Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Gender - External Factors - Coggle Diagram
Gender - External Factors
Impact of Feminism
improved women's rights
improved women's opportunities
challenged traditional stereotype of women's role as mother + housewife in patriarchal nuclear family
challenges idea women inferior to men
Mitsos & Browne
provided incentives + direction for young women in education
raised women's expectations + self esteem
McRobbie
studied girls magazines
in the 1970s they emphasised the importance of getting married
nowadays they contain images of strong, assertive + independent women
female role models for girls who have achieved success multiple aspects of their lives including financial success, familial success+ career success
. Girls can look up to these women as inspiration + strive to emulate their success
:( critics believe girls have succeeded at the expense of boys who are now disadvantaged + these views have contributed to a moral panic about failing boys reflecting a fear underachieving working class boys will grow up to become a dangerous, unemployable underclass that threatens social stability
this moral panic has caused a shift in educational policy which is now preoccupied with raising boys achievements
:( by narrowing equal opportunities policy down simply to failing boys, it ignores the problem of disadvantaged working class + minority ethnic pupils
:( by narrowing gender policy down solely to issue of achievement gaps, it ignores other problems faced by girls in school including sexual harassment, bullying, low self esteem, identity issues + gendered subject choices
Changes in Employment
1970 Equal Pay Act
1975 Sex Discrimination Act
since 1975 the pay gap between men + women has halved from 30% to 15%
proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013
women are breaking through the glass ceiling
decline of heavy industry, growth of the service sector + increasing employment of flexible, part time workers have all expanded employment opportunities for women
Mitsos & Browne
shift in growth of service + care industries which has resulted in an increase in feminised career opportunities such as healthcare, hospitality, teaching, clerical work + childcare professions
change has expanded women's roles beyond traditional notions of being a housewife + mother
provided greater financial independence + career prospects for women
this shift has challenged the traditional notion of male breadwinning with women increasingly becoming the primary earner in the family
through observing successful women in high-ranking positions + traditionally male-dominated industries, girls have been able to recognise career opportunities + expand their aspirations
changes in job application laws such as the prohibition of inquiring about a woman's childbearing or childcare plans have levelled the playing field for women
decline of heavy industry which has led to decline in male employment opportunities
Mitsos & Browne
identity crisis for men
boys believe they have little prospect of getting a 'proper' job
undermines motivation + self esteem so they give up trying to get qualifications
Changes in the Family
increase in divorce rate
shows girls they don't need to rely on a husband, encouraging girls to gain qualifications + make a living
increase in cohabitation
increase in lone parent families
more women taking on breadwinner role creating role model for girls of financially independent women
provides role models for girls who witness their mothers financial struggles + their efforts to secure a better future for their families
inspire girls to aspire to similar successes + promote the ideal of women as breadwinners
smaller families
changes affect girls attitudes towards education
Girls' Changing Ambitions
Sue Sharpe
girls ambitions in 1970s were to marry + have children (future seen in terms of domestic roles)
in 1990s, girls priorities had changed to careers + a desire for independence
O'Connor
study of 14-17 year olds
found marriage + children weren't major part of life plans
Beck
individualisation in society means independence is valued much more strongly
a career has become part of women's life projects because it promises recognition + economic self sufficiency
Fuller
girls in the study saw educational success as a central aspect of their identity
they saw themselves as creators of their own future
the girls believed in meritocracy + aimed for a professional career that would enable them to support themselves
:( class differences in how far girls ambitions have changed
some w/c girls continue to have gender stereotyped aspirations for marriage + children + expect to go into traditional low paid women's work
Reay
this reflects reality of girls class position as their limited aspirations reflect limited job opportunities they perceive as being available to them
traditional gender identity is attainable + offers a source of status
Biggart
w/c girls more likely to face precarious position in labour market + to see motherhood as only viable option for their futures
EVALUATION
:( gender pay gap still exists
:( glass ceiling
:( myth of meritocracy
:( expectation that women will prioritise motherhood and family still persists
:( other factors contribute to differences in educational achievement between genders
Gender Role Socialisation
takes place in the home during primary socialisation + may be reinforced through the education system
boys often socialised to be confident, outgoing, + aggressive but not violent
girls often socialised to be more passive, quiet, + reflective
Barber
assessed group of students + asked them to rate their performance
found boys tend to overestimate their abilities + believe they can do better than they can while girls tend to underestimate their abilities + work harder to improve their performance
can result in boys not putting in enough effort into their studies, leading to underachievement while girls work harder + achieve relatively good grades
gender role socialisation plays a crucial role in shaping academic achievement + can affect how boys + girls perceive their abilities + approach their studies
McRobbie
bedroom culture
gender differences in academic achievement begin even before children start school
girls tend to engage in more social + emotional development through role-play + quiet activities which builds ideal pupil behaviour + acceptable social norms before they enter formal education
boys often socialised into more aggressive + boisterous behaviours which may not align with the expectations of the education system
girls may have a head start in developing skills + behaviours needed to succeed academically