The Feminist View of Education (AQA AS Sociology): Revision Note

Feminist view of education

• Feminists take a conflict view of education

• Feminists see the education system as transmitting patriarchal values, reproducing gender inequalities, even as it appears to offer equal opportunities

• Feminist sociologists agree with functionalists and Marxists that schools transmit norms and values

• However, feminists disagree with the functionalist claim that schools teach values that are neutral consensus values

  • Feminists argue that they benefit a specific group (men)

• Feminists extend the Marxist critique by arguing that education doesn’t just serve capitalism—it also reinforces patriarchy

• They claim that schools help sustain male dominance by:

  • Rewarding “masculine” traits such as assertiveness and competitiveness

  • Undervaluing girls’ experiences and contributions in the classroom

  • Reinforcing traditional gender roles, foexample,le portraying boys as leaders and girls as carers

• Feminists see the education system as a key institution in maintaining gender inequality alongside class-based oppression.

• Heaton & Lawson (1996) suggest that the hidden curriculum teaches patriarchal values in the following ways:

  • Traditional family structures in textbooks

  • Gender-stereotyped subjects

  • Gender divisions in PE/sport

  • Gender division of labour in school staffing (mostly female teachers and male head teachers)

• The four broad feminist explanations offer slightly different perspectives on education

Liberal feminist view

• Liberal feminists believe that the remaining barriers between girls and boys should be removed so that they have equal chances

• They acknowledge progress but point out ongoing patriarchy, e.g.,

  • Sue Sharpe (1994/1996): Compared girls’ aspirations in the 1970s vs. the 1990s and found a shift from marriage/family to career goals

    • This shows that cultural and legislative changes (e.g., Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1976) have influenced attitudes

  • Michelle Stanworth (1983): Noted higher teacher expectations for boys and greater encouragement for boys to apply to higher education

  • Becky Francis: Research shows how gender stereotypes perpetuated by society and educators can discourage girls from pursuing careers in STEM because they think these fields are better suited for boys.

    • Francis pushes for equal STEM encouragement

Radical feminist view

• Radical feminists believe that schools embed and reinforce patriarchal ideology

• Education normalises women’s marginalisation and may minimise issues like sexual harassment:

  • Heaton & Lawson (1996) suggest that the hidden curriculum teaches patriarchal values in the following ways:

    • Traditional family structures in textbooks, e.g., women in domestic roles and men in leadership roles

    • Subject expectations, e.g., teachers subtly encouraging boys toward science subjects and girls toward care-oriented or arts subjects

    • Gender divisions in PE/sport, e.g., football clubs seen as 'for boys'

    • Gender division of labour in school staffing, e.g., female staff in nurturing roles versus male staff in leadership roles

  • Kat Banyard (2011): Research on sexual harassment in schools shows it is often not treated as seriously as other bullying

  • Carol Gilligan highlights the undervaluing of girls’ voices in moral/classroom discussions

    • Girls learn to accept unequal treatment as 'normal'

Marxist feminist view

• Marxist feminists link gender inequality in education to class and capitalism

  • Sylvia Walby: Argued that patriarchy was intertwined with capitalism, so working-class girls face dual disadvantages

  • Christine Delphy/Heidi Hartmann: Patriarchal ideology in schools normalises gendered labour divisions

  • Paul Willis (Marxist tradition): Although his work focused on class, it can extend to gendered identities, e.g., how schooling channels boys vs. girls into different roles

• Marxist feminists believe that schools reproduce both class and gender hierarchies:

Difference feminist views

• Difference feminists argue that not all girls share the same schooling experiences

  • A person’s experience of gender is shaped by other parts of their identity, such as their ethnicity, cultural background, social class, disability, or sexuality

• This means that multiple forms of disadvantage or privilege shape outcomes:

  • Susan Wendell (1996): Researched how social and environmental barriers combined with gendered expectations affect disabled girls' participation and self-esteem

    • E.g., the stereotype that girls should be passive may make PE teachers less inclined to support girls' participation in modified sports or group activities

  • Heidi Safia Mirza (1992, 2009): Her studies show how black girls face low expectations and racialised stereotypes (e.g., the 'angry Black girl')

    • Mirza's research showed that schools often fail to provide culturally relevant curricula or supportive environments

  • Diane Reay (2001, 2006): Found that working-class girls may experience particular pressures around respectability, aspiration, and negotiating cultural norms in school

• As a result, difference feminists argue that educational policy must consider:

  • Curriculum diversification: Incorporate texts, histories, and perspectives from diverse genders and ethnicities to validate students’ identities and broaden all pupils’ understanding

  • Cultural competency training: Provide ongoing professional development for teachers on unconscious bias, anti-racist and gender-sensitive pedagogy

  • Targeted support: Offer mentoring programs, scholarships, or partnerships with community organisations to support minority-ethnic and working-class girls

  • Evaluation & data monitoring: Collect and analyse data on attainment, discipline, and participation separated by gender, ethnicity, and class to identify and address disadvantages faced by girls

Evaluation of the feminist view of education

Strengths

• Policy influence

  • Feminist research underpinned legal changes, e.g., Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts

  • Research has developed school initiatives, e.g., anti-sexism training and STEM encouragement for girls

• Intersectional awareness

  • Feminist research has recognised diversity among girls and pushes for tailored approaches for minority-ethnic and working-class girls

• Agency and change

  • The feminist perspective emphasises that awareness of patriarchy can empower students to challenge norms

  • This aligns with the liberal feminism idea of changing attitudes

Criticisms

• Apparent female success vs. structural barriers

  • Critics question that if the education system favours boys, why do girls have better outcomes?

  • Feminists argue that despite qualifications, women face invisible barriers that prevent them from reaching the highest positions – unequal pay, under-representation in top jobs, and childcare burdens

    • Schooling normalises the acceptance of these outcomes

• Pessimism

  • Radical feminism paints all schooling as oppressive, overlooking differences across schools and individual experiences

  • Liberal feminists counter this by arguing that educational reforms have improved opportunities for girls

• Focus on girls only

  • Some argue the feminist view centres on girls’ disadvantages and doesn't recognise areas where boys struggle

    • E.g., lower attainment in some subjects