Educational Achievment differences

Educational achievement

It was not until 1878 that the first university allowed women to take degrees, however alternative universities were particularly slow, it was not until 1948 that Cambridge accepted women to receive full degrees (Fulcher and Scott, 2007, p. 338). Haralambos and Holborn (2008) discuss that in the 1970’s and 1980’s the focus was on the underachievement of girls in education but this changed in the 1990’s when boys became the underachievers. Why?

 

In the 1970’s research was undertaken by Sue Sharpe that found that the main priorities of “working-class girls in London schools” started with marriage and children. However in the 1990’s when Sharpe repeated this research she found that girl’s priorities had changed to their careers (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008, p. 644). Due to the increase in divorce rates throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s it is suggested that girls felt increasing pressure to be successful within education and careers in order to be financially stable instead of depending on males.

 

Haralambos and Holborn (2008) discuss that stereotypical boys behaviour in class is based upon the idea that it is “uncool to work” and that seeming “cool is necessary to be popular” (p. 648). Students are also faced with the predicament of being deemed a ‘nerd’ or ‘geek’ if they excel in education, academic work was also seen as “feminine” (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008, p. 648).

 

A further factor that is bound to have had an effect on educational achievement between boys and girls is the curriculums, girls were steered towards domestic roles and boys towards more “technical and scientific” ones (Fulcher and Scott, 2007, p. 339). However in the 1980’s the national curriculum was introduced which deemed it essential that boys and girls take the same subjects, although it was still argued that “science was taught in a masculine way” (Fulcher and Scott, 2007, p. 339).

www.bbc.co.uk (2015)

This chart shows the large gap between genders in educational achievement, the chart illustrates that the gap only seems to be getting wider.

 The gender gap in education is down to more than one thing, girls started to be the achievers not long after the national curriculum was introduced, coincidence?  A constant theme through the topic of education is stereotypes and how the way boys and girls act changes through history, in today’s society it is much more common for women to provide for their family which tends to require a certain degree of education.


More sex and gender blogs:

Sexandgenderwhoareyou.blogspot.com

Contribution made to theories of gender by studies of masculinity

Are men discriminated against?

www.youtube.com (2015)

 

Battle of the sexes

I have already looked at gender inequalities from a feminist perspective, but what about the contributions that studies of masculinity have offered? What is it to be a man? According to Goodey, J. (1997) defining a man is often simplified to what is not feminine (P. 402). I aim within this article to evaluate masculinity within gender studies and attempt to identify a starting point.

imgarcade.com (2015)

 

 Are  men discriminated against?

Through research it has become apparent that there is little discussion about masculinity that does not mention feminism. Kimmel, M. (2014) suggests that men are victims of “reverse discrimination” and due to feminism men are now the “second sex” (Lines 16-18). The starting point, of what seems to be a battle of the sexes, arose when men felt their traditional image was being threatened by feminist and homosexual movements. Kimmel, M. (2014) says “If women were imprisoned in the home, all housework and domestic drudgery, men were exiled from the home, turned into soulless robotic workers, in harness to a masculine mystique, so that their only capacity for nurturing was through their wallets” (Lines 30-34).

 

Gilmore, D. D. (1990) discusses three features of masculinity which are “Man the impregnator”, ”Man the provider” and “Man the protector” (P. 136). However, women are now more capable of carrying these roles out themselves which concludes in men losing their way as such and in need of finding a new place for themselves. Gilmore, D. D. argues that these three roles are “dangerous or competitive and failure in any of the roles carries high costs” (P. 136). Therefore men feel they are now failing at their traditional roles, and as Goodey, J. discusses it generates “masculine bravado” that can present itself as aggression (1997, P. 401).

 

www.newsnish.com (2015)

 

 

Furthermore, men are under constant pressure to live up to stereotypical masculine traits, Goodey, J. talks about hegemonic masculinity as being a “hierarchy of oppression” that has kept most men “in their place” (P. 403). Haralambos and Holborn (2008) discuss how hegemonic masculinity was successful in creating a theory that homosexuality was a deviant form of masculinity and making it be seen as “criminalized”, homosexuality began to be seen as feminine behavior and allowed heterosexual men to be put down through words such as “sissy” and “wimp” (P. 138-139).   

It is not questionable that females were once the second sex, however feminists have climbed mountains in fighting for female’s rights. Kimmel, M. (2014) states “But when boys are falling behind at school, when 90% of people in prison are male, there's never any thought given to whether men are discriminated against” (Lines 36-38). It seems that so much effort has been put into feminism that males are feeling victimized and largely under pressure due to stereotypical views of men.

buzzfeed.com (2015)

 

Will there ever be an end to the battle of gender inequalities?

Click here to view a students presentation on femininty and masculinity!