formal socialisation
A Patriarchal Curriculum – Heaton & Lawson
Despite the introduction of the National Curriculum in1988, many Feminists argue that what is taught in schools still creates gender inequalities in education. For example:
· Sport – The way that sport is still taught in many schools tends to focus more on the achievements of boys rather than girls e.g. football and rugby.
· History – Women have been hidden from history, or are placed in the background and given second place to men. An example of this is the brief focus given to the Role of Women in World Wars I and II, as though this is somehow separate to the main business of war, performed by men.
The choices made by males and females in A-levels are still strongly gender-specific in many subject areas. Usually, girls enrol on subjects which have a lower academic status and market value, such as Sociology and Textiles. This is further reflected at University level, where there is evidence of an entrenched masculinity, reinforcing the idea of women opt for courses that are less well paid
Feminists argue that gendered subject choice is the outcome of gender socialisation and stereotyping. Best (1993) found gender role socialization led to boys choosing subjects that are more scientific. Best argues that socialization has led to children developing their own gender stereotypes of ‘suitable subjects’.
evaluation
Liberal Feminists would critique such ideas arguing the National Curriculum has since been updated, removing gender inequality. For example, Maths, Science and English are compulsory for both genders. Furthermore, social policies such as GIST and WISE have been introduced to provide opportunities for females to engage in previously typical male environments.
Functionalist Durkheim would disagree with Heaton & Lawson and argues that every student has access to the same education and will be taught the same norms and values of society which is a good thing for social cohesion.
The Hidden Curriculum – Feminists
Marxist Feminists & Radical Feminists believe that the organisation of an education system and daily school life is structured in a way that favours men, reinforcing patriarchal control. This is done indirectly, in a number of ways: Think SPA!
Space –
explanation
Many female students are made to feel uncomfortable in the presence of male students when studying certain subjects. Culley observing IT lessons, showed how boys tended to 'colonise' the space around computers. In many cases, teachers did not intervene, leaving many girls to feel excluded from what was wrongly perceived as a male activity.
evidence
Kelly found boys also dominated science classrooms often grabbing apparatus first and answering questions aimed at girls. Furthermore, the examples used by teachers often draw on boys’ interests and experiences rather than girls.
More recently, there has been aggression towards transgressive women who challenge male dominance. For example, women are taught how to avoid sexual violence implying that the women have brought it upon themselves & not dealing with male sexually violent behaviour itself.
evaluation
Functionalist Parsons argues that the hidden curriculum does not create gender inequality, but is simply there to teach every student the universalistic values of society indirectly.
Power –
explanation
According to the Future Leaders’ Trust, 63% of all secondary teachers in Britain are female yet 60% of secondary head teachers are male. Male staff are still more likely to occupy the senior management levels of secondary schools and colleges, reinforcing a gendered hierarchy.
Feminists argue that this creates an expectation in young minds that positions of power and authority are automatically associated with men rather than women.
evidence
Statistics show that over half of all women’s employment falls into the above categories whereas they make up only a sixth of male employment. To reflect this gendered hierarchy in wider society, the ONS (2013) found that women make up 82% of the caring labour force (tending to be lower status roles) whereas men make up 67% of senior officials and management. This could show how females are socialised in schools to occupy lower positions when entering employment in wider society.
evaluation
Marxists Bowles & Gintis criticise this as they believe that the hidden curriculums role is to socialise students into capitalist values of society, for example students learn to be submissive to hierarchy, to do hard work, accept low pay and be obedient workers. They believe school has specific parallels to the workplace.
Attitudes -
explanation
Heaton and Lawson argue that teachers still possess sexist ideas about certain tasks within the classroom and around school, e.g. boys are still asked to move furniture and help with manly tasks.
evidence
McCabe found evidence of gender stereotypes reinforced in textbooks between 1900 & 2000 where 31% had female central characters and even books on animals focussed on male animals. This view was supported by Fine who argued that many modern books present positive images around race, yet fail to address gender equality. This sends a strong message that girls and women are less important, encouraging children to accept the invisibility of women so reinforcing the gender division – often referred to as symbolic annihilation
evaluation
Durkheim argues that everyone has the same National curriculum
your career is based on how much effort you put in