EDUCATION - GENDER DIFFERENCES AND SUBJECT CHOICES

What information can you derive from the statistics of subject choices?

Boys tend to take STEM subjects (due to socialidstion - parents read to girls and not boys)

What is the National Cirriculum?

Ensures boys and girls forced to take the same subjects (maths, English, science)

What are the 5 aspects that impact subject choice?

1. Gender role socialization

2. Gendered subject images

3. Gender identity and peer pressure

4. Gender, vocational choice and class

5. Gendered career opportunities

3. Gender identity and peer pressure

Where is primary socialization?

In the home

How are gender stereotypes from an early age?

How boys and girls are dressed different, given different toys, and encouraged to take part in different activities

How do boys and girls have different tastes in reading?

Girls - fairies, love

Boys - joke books, diary of a wimpy kid

What is the sociological term called for girls spending more time in their rooms?

Bedroom culture

What does bedroomculture mean?

Girls tend to spend more time in their rooms - reading, quiet leisure activities

Where is secondary socialization?

In school

How is gender stereotypes introduced in school?

Boys are tough to be tough and girl are taught to be quiet

Are science teachers more or less likely to be men?

More likely

If examples used in textbooks are men, how does this affect girls?

This puts girls off from taking these subjects

What are female and male domains?

Female - baking, shopping

Male - football, gaming, boxing

Why do boys tend to opt out of music or dance?

Due to peer pressure (music and dance falls out of their gender domain)

For exmaple in the car team

Would peer pressure would be higher in a mixed or single sex school?

Higher - boys made pressure girls out of doing it

What domain is sport usually?

Boys (contradicts the traditional female stereotypes)

Dewer did a study and found that American college students called girls what if they were interested in sport?

Lesbians

What are vocational courses?

Hands on experience, Eg, plumbing, electrician, hairdressing

What ambitions do working class girls have? In terms of jobs

Childcare, hair, beauty

Do working class girls still aspire low despite academic achievement?

Yes

What types of roles do women tend to go into?

Caring/nurturing roles - nurses, cleaners, hairdressers, care workers

What roles (jobs) to males tend to go into?

The policy, barbers, builders, construction

How do paramedic break gender stereotypes?

Both male and females do this job

Women's employment falls into 4 categories, what are they?

1. Clerical

2. Secretarial

3. Personal services (care)

4. Cleaning

What roles do women do despite outperforming men in education?

Housewives/mothers (this is seen as the norm)

How does "sex typing" affects boys and girls choosing jobs?

Boys and girls choose jobs based on what they feel are accepted

Give an example of sex typing?

For example, if boys get the message that nursery workers are female, then they will be less likely to opt for a course in childcare (as this is not seen as the norm)

Outline 3 reasons why girls are less likely to choose science subjects than boys (6 marks)