and a family from their peers.