boys’ underachievement

• the 4 reasons for underachievement;

  • laddish subcultures
  • feminisation of education
  • poor literacy
  • globalisation
• hegemonic masculinity;

  an exaggerated expression of masculinity, typically shown to gain status
• laddish subcultures;

  • masculinity is constructed in a way that hard-work & overachieving is condemned by laddish subcultures
  • mac an ghaill; w/c boys harbour more traditional masculinity, and feel emasculated by working hard in a system that has become feminised
  • epstein; w/c boys are more subject to harassment and homophobia
• Feminisation of Education- Sewell

  • Sewell argues that schools no longer embody masculine traits such as competition and leadership
  • schools no longer appeals to boys, as they no longer push the agenda of hegemonic masculinity
  • boys fail to identify and relate to female teachers, this leads to disengagement
• poor literacy;

  • boys leisure activities such as sports and video games do not encourage language skills or communication
  • reading is seen as a feminine activity, as it is typically mothers that read to their children
• crisis of masculinity;

  • Mitsos and Browne argue that the decline in male employment opportunities has led to an “identity crisis”
  • due to globalisation, there has been a decline in heavy industries, and manual labour has moved abroad
  • this results in low self-esteem and consequently the lack of motivation to get good grades
• overconfidence;

  • overconfidence leads to a lack of preparation for exams, as accepting responsibility is seen as weak
  • Barber suggests that this overconfidence comes from living in a patriarchal society in which men assume that they will always succeed over women