Gender and Subject Choices

Traditional gendered subjects:

• Before the introduction of the National Curriculum, the subject choice was gendered:

  • Males in scientific and mathematics subjects

  • Females in arts and humanities

• Gender socialisation and gendered careers are responsible

  • Boys’ toys- Construction, Science kits

  • Girls’ toys- Dolls, domestic appliances

Gendered subject images:

• Colley (1998)- arts and humanities are portrayed as feminine and science, and STEM are portrayed as masculine

• Changes to gendered subject imagery- GIST/WISE

• Paetcher (1998)- sports still seen as masculine

Gender identity and subject choice:

• Mitsos (1996)- subjects are associated with gendered identities

• Reading is seen as feminised

• Francis (2000)- boys monopolise technical equipment in sciences

• Constructions of masculinity- boys steered away from ‘feminine’ subjects by peer groups

Evaluations:

• Changes to images of sciences and sport- GIST/WISE, This Girl Can, rising profile of female sports

• Increased representation of girls in STEM literature, however, the same cannot be said for boys in ‘feminine’ subject literature

• Gender inequality in Higher Education in sciences

• Subjects such as IT and engineering are still male-dominated