External factors

• The effect of feminism on achievement;


  It has challenged traditional stereotypes of women being house wives and introduced legislation;

  • such as equal pay act '76
  • sex discrimination act '75
  • Also, it has promoted women as independent in media, showing young girls positive role models
• The effect of a changing family on achievement;


  Due to an increase is single-parent and symmetrical families, women have had to take education more seriously to enter the workforce, to ensure financial security and now view motherhood as optional
• The effect of changes in women's employment on achievement;


  Since the Sex Discrimination Act '75, the pay gap has dropped from 30% to 17%, encouraging women to enter the work force to see their role of paid work rather than motherhood
• <Sharpe> The effect of girls changing ambitions on achievement;

  In '74 girls had low aspirations and viewed educational success as unfeminine, prioritising love/marriage/kids, while in '90 girls wanted a career.
• <Fuller> The effect of girls changing ambitions on achievement;

  2011, they interviewed girls and found educational success was central to their identity and creating their own future, they often believed in meritocracy and their aspirations required qualifications
• <EVAL> - Fuller/Sharpe


  -Reay found working class girls had limited aspirations due to their perception of the limited job opportunities available

  -Biggart found working class girls faced uncertain conditions of the labour market, and saw motherhood as the only viable future

  -Risk of SDB on research

  -Being asked by a successful woman, want to come off as ambitious
• <MCrobbie> Media portrayal of women


  Magazines between the '70s to '90s went from depicting women as house wives to independent, this would improve girls self-image and therefore influence their ambitions
• Girls are more likely to have a "bedroom culture", which promotes hobbies in the house, such as reading or messaging friends, helping build literacy