feminist views on education

• ann Oakley 1974 sex role theory

  gender roles are enforced through socialisation

  4 types of socialisation

  • manipulation (the way you handle and treat them, the difference between boys and girls)
  • canalisation (directing children and babies to certain toys/objects e.g. a train for a boy and a barbie for a girl)
  • activities (the encouraging of certain activities e.g. football for Boyd, dress up for girls)
  • verbal appellations (the way you speak to children)
• feminism and education

  lack of education is a form of social control

  denying women full access to education makes it hard for them to compete in the traditionally male world of work

  women are still more likely to be involved in childrearing and in taking on female dominated- the four Cs

  this leaves women vulnerable to exploitation
• the four Cs

  cooking

  cleaning

  childcare

  check outs
• liberal feminists


  identifies gender inequalities and advocate for equal rights to men. also aims to facilitate diversity among women, individual choice

  acknowledge that progress has been made towards equality in the education system
• radical feminists

  the belief that the basis of society should be transformed towards feminine values and virtues; reordering along a matriarchal basis. women can live a fulfilling life without men

  believe that patriarchal ideology is still transmitted through the formal and hidden curricula and that marginalisation is normalised in the education system

  sexual harassment in the education system is not treated as seriously as other forms of bullying
• difference feminism


  the acknowledgement that men and women are different; many feminists argue that women are better than men
• black & difference feminism

  argue not all girls have the same experience in the education system. ethnic minority girls are often victims of stereotypes and labelling
• patterns of achievement by gender

  historically

  • girls underachieved
  • lower expectations for girl
  • gendered subject choices
  • different career paths
  • socialisation (girls- expressive roles)
• patterns of achievement by gender 1980s

  1980s

  • girls achievement started to overtake boys
  • rise of feminism
  • career aspirations
  • feminisation of education
  • educated female role models
• patterns of achievement- Sue Sharpe 1994


  name of study- Just like a girl

  • study of working class girls in London in 1970s and early 1990s (comparison of attitudes)
  • interviews and questionnaires

  findings in 1970s

  • early socialisation meant girls didn't prioritise education
  • when listing priorities- career came last

  findings in 1990s

  • gender quake had occurred
  • priorities were reversed
  • girls more confident
  • more committed to gender equality
• Sue Sharpe 


  1990s

  • still concerned about situation for girls
  • girls aspirations and expectations would probably not match reality
  • expectations would still be to prioritise family over career
  • however change in attitude could've reflected improvement in girls attainment
  • changes in law had impact on attitudes and attainment
• experiences of different genders

  feminists argue that differing experiences are still a problem in education

  harassment and the 'male gaze' not dealt with as seriously as other forms of bullying

  higher expectations of behaviour for girls

  rigid controls of girls behaviour
• experiences of different genders- John Abraham 


  typical girl- well behaved and studious

  typical boy- trouble makers: negative feedback from teachers reinforced boys notions of masculinity
• gender socialisation


  girls are more controlled by parents and teachers

  • Pereira- girls 'play dumb'

  girls have less freedom

  • Angela mcrobbie- 'bedroom culture'

  canalisation of educational toys

  • ann Oakley

  books and imagery

  • glenys lobban

  masculinity

  • willis- learning to labour
• formation of gendered identities

  schools reinforce traditional feminine identities

  • macan ghail 1988- male teachers told off boys for 'acting like girls'

  uniform regulations

  • louise archer- nike identities

  sexual behaviour

  • sue lees 1981- 'slags and drags'

  verbal abuse

  sports

  • ann Oakley- socialisation through activities
• gendered subject images


  traditional male/female domains

  feminism has lead to challenges to this:

  • GIST- girls in science and technology
  • WISE- women in science and engineering

  has not been replicated for males and girly subjects

  feminine domaine has less value
• gendered subject images evidence

  Alison kelly 1987

  • girls choose biology over other sciences because of teachers being male; resources tend to centre around men and their interests

  Leonard 2006

  • single sex schools tend to have less stereotypical subject choices and make less traditional subject choices
  • found that girls in girls' schools were more likely to take maths and science at a levels compared to girls at mixed schools. boys in boys schools more likely to take English and language than boys in mixed schools
• evaluation of feminist views

  attainment has increased, but there is still a gender pay gap and a glass ceiling

  Jackson et al 2010- government policy tends to focus on boys' underachievement in school rather than inequality beyond education

  education is increasingly female dominated therefore there is potential to overcome issues