Genders in Education - Essay Example

By Your Name Unit/Subject Name and Code Instructor’s Name Institution’s Name Gender is defined as the state of being a male or a female and in some rare cases hermaphroditic. The term gender is mainly used indication of cultural and social differences and also in biological references (Cole, 2006). Alternatively, the term is used to differentiate between masculinity and femininity. Connectively, the term is also used to describe other sex based social structures such as gender roles, social roles or gender identity. Therefore, gender is the socially constructed activities, functions, attributes that in a given society considers and perceived to be appropriate for both women and men (Weis, 2000). This essay will investigate theories and concepts of gender in education and their significance in the society (Reay, 2001) Evolution of education based on gender In early history, women were depicted as lesser and weaker gender. Early from the invention of writing, they were not exposed to any form of formal education. During this period, women were only taught basic skills like cooking, cleaning, basketry and weaving. Skills used in military and interpretation of information were meant for the male. Additionally, the curriculum was more focused to men oriented abilities leaving the female uncovered (Taylor, 2004). Due to constant feminist questioning what counts as history, the discipline of history over time has changed. Alternatively, the impact of life roles, experiences and sexualities of women has now become an important part of history. The above factors tend to dilute the influence and the ever dominating male power that was more seen in military, politics and education. In mid 20th century, women undertook new types of research work and engaged in literature reviews and other types of oral histories. Women started writing books on colonialism, ethnicity, religion and race. Presently, though there is a lot that must be done in the learning segment to have both men and women, feminist have also been actively involved in the education sector where statistics shows that educators and students all come from either gender. In the world, men are depicted to have a more likelihood of being literate as compared to women where in most countries only 75 women are literate for every 100 men. The results are mainly due to cultural factors that hinder the female child from accessing education (Reay, 2001). Early marriages, pregnancy and female genital mutilation make the girl child to either drop from school or totally fail to attend school hence turn to be illiterate (Jordan, 2002). According to feminist theory, the extension of feminism into theoretical or philosophical discourse aims in giving more insight in the nature of gender and inequality (Weis, 2000). The theory mainly inclines in finding out the gender inequality by use of related themes such as discrimination, contemporary art, aesthetics, stereotyping and oppression. In early 1792, a publication entitled ‘The changing woman’, the author explains that a woman has limited and little rights due to men’s defective perception on females. Other theories have been applied by experts to analyze the techniques and principles to their fields and therefore, shape the feminist theory (Taylor, 2004). Female majority In the developed world, available data shows that among every 15 year-old, females are ahead in literacy skills and more confident as compared to males about accessing high-income jobs. The females’s ability in levels of primary and secondary education is mainly seen in languages and humanities. Alternatively, males perform better in mathematics and science subjects. As results, the notion of men’s subject and women subject is still prevalent in today's society where there are subjects that are female-dominated while others are male dominated. In an engineering class, the ratio of males to females is mainly 5:1 while in most art classes the ratio is 1:5 (Cole, 2006). In the United Kingdom, women make up 58% of admission while the rest are men while in some countries in Middle East such Iran, women take a 60%. In the 2005-2006 academic years, the female university enrollment was at 43 to 57 in ratio, where more women were awarded associate bachelors and masters degrees than men. However, there were more men doctorates awards (Reay, 2001). Some critics argue that the high number of women in schools is mainly due to the high number of women as compared to men in the world population. As depicted in the education sector, it is now apparent that the women are more involved in the education both as educators and as students (O'Neill, 2000). Forms of gender discrimination in education According to a renowned sociologist, sex discrimination in education is applied to women in a variety of methods. The mistaken believe that the education as a system and institution of social and cultural reproduction makes it an excellent venue where women are discriminated. According to the prevailing patterns of inequality, gender inequalities reproduced in many educational institutions through the informal and formal systems are used as a way of extending gender discrimination (O'Neill, 2000). Many cultural practices especially in African countries and other third world countries, women are depicted as people who should only be restricted to the kitchen and taking care for the family. This makes a career woman to have a hard time both at their work as they are required to be responsible and at home where they are required to take care of their families (Lutz, 2002). Connectively, women after school are required to attend to house chores while men are either reading or relaxing waiting for the food. This makes it tough for women to compete with men (Packer, 2002). The course taking procedure is also a way that is used to discriminate females especially in high school. The course taking process represents a wide gender gap that exists between males and females in any institution. A course that a student decides to select and specialize in mainly tells the future occupational paths that the individuals will get into. Females tend to take fewer advanced mathematics and scientific related courses which makes them to be ill-equipped to pursue related careers in higher education. In technological careers men prevail better due to their love for nature and adventure as compared to women (Droulet, 2007).The fear in women is also catalyzed by the number of women in different fields who have exemplary excelled in the technological field as compared to men. This makes women believe that they cannot perform well too. Such stereotypes are only made to make females have the notion that such careers are only meant for men (Jordan, 2002). Cultural norms and traditional believes have a significant impact in gender discrimination. Due to this fact women tend to pursue