● feminists see the education system as transmitting patriarchal values
○ heaton and lawson argued that the hidden curriculum taught patriarchal
values in schools.
● liberal feminists
○ in the 1940s and 50s, under the tripartite system, boys had a lower pass rate
for the 11+ than girls (institutionally failing girls in order to ensure more boys
can succeed) and some subjects being specifically for one gender.
○ today, once subjects become optional, there are quite clear gender
preferences for one subject or another
○ the biggest change since 1980s, is that girls now outperform boys in
education so if the system is a patriarchal one, designed to favour boys, it is
singularly failing.
○ stanworth noted that there will still be higher expectations of boys and
teachers would be more likely to recommend boys to apply for higher
education than girls at the same academic level.
● radical feminists
○ argue that the education system is still fundamentally patriarchal and
continues to marginalise and oppress women. it does this through some of
the processes already noted (reinforcing patriarchal ideology through the
formal and hidden curriculum & normalising the marginalisation and
oppression of women so that by the time girls leave school they see it as
normal and natural rather than patriarchal oppression.
○ radical feminist research has also looked at sexual harassment in education
in education and how it is not treated as seriously as other forms of bullying
● black and difference feminists
○ point how not all girls have the same experience in education and that
minority-ethnic are often victims of specific stereotyping and assumptions.
■ e.g. teachers might assume that muslim girls have different aspirations
in relation to career and family from their peers.
● feminism is a main reason to the improvement of girls and education.
○ sharpe found out that london schoolgirls in the 1970s has completely different
priorities and aspirations from similar girls in 1996. she found out that while in
the 1970s, the girls' priorities were marriage and family, in the 1990s, this had
switched dramatically to career
■ legislative changes such as the 1970 equal pay act and the 1976 sex
discrimination act - supporting a liberal feminist perspective
● ALL feminists agree is that the education system does work as agent of secondary
socialisation which teachers girls and boys what are seen as universal norms and
values and gender scripts that are actually those of contemporary patriarchy and that
girls and boys learning these values prevents social change and challenges to
patriarchy.
evaluation:
● 2 features of contemporary education, at least in the uk, which critics feminist view on
education is:
○ education is an increasingly female-dominated sector
○ heaton and lawson argued that the hidden curriculum taught patriarchal
values in schools.
● liberal feminists
○ in the 1940s and 50s, under the tripartite system, boys had a lower pass rate
for the 11+ than girls (institutionally failing girls in order to ensure more boys
can succeed) and some subjects being specifically for one gender.
○ today, once subjects become optional, there are quite clear gender
preferences for one subject or another
○ the biggest change since 1980s, is that girls now outperform boys in
education so if the system is a patriarchal one, designed to favour boys, it is
singularly failing.
○ stanworth noted that there will still be higher expectations of boys and
teachers would be more likely to recommend boys to apply for higher
education than girls at the same academic level.
● radical feminists
○ argue that the education system is still fundamentally patriarchal and
continues to marginalise and oppress women. it does this through some of
the processes already noted (reinforcing patriarchal ideology through the
formal and hidden curriculum & normalising the marginalisation and
oppression of women so that by the time girls leave school they see it as
normal and natural rather than patriarchal oppression.
○ radical feminist research has also looked at sexual harassment in education
in education and how it is not treated as seriously as other forms of bullying
● black and difference feminists
○ point how not all girls have the same experience in education and that
minority-ethnic are often victims of specific stereotyping and assumptions.
■ e.g. teachers might assume that muslim girls have different aspirations
in relation to career and family from their peers.
● feminism is a main reason to the improvement of girls and education.
○ sharpe found out that london schoolgirls in the 1970s has completely different
priorities and aspirations from similar girls in 1996. she found out that while in
the 1970s, the girls' priorities were marriage and family, in the 1990s, this had
switched dramatically to career
■ legislative changes such as the 1970 equal pay act and the 1976 sex
discrimination act - supporting a liberal feminist perspective
● ALL feminists agree is that the education system does work as agent of secondary
socialisation which teachers girls and boys what are seen as universal norms and
values and gender scripts that are actually those of contemporary patriarchy and that
girls and boys learning these values prevents social change and challenges to
patriarchy.
evaluation:
● 2 features of contemporary education, at least in the uk, which critics feminist view on
education is:
○ education is an increasingly female-dominated sector
