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SUBJECT CHOICEAnd gender
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19811221
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.
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
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
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
Primary Socialisation• Gender role socialisation
• Ann Oakley (1973)- gender is the learned cultural differences between males and females.
• Primary socialisation shapes gender identity
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
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
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
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
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?
On your whiteboard
• Draw
• A mechanic• A nurse• Or a scientist
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
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)
Gender Domains
• Patricia Murphy (1991)• Boys and girls interpret tasks differently
Design a Boat
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
Women know your limits!