pupils sexual and gender identities

what are the double standards

• Lees- she found a double standard of sexual mortality → boys can boast about sexual exploits but call girls negative names if they do

• feminist see this standard as patriarchal ideology be sure boys gain status from boasting about something girls are shamed for so it justifies male power and devalues women

what is said about verbal abuse

• Connell- this is one of the ways dominant gender identities are reinforced like boys using catcalling to put girls down

• Paechter- name calling helps shape gender identity and reinforces male power- he noted that the labels don’t reflect a pupils actual behaviour, just simply there to serve the function of reinforcing gender norms

what is the male gaze

the visual aspect in the way pupils control eachothers identities

• Mac and Ghaill- how male teachers and pupils look at girls, se them as objects and make judgements about their appearance

• male gaze is a form of surveillance that dominant heterosexual masculinity is reinforced

• this is one way boys reinforce their masculinity by bragging about sexual conquests in order to risk not being labelled as gay

what is said about male peer groups

• male groups also use verbal abuse to reinforce their masculinity

• Mac and Ghaill- examine how pupils produce differing class based gender identities:

• WC macho lads- dismissive of the WC boys who work hard

• MC real englishmen- project an image of effortless achievement

• these groups has different definitions of masculinity (toughness VS intellectual ability)

what is said about female peer groups

• Archer- WC girls gain symbolic capital from their peers

• Ringrose- study of WC 13/14 year olds found being popular was crucial to the girls identity:

• idealised feminine- showing loyalty to female peer groups, being noncompetitive and getting along with everyone

• sexualised- competing for boys in the dating culture

• Currie- the sexualised identity gets them symbolic capital but it’s risky as girls have to balance two identities (too competitive girls were slur shamed but those not competing were frigid shamed)

• Reay- girls wanting to do well at school had to perform an asexual identity (being a boffin) which got them excluded

what is said about teachers and discipline

• research shows that teachers have a role in reinforcing dominant definitions of gender identity

• Mac and Ghaill- found male teachers would tease and tell off boys for acting feminine

• Askew and Ross- teachers would ignore boys when they verbally abused girls which shows how male teachers behaviour subtly reinforces messages above gender