Review of Strategies to Address Gender Inequalities in Scottish ...

Archer and Yamashita (2003) argue that there is evidence of the ‘normalisation’ ofparticular, white, middle-class values within education which fail to recognise importantaspects of working-class boys’ identities. For example, they argue that policies andstrategies fail to grasp the extent to which some boys ‘experience strong emotionalattachment to identities grounded outside of the education context’ (p129). Thatattachment manifests itself in the deliberate cultivation of particular kinds of embodiedmasculinities such as forms of speech and dress, which not only attract the disapproval ofschools but, in the longer run, are likely to hinder the social mobility of the boys.From another point of view, the ‘gender gap’ in attainment could be understood in termsof girls’ success rather than as indicative of boys’ failure (Sukhnandan, 1999). Theintroduction of comprehensive schooling (Epstein, 1998), the removal of gender-biasedselection procedures for the secondary phase of schooling (Gipps and Murphy, 1994;Croxford, 2000) and the success of equal opportunities programmes are all credited withcontributing to the relative rise in the attainment of girls.Recent literature challenges a view of gender as pathologically determined and, instead,presents a more complex account of how boys and girls interact with schooling,developing and modifying their sense of themselves in response to particularcircumstances, both in school and beyond school, shaped by a whole range of socialfactors – social class, culture, sexuality, ethnicity. Thus, schools have to acknowledge adiversity of masculinities and femininities and validate a range of pupil identities.2.4 Stage-specific issuesi. Early educationGender inequalities have been identified in baseline assessments in the first year ofprimary school (Wilkinson et al, 1999) and there have been concerns about boys’ slowstart in two areas in particular: literacy and personal, emotional and social development.Literacy is seen as key to attainment across the curriculum, while boys’ attitudes toschool and schooling are influenced by their personal development (Murphy andEllwood, 1997). In reviewing Early Years research, BERA (2003) noted that the majorinfluences on young children’s progress in the early years were prior attainment on entryto formal schooling and teacher expectations (Tizard et al, 1988).ii. Subject choicesThere have been many studies (Riddell, 1992; Sutherland, 1999; Croxford, 2000)detailing gendered patterns of subject uptake. Of particular concern has been the lowlevel of female uptake of mathematics, science and engineering courses, femaleparticipation in craft and technology courses and low male uptake of modern languages.Explanations include the stereotyping of subjects by pupils, teachers and parents,perceptions of the usefulness of the subject to future lives and careers, wider socialexpectations and pupils’ own interests.iii. Post-school experienceChanges in forms of participation in the labour market in a post-industrial economy havebrought many more women into the labour force. It is possible for more girls to envisiontheir future lives in work as well as, or instead of, at home. In their study of post-16transitions, Macrae and Maguire (2000: 172) noted that girls tended to have ‘clearergoals and firmer ideas about their futures, regardless of race, class or academicachievement’.______________________________________________________________________________________Review of Strategies to 7 University of StrathclydeAddress Gender Inequalitiesand University of Glasgow