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Unlock This CourseFeminist sociologists study how gender affects educational experiences and outcomes. While girls now outperform boys in many educational measures, feminists argue that education still reproduces gender inequality in various ways. This topic explores how different feminist perspectives explain gender patterns in education.
Key Definitions:
📖 Girls outperform boys at GCSE level, with 76.4% of girls achieving grade 4/C or above compared to 69.8% of boys (2022)
🎓 Women are more likely to attend university (57% of UK university students are female)
💼 Despite educational success, women still face a gender pay gap in employment
👩🔬 STEM subjects remain male-dominated at higher levels of education
Feminists don't all agree on why gender inequalities exist in education or how to tackle them. Let's explore the main feminist approaches:
Key idea: Gender inequality comes from traditional attitudes and stereotypes that can be changed through education and policies.
Educational focus: Equal opportunities, removing barriers, challenging stereotypes.
Solutions: Anti-discrimination laws, gender-neutral teaching materials, encouraging girls into STEM subjects.
Key idea: Patriarchy (male power) is the root cause of women's oppression in all areas of society, including education.
Educational focus: How schools reproduce male dominance and female subordination.
Solutions: Challenge male dominance in curriculum and school structures, create female-centred learning environments.
Key idea: Women's oppression is linked to capitalism, with education preparing girls for exploitation as workers and unpaid carers.
Educational focus: How education serves capitalist interests by socialising girls into accepting lower-paid roles.
Solutions: Challenge both capitalism and patriarchy, promote critical consciousness among girls.
Key idea: Gender, race and class create multiple forms of disadvantage that affect educational experiences.
Educational focus: How education can disadvantage ethnic minority girls in particular ways.
Solutions: Address intersecting inequalities, ensure curriculum reflects diverse experiences.
Feminists argue that schools teach more than just academic subjects - they also reinforce gender norms through the "hidden curriculum" - the unwritten lessons about gender-appropriate behaviour.
Girls are still underrepresented in physics, computing and engineering, while boys are less likely to study languages, art and psychology. Feminists argue these patterns reflect societal expectations rather than natural abilities.
Research shows teachers may interact differently with boys and girls - giving boys more attention (both positive and negative), having different expectations and reinforcing gender stereotypes through language and behaviour.
Gender identities are reinforced by peer groups. Boys may face pressure to reject academic work as "uncool" or "girly," while girls may downplay abilities in certain subjects to appear feminine.
Feminists have highlighted how textbooks, reading materials and resources can reinforce gender stereotypes:
Research by the National Literacy Trust shows boys are less likely to enjoy reading than girls, with 47% of boys enjoying reading compared to 60% of girls. Feminists argue this may be linked to:
This reading gap contributes to boys' underachievement across many subjects, as reading skills underpin academic success.
Since the 1990s, there has been growing concern about boys' underachievement in education. Feminist sociologists offer different explanations:
Some feminists argue traditional masculinity is incompatible with academic success. Boys who try to prove their masculinity by rejecting school work, being disruptive, or prioritising sports over studies may underachieve as a result.
Research by Mac an Ghaill found boys constructed their masculine identities in opposition to the perceived "feminine" values of hard work and compliance valued in schools.
Feminist researchers like Mitsos and Browne suggest the shift to coursework-based assessment may benefit girls, who often have better organisational skills and language abilities.
However, they warn against seeing this as "discrimination against boys" - rather, it reveals how previous exam-focused systems may have disadvantaged girls.
Many feminists argue the focus on boys' underachievement oversimplifies a complex picture:
Despite girls' overall educational success, they remain underrepresented in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), particularly at higher levels:
Feminist researchers point to factors including stereotypes about girls' abilities, lack of female role models and "chilly climate" in male-dominated classrooms.
Modern feminist approaches to education often focus on:
Recognising how gender interacts with social class, ethnicity, sexuality and disability to create different educational experiences.
Examining how technology and digital learning may reproduce or challenge gender inequalities in education.
Developing teaching approaches that support all students regardless of gender, rather than reinforcing gender differences.
Different feminist perspectives suggest various approaches to addressing gender inequality:
When discussing feminist views on educational achievement in your exam: