Gender identities

• Hegemonic masculinity


  The idea that heterosexual male identities are powerful and dominant over female and gay identities
• Hegemonic masculinity (Connell)


  • School reinforces it
• Teacher discipline


  Male teachers told boys off for 'acting like girls' and ignored boy's verbal abuse towards girls
• Teacher discipline (Haywood and Mac and Ghail)

  • Male teachers rescue female teachers from disruptive pupils
• Male gaze


  The idea that male pupils and teachers control girl's identities by looking at them up and down as sexual objects, giving power to masculinity and devaluing femininity
• Male gaze (Mac and Ghail)


  • It gives power to masculinity and devalues femininity
• Peer groups


  Working class girls gain popularity from female peers by emphasising their heterosexuality, feminine identity, whereas boys use verbal abuse to reinforce masculinity
• Peer groups (Mac and Ghail)

  • Working class girls emphasise heterosexuality and femininity, boys use verbal abuse to reinforce masculinity
• Organisation of the school

  A well organised school can overcome difference in class, gender and ethnicity. However, there are significant ways in which the school is organised which reinforces gender identity:
• Ways the school organisation reinforces gender identity

  • School uniform
  • Gendered images around the school
  • Gendered organisation of subjects
  • Teachers being female and senior leaders being male
• Rutter argues that a well organised school can overcome difference in class, gender and ethnicity