external

• Changing in girls ambitions (Sharpe)

  -interviewed girls and found their ambitions in the 1970s were to marry and have children, but in the 1990s the girls priorities changed into wanting a career and independence.
• Changes in women's employment

  Changes in the law- Equal pay act (1970) and sex discrimination act (1975)

  FRANCIS AND SKELTON-growth in women's employment opportunities have risen their ambitions for educational success
• What are the reasons for male underachievement

  Literacy-

  -parents spend less time reading to sons as it is seen as a 'feminine' activity

  -boys leisure activities don't encourage language and communication skills, whereas girls 'bedroom culture' does

  Decline in manual labour-

  Globalisation had led to the decline in industries-mining

  -led to a male identity crisis,giving them less motivation to get their qualifications

  -CRISIS OF MASCULINITY-MITSOS AND BROWNE
• Archer (W/C girls)

  Argued that while wc girls aren't performing as badly as wc boys, a significant number of them leave school at 16 with little to no qualifications.

  • Semi structured interviews were conducted on 89 pupils and found that most girls were keen to seem desirable and spent a lot of time on hair and makeup.
  • This was seen as more important than academic work. They resist rules about uniform which led to conflicts such a detentions and isolations, motivating them to leave school early to gain freedom
• Why do girls have more ambition to do well?

  -impact of feminism-Feminism and womens movements challenge gender stereotypes

  -changes in womens employment-More postive role models-working women

  -changing girls ambitions-Encouraged to take more male dominated subjects- women in stem- reduces stereotyping in the classroom.
• Why do boys lack ambition?

  Due to he decline in the role of the breadwinner and fewer job opportunities for them due to decline in manual labour (crisis of masculinity)
• Socialisation (Norman)

  Parental choice for toys- There was a clear message taught through primary socialisation which is suggestive of which career pathways each gender should pursue
• Bedroom culture (McRobbie)

  Girls rejected agressive behaviour, and would spend more time at home, which was where their main focus was at. This gives them more time to engage in educational activities such as reading
• Evaluation

  -Glass ceiling and pay gap still exists

  -traditional gender roles in regards to mother hood

  -Reay- class gender and ambition

  -myth of meritocracy