To what extent is the feminist view of education accurate?
Cambridge
O level and GCSE
2020
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Outline: To What Extent is the Feminist View of Education Accurate?
I. Feminist View of Education
A. Patriarchal Influence - Education perpetuates gender inequality and reinforces male superiority.
B. Gendered Curriculum and Expectations - Subjects, teachers, and classrooms promote traditional gender roles.
C. Gendered Subject Choice - Girls steered towards domestic subjects, boys towards science and technology.
D. Gender Bias in Teachers - Higher expectations and support for boys.
E. Male Role Models - Dominance of male leaders sends message of male dominance.
II. Arguments in Support of Feminist View
A. Historical and Global Evidence - Girls' education has been neglected in many societies.
B. Gendered Curriculum and Stereotypes - Textbooks and materials reinforce gender stereotypes.
C. Gender Gap in Workforce - Despite educational advancements, women face pay and status disparities.
III. Arguments Against Feminist View
A. Equal Opportunities Legislation - Laws have ensured equal access and opportunities.
B. Girls' Academic Success - Girls now outperform boys in many educational areas.
C. Positive Female Role Models - Inspirations for girls to pursue educational goals.
D. Meritocracy in Education - Functionalist perspective: anyone can succeed with hard work, regardless of gender.
IV. Alternative Perspectives
A. Marxist Perspective - Social class, not gender, determines educational outcomes.
B. Ethnicity and Inequality - Intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and social class creates disparities.
To what extent is the feminist view of education accurate?
Feminists argue that education, rather than being a system that promotes equality, actually reinforces gender inequalities that persist in wider society. While there has been significant progress in achieving gender parity in education, feminist perspectives still hold relevance when examining the subtle ways in which gendered expectations and norms continue to shape educational experiences.
A key argument put forward by feminists is the existence of a 'gendered curriculum'. Historically, education has often steered boys and girls towards different subjects, reflecting and reinforcing traditional gender roles. For example, girls were often encouraged to pursue subjects like cookery and childcare, while boys were directed towards STEM fields. Although access to subjects is now more equitable in many societies, implicit biases can still influence subject choices. Sue Sharpe's (1976, Just Like a Girl) research on girls' aspirations found that they prioritised marriage and family over careers, illustrating how societal expectations impact ambitions.
Furthermore, feminists highlight the role of schools as agents of socialization. They argue that subtle messages within schools, often unconsciously conveyed, can reinforce patriarchal values. For instance, the dominance of male headteachers and senior staff in some educational systems can perpetuate the idea that leadership roles are better suited for men. This lack of female role models can limit girls' aspirations and reinforce the idea of male dominance in positions of authority.
However, to solely focus on the feminist perspective risks overlooking the progress made in achieving gender equality in education. Equal opportunities legislation and initiatives like the national curriculum have played a significant role in ensuring that girls and boys have access to the same educational opportunities. The introduction of coursework, as opposed to solely exam-based assessments, has been argued to benefit girls, who generally perform better in this type of assessment. The fact that girls now outperform boys at every level of education in many countries also challenges the claim that the education system is designed to disadvantage girls.
Alternative perspectives, such as functionalism, offer a contrasting viewpoint. Functionalists view education as a meritocratic system where success is determined by individual ability and hard work, irrespective of gender. From this perspective, gender inequalities in educational outcomes are not seen as a result of systemic bias but rather due to factors like individual choices and effort. However, this perspective overlooks the deeply ingrained societal norms and expectations that can influence individual choices and opportunities.
In conclusion, while significant strides have been made in achieving gender equality in education, feminist perspectives remain crucial to understanding the persistent, often subtle, ways in which gender inequalities manifest within the education system. Although the overt discrimination of the past might be less prevalent, societal expectations, unconscious biases, and a lack of representation in certain fields still present challenges. It is through acknowledging and addressing these issues that we can strive to create a truly equitable education system that allows all individuals to reach their full potential, regardless of gender.
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To what extent is the feminist view of education accurate?
Candidates should consider feminist views of education in their answer and debate the accuracy of the claims. In evaluation, alternative theories such as Marxism and functionalism may be considered, but this is not essential. Candidates may look at subjects studied, types of school, teachers, classrooms, curriculum, etc. Local examples may well be used and should be credited.
Possible answers:
FOR
- In some countries, today and in the past, the education of boys is seen to be more important than the education of girls.
- The gendered curriculum: The content of education has often been different for boys and girls, e.g., through the subjects offered to them.
- Feminists believe that schools, like other agents of socialization, send out the message to both boys and girls that boys are superior, reinforcing and maintaining patriarchy.
- Feminists believe that education sends out the message to girls and boys that girls should lower their expectations and accept traditional/segregated gender roles in the future.
- Gendered subject choice: Even in countries where boys and girls have access to the same subjects, they are pushed towards different choices, e.g., girls into cookery and childcare, boys into sciences, technology, etc.
- Teachers may have higher expectations of boys and encourage and push them into future careers, whereas girls may be assumed to be heading for marriage and motherhood.
- Gender role models in schools: Headteachers and senior staff are often male, giving pupils the impression that men are better suited to leadership roles than women.
- Some feminists believe that inside the classroom, boys dominate the space and the teacher’s attention, leaving girls on the ‘sidelines’.
- Textbooks: Criticized by feminists for the often stereotypical representations of males and females.
- Even when girls do better than boys in education, feminists note that this does not translate into pay and status in the workplace.
- Other reasonable responses.
AGAINST
- Equal opportunities legislation has changed practices in schools and ensured, through things such as the national curriculum and positive discrimination, that girls and boys have the same opportunities.
- Many believe the feminist views to be outdated as girls now outperform boys at every level of education.
- Single-sex schools can challenge feminist views as there is only one sex here – results for girls are typically better than for boys.
- Positive female role models around the world have raised female aspirations, and girls now grasp all the opportunities that education offers them to be successful.
- Representations of males and females in textbooks have changed to show the more equal world that we now live in.
- More women are obtaining the highest positions in education, as senior leaders and headteachers, motivating females to do well and encouraging them to believe they can be successful.
- School: Functionalists say that education is meritocratic; therefore, anyone can be successful as long as they work hard, and gender is irrelevant.
- Social class: This factor may be more important than gender according to Marxists in determining educational success, e.g., elitism, private education, capital.
- Ethnicity: This factor may be more important than gender in determining educational success, e.g., institutional racism, labeling.
- Other reasonable responses.