1. GCSE Revision Leeds POLIS
Gender and Sociology

2. • Biological difference between men
and women
• Reproductive function of men and
women
• Socially or culturally constructed
• How a society defines masculinity
and femininity

4. In early childhood we learn the norms
and values of our society
Anne Oakley – Radical
Feminist Sociologist. Children imitate their
Family teaches gender parents
norms and values.
Manipulation Rewards for acceptable
behaviour
Canalisation
Verbal appellation Punishment for socially
Different activities unacceptable behaviour

7. How can we explain the gender gap in educational
achievement?
How can explain the differences between female and male
subject choices at GCSE, A level and beyond?
Why do more boys study computing
and more girls study Drama?
Why are females achieving higher
grades than males at every level of
education?

8. National Curriculum 1988
Made many subjects
compulsory to 16.
Increased opportunities for
girls in subjects such as
Science.
Stables and Wilkeley 1996
Where there was a choice of subjects girls and boys
choose differently.
Technology…..girls tend to choose food technology
whilst boys opted for graphics or resistant
materials.

9. Students have greater freedom and gendered subject choices become
much more noticeable.

11. These figures are from the 2007 examinations entries data.
More girls choose Sociology making it more female
dominated than English, Drama, French and Biology.
These gender differences continue at university level
showing a clear gender preference for certain subjects.

12. Fiona Norman
1988
From an early age girls and
boys are dressed
differently, given different toys
and are encouraged to take
part in different activities.
Parents tend to reward boys
for being active and girls for
being passive.
Murphy and Elwood 1998
This can lead to different subject choices – boys reading non-fiction
and girls reading fiction – this helps to explain why girls prefer
english and boys prefer science.

13. Brown and Ross
1991
Children are shapes by their
early experiences. What
children see as male or female
territory will influence how
they respond to an activity.
Children are more confident when
performing tasks within their gender
domain. Given the same activity it
could be interpreted differently by girls
and boys.

14. Asked children of both sexes to design a
boat.

15. Kelly
Science seen as a boys
Some subjects project a subject
male or female image. • Science teachers are
more likely to be
men
• Examples found in
text books draw
more from male
interests and
experiences
• In science lessons
boys tend to
Colley 1998 dominate apparatus
Computer Studies seen as male
Leonard 2006
because:
These stereotypes are seen less in single sex
Involves working with machines
schools where they see girls making less
which is part of the male gender
traditional choices in subjects , girls more
domain
likely to study male-dominated subjects,
Girls find the tasks and teaching
attend university and earn higher salaries!
styles off-putting

16. Friendship groups or other males or
Paetcher 1998 females may apply pressure to an
Pupils see sport as within individual if they disapprove of their
the male domain, girls who choice.
are interested in sport have
to cope with an image that Dewar 1990
contradicts conventional Male students branding a girl as
female stereotypes. “lesbian” or “butch” if she was more
interested in sport than the boys.
But…..in single sex schools girls are more likely to choose traditional
boys’ subjects – the absence of boys means that there is less pressure
to conform to restrictive stereotypes of what a girl can or can not
study.

17. Employment highly gendered
Female jobs are seen as those that link
to the duties that a woman would
traditionally perform within the home.
This gendered approach leads to Over half of all female employment falls
different subject choices as boys into these categories….clerical, secretarial,
get the message that a role as a caring and cleaning. Only a sixth of all
nursery nurse in unacceptable males work in these areas.
then this will affect their subject
choices.
Vocational courses are more highly gendered than any other
area of education – childcare, engineering, beauty therapy all
being key examples.

18. Thank you……come to coaching
to find out more!!!!!
Mrs G