gender

• external factors of girls achievement include- the influence of feminism, change in labour market, girls changing ambitions and inequality, gender socialisation and changes in family.
• the influence of feminism- a change in laws and policies to increase equality between men and women in society. this gave women more rights and opportunities and changes girls ambitions to be more career orientated.
• changing girls ambitions-

  (sue sharpe) conducted interviews and questionnaires (1970s-1990s)

  to see how girls ambitions had changed from family orientation to career orientation. (gender quake)

  (McRobbie 1994) study of girls magazines. 1970s (traditional gender stereotypes) girls got married and tried not being ‘left on the shelf‘
• changes in the family- since 1970s, more divorces, more single parent families, more cohabitation (don’t get married), smaller families, more women staying single.

  women then have more opportunities giving them more motivation to do better in education.
• changes in womens employment- there’s more employment opportunities, due to the change in law because of the equal pay act(1970) and sex discrimination act (1975) that means that the pay gap between men and women has been halved. as a result of these changes girls have more incentive in terms of paid work and to get qualifications.
• internal factors of girls achievement include- female role models, GCSE and coursework, equal opportunity policies , league tables and marketisation and laddish subculture.
• What is the impact of feminism?

  (McRobbie) shows how education has become more important and made women was a better life, challenged traditional stereotypes of mother/housewife.

  1970 equal pay act

  1975 sex discrimination act
• what is the change in labour market?

  (Mac and Grail) W/C boys face a crisis in masculinity means mens values of being breadwinner have been disapproving. (Charles Murray) men are happy to be unemployed and on welfare.
• What are changing ambitions?

  (Sue Sharpe) W/C girls attitudes changed and valued education over marriage.
• What is gender socialisation?

  (Edward and David) girls are given more attention and spoke to more meaning they have better communication skills, also taught to conform, meaning that they do not misbehave at school.
• What are changes in the family?

  Increase in divorce, more cohabitation and decrease in marriage, more lone parent families and smaller families means girls want a better education and have less value on marriage and children.