GENDER AND EDUCATION

EDUCATION

 In the broadest sense, education is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the
mind, character and physical ability of an individual.

 In its technical sense, education is the process by which society purposefully transmits its
accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.

 Education prepares young people for entry into society and is thus a form of socialization.

Education as a Social Institution

Social Institution - “the social structure and machinery through which human society organizes, directs
and executes the multifarious activities required to satisfy human needs” (H. E. Barnes)

 As a process of socialization, education informally starts at home and then formally in academic
institutions.

 Education as an institution helps develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and understanding of the
people and strive to make them competent members of the society.

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION

 Functionalists suggest that education contributes to the maintenance of society and provides
opportunity for upward social mobility, and meritocracy.

 Conflict theorists argue that education perpetuates social stratification.

 Symbolic interactionists focus on classroom dynamics and the effect of self-concept on grades
and aspirations.

GENDER DIFFERENCES

• Education Participation and Attainment

• Educational Achievement

• Fields of Study / Courses Pursued

Gender differences in Education PARTICIPATION & Attainment

 Education Participation refers to enrollment and completion at key milestones (Jha &
Pouezevara, 2016).

 In the Philippines, there is not much difference in the participation rates in terms of enrollment
of boys and girls over the span of 15 years (2000 – 2015).

 In the context of successful completion, however, the disparity between boys and girls become
more discernible (both in the elementary and secondary levels)
  How far do young women and men go within the educational system?

 Historically, men in Western countries have tended to have higher educational attainment levels
than women (Spender and Sarah, 1980).

 Currently, however, among adults aged 25 to 34, the trend has now shifted to having more
women attain higher levels of education compared to the male rates in two out of three
countries.

 It is important to note, however, that this shift has not taken place in all countries and the scale
of such gender differences varies across countries.

 When it comes to educational achievement there are factors that contribute to the disparity
between men and women and their degree of achievement in the academic sector.

 Listed in the next slides are examples of factors that contribute to said disparity.

External factors and Gender Differences in Achievement

 The impact of feminism

 Changes in the family

 Changes in women's employment

 Girls' changing ambitions

Internal factors and Gender Differences in Achievement

 Equal opportunities policies

 Teacher attention

 Challenging stereotypes in the curriculum

Gender differences in FIELDS OF STUDY / COURSES PURSUED

 Despite the significant increases in young women’s educational attainment, there still persists
striking gender differences in the types of courses taken within the educational system (Bradley,
2000).

 In the tertiary level, young women are over-represented in the fields of humanities, arts,
education, health and welfare while young men are over-represented in mathematics and
computer science, engineering, manufacturing and construction (OECD, 2004).
CHALLENGING THE Need for Gender Comparisons

Positioning boys and girls in opposition to each other turns the issue of boys’ underachievement into a
“war of the sexes,” making one sex responsible for the other one falling behind or worse, measuring one
group’s success against the other.

Conceptualizing gender around a male/female binary has not only led to narrow measures of
performance by gender (Ringrose, 2007) it has also silenced other forms of gender and sexuality “that
involves severe oppression for many students and teachers” (Weaver-Hightower, 2003).

CHALLENGING THE GENDER REGIME IN SCHOOLS

Inclusion programs will create changes in school culture, including its gender regime

Gender Regime - observable patterns of gender relations;

 schools are where gendered practices are reproduced, reinforced, & maintained

Gender regime at work in every school can be defined as the pattern of practices that constructs various
kinds of masculinity and femininity among staff and students, orders them in terms of prestige and
power, and constructs a sexual division of labor within the institution (Kessler et. al, 1985)

GENDER AND FAMILY

GENDER- Refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women that are created in our families,
societies and our cultures.

GENDER ROLES

Means how men and women are expected to act, speak , dress , groom, and conduct
themselves based upon the assigned sex.
a) Role Expectation – group or society’s definition of the way a specific role ought to be
played.
b) Role Performance – how a person actually plays a role.
c) Role Conflicts – Occurs when incompatible demands are placed on a person by two or
more statuses held at the same time.
d) Role Exit – distancing oneself from a particular role/status.
FAMILY
forms the basic unit of social organization and it is difficult to imagine how human

society could function without it. FAMILY forms the basic unit of social organization and it is
difficult to imagine how human society could function without it.
FUNCTIONS
1. Socializing functions. Family members teach child the norms, values, morals, beliefs,
and ideals of society.
2. Providing affection and a sense of security.
3. Providing the environment for personality development and the growth of self
concept in relation to others.
TYPES OF FAMILY
• According to Structure
a. Conjugal or Nuclear Family
- the primary or elementary family consisting of husband, wife, and children.
a. Consanguine or Extended Family
- consist of married couple, their parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins.
According to Authority
a. Patriarchal- when the father is considered the head and plays dominant role.
b. Matriarchal - when the mother or female is the head and makes the major
decisions.
c. Equalitarian- when both father and mother share in making decisions and are
equal in authority.
GENDER ROLES IN THE FAMILY
• Gender roles are defined by the socio-cultural norms of any society. In most of the
societies the family systems are based on the gender roles and it is the pre-designed
gender roles that help members of the family to run the family with bound
responsibilities.
• But today, the modern life has very much changed the family structure and the gender
roles have been diverting from the traditional responsibilities and path of performance.
In fact, the gap between different genders has already melted down, creating an all
equal society and more equalized families.

FAMILY AND GENDER ISSUES

1. Family, along with marriage, is a primary social unit for socialization.
2. Family is a source of ascribed statuses, gendered roles and gendered expectations
 3. Defining “family” is not simply an academic exercise but a determinate of what is
“normal” or “deviant.”
FAMILY AS THE MOST IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON GENDER IDENTITY
• Ann Oakley (1981)
argues that children are socialized into their gender roles and hence in their gender identities
by the family in four ways.
1. The first of these ways is Manipulation.
This consists of parents (or other family members) encouraging behaviour that is
seen as the norm for the child’s gender and discouraging behaviour that is not
considered the norm e.g. congratulating a boy for completing an obstacle course
but discouraging a girl from attempting the obstacle course.
2. The second method described by Oakley is Canalisation.
This comprises of parents channelling the child’s interests into activities that are
considered the norm for their gender e.g. encouraging girls to do ballet and
encouraging boys to play football.
3 . The third of Oakley’s methods was Verbal Appellations.
This involves giving children nicknames or pet names that are appropriate for
their gender e.g. little angel for girls and little monster for boys.
4. The final of Oakley’s methods was Different Activities.
• This is when parents or family members encourage children to involve
themselves in different activities e.g. girls staying inside to help their mothers
cook and boys are more likely to be given permission to roam outdoors.
• These methods identified by Ann Oakley describe how the family can be
considered the most important influence on gender identity as it shows that
children can be socialized into their gender identity by the family from a young
age.
GENDERED DISTRIBUTION OF FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
TRADITIONAL ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN

Roles of Men Roles of Women

Provider Take good care of her husband and

 children

Protector Budget the family’s income

Decision maker Teacher to her children

Cleaner

Cook

CONTEMPORARY ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN

• Today, both the parents work and earn for the family and both father and mother
enjoys equal social statues and financial independence.
• At this point, the role of homemaker becomes no one's responsibility and both the
partners may insist the other one to be the homemaker.
• Adjustments, understanding and empathy are the advised aspects that may help a
smooth running family.
• Clinging to the century old concepts and lifestyles may help only to worsen the
situation.