20
SUBJECT CHOICE And gender

Gendered subject choice

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Gendered subject choice

SUBJECT CHOICEAnd gender

Page 2: Gendered subject choice

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19811221

Page 3: Gendered subject choice

National Curriculum• Introduction of National Curriculum 1988

• Reduced freedom to choose or drop subjects with most being compulsory until 16

• Where choice is possible, such as GCSE options there are clear gendered differences.

Page 4: Gendered subject choice

Stables and Wikeley 1996oWhere there is choice in the National curriculum girls and

boys make different choices

oTechnology is compulsory but:o Girls more likely to choose Food Technologyo Boys more like to choose Graphics and Resistant

materials

Page 5: Gendered subject choice

A levels• Gendered choices become more obvious in post-

compulsory education.

• Boys are more likely to opt for maths and physics• Girls are more likely to opt for Sociology and English

• This continues into subject choices at university

Page 6: Gendered subject choice

Vocational Courses• A vocational course is one that is directed at a particular

occupation and its skills

• Gendered differences are even more pronounced in vocational education

• Only 1 in 100 construction apprentices is a girl

Page 8: Gendered subject choice

Primary Socialisation• Gender role socialisation

• Ann Oakley (1973)- gender is the learned cultural differences between males and females.

• Primary socialisation shapes gender identity

Page 9: Gendered subject choice

Primary Socialisation• Fiona Norman (1988) – Girls and boys are dressed

differently, given different toys, encouraged to take part in different activities.

• Boys are rewarded for being active• Girls are rewarded for being passive

Page 10: Gendered subject choice

Schools• Schools are also important in gender socialisation

• Eileen Byrne (1979) • teachers encourage boys to be tough and to show initiative.• Girls are expected to be quiet and helpful and not rough or noisy

Page 11: Gendered subject choice

Schools• Boys and girls develop different tastes in reading• Murphy and Elwood (1998)- these tastes inform subject

choices• Boys prefer hobby books and information texts = Science• Girls prefer books about people = English based subjects

Page 12: Gendered subject choice

Gender Domains• Children’s beliefs about ‘gender domains’ are shaped by

their early experiences and expectations of adults (Browne and Ross, 1991)

• They see some tasks as part of male or female ‘territory’ and so are relevant to themselves or not

Page 13: Gendered subject choice

Gender Domains

Mr Smith and his son are driving in a car, they get into a terrible accident.

Mr Smith dies and his son is rushed to the hospital.

The surgeon arrives and says "I can't operate on him because he is my SON!"

How is this possible?

Page 14: Gendered subject choice

On your whiteboard

• Draw

• A mechanic• A nurse• Or a scientist

Page 15: Gendered subject choice

Gender Domains

• Children are more confident in tasks they see as part of their own domain

• When set a mathematical task• Girls are more confident if it is presented as a problem

about food and nutrition

• Boys are more confident if it presented as a problem about cars

Page 16: Gendered subject choice

Mathematical problems

• Girl’s problem

• A cake is 400 calories what percentage of your daily allowance is this ?

(Daily allowance 2,000 calories)

• Boys problem

• A new car costs £2,000, what percentage of the cost is the metallic paint

(metallic paint costs £400)

Page 17: Gendered subject choice

Gender Domains

• Patricia Murphy (1991)• Boys and girls interpret tasks differently

Page 18: Gendered subject choice

Design a Boat

Page 19: Gendered subject choice

Patricia Murphy (1991)• Girls and boys pay attention to different details• Even when tackling the same task

• Boys focus more on how things work• Girls focus more on people