careers and educational pathways that lead them to such occupations that will enable them to have long leaves and absences hence enabling them to use more time at home as taking care of their children as mothers and housewife (Packer, 2002). In addition, the hidden curriculum also adds to the discrimination components in the educational system. According to Lutz, hidden curriculum refers to the idea that allows educators instructors and teacher to interact with their student in a class environment, therefore, reinforcing their relations (DePalma, 2013). Teachers may give more attention to males as compared to females; this would then encourage them to speak up in class making them enjoy the class hence understanding what the teacher teaches (Lutz, 2002). Due to the way girls are brought up, they tend to be quiet, submissive and hence passive. Connectively, girls might be expectant to learn skills treasured in female-dominated fields such as catering, nursing, or even teaching. Alternatively, males might learn leadership skills and other male-dominated occupations such as engineering, architecture and technological related fields (Mulrine, 2001). Gender gap in education Gender gap that exist in education focuses on the benefit that males will have over females mostly in male-dominated subjects but fails to recognize the female dominated subjects especially in literacy (Jones et al., 2000). For a long period females exemplarily exceeded the reading performance of boys at all age and levels. Female students are best when it comes to languages and literature (Droulet, 2007). Females mature and also develop faster than males of the same age bracket and therefore, dealing with subjects such as literature, reading and writing is easier. According to statistics taken from the educational testing service, the institution proposes that the gap among eight-grade males and females is far more than six times larger than the difference in mathematical reasoning (Lutz, 2002). Activities in the class should have a gender balance and avoid selecting activities for males and others for females. Teachers should avoid making students to line up as per their gender since this makes them believe that they are not different from each other (Reay, 2001) Sexual aggravation ought to be dealt with by school administration since ignoring such an act could mean the administration is allowing degradation of females. Connectively, some different behaviors are tolerated in male students while condemned among female students. However students in the class continue to be social in ways that work against gender inequity (Jordan, 2002). In schools teachers tend to socialize with students as per their gender where females will be given a feminine gender representative. More often, female students will be praised for being neat, calm and quiet. On the other hand, male students are encouraged to think independently, to be active and speak up the phrase such as ‘man up’ that is commonly used in timid males (Jones, et al 2000). Girl’s access to education Discrimination against women and other forms of violence has led to prevention of full advancement of women in social mechanisms. Women are forced into subordinate positions contrary to men. In many parts of the world, access to education is very restricted as females face obstacles that prevent them to take part in education (Keddie, 2009). Among these obstacles include prejudice based on gender stereotypes at home, violence on the way to school and other traditions that make them vulnerable to HIV epidemic (Jordan, 2002). Education is important to every human, being an essential entry point to other opportunities. It also has positive effects to the community and the generation at large. It is said that investing in girl’s education is an effective way of reducing poverty in the community (Keddie, 2009). Students in a classroom or a training institution should be taken as a student where they should be no difference whatsoever and activities should be taught and passed to the student, gender notwithstanding (Droulet, 2007). Harmful traditional practices Different and diverse forms of violence are continually committed against women and girls in many countries and societies. According to United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights it is apparent that female genital mutilation, community taboos practices and early marriages prevent women from controlling their fertility (Kehily, 2012). Parents also prefer their sons over their daughters where they neglect them while their brothers are taken to schools (DePalma, 2013). Connectively, early marriages also prevent women from having a smooth continuity in education. This also exposes them to isolation and abuse. In many parts of the world especially in Africa and Asian countries, women are exposed to nutritional taboos in regard to certain types of food. Some of this food results to poor nutrition of women and may jeopardize their health especially when pregnant (Weis, 2000). Conclusion The process of educating women and taking them to learning centers would be an important venture in the world. women should also be provided with same and equal rights as their male counterparts. This would ensure that they are also actively involved in development activities. Parents should be encouraged to appreciate their children as equal and give them equal rights to access education (Reay, 2001). Teachers should be trained to deal with gender issues that arise in class. Females and males should be mixed during class learning activities to eliminate the difference that may exist between the two genders (Weis, 2000). Girl child should also be encouraged to take more challenging courses and the previously male dominated careers should be also made available to females since they are also able to take and succeed in such careers (Cole, 2006). References Cole, M. (2006). Education, equality and human rights: issues of gender, 'race,' sexuality, disability and social class (2nd Ed.). London: New York: DePalma, R. (2013). Choosing to lose your gender expertise: Queering sex/gender in school settings. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 13(1), 1-15 Droulet, D. (2007). Minding the Gender Gap. Retrieved from http://www.universityaffairs.ca/minding-the-gender-gap.aspx Jones, K., Evans, C., Byrd, R., Campbell, K. (2000). Gender equity training and teaching behaviour. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 27 (3), 173-178 Jordan, T (2002). Social Change (Sociology and society). Blackwell Keddie, A. (2009). National gender equity and schooling policy in Australia: Struggles for a non-identitarian feminist politics. Australian Educational Researcher, 36(2), 21-37 Kehily, M. J. (2012). Contextualising the sexualisation of girl’s debate: Innocence, experience and young female sexuality. Gender and Education, 24(3), 255-268 Lutz, J. (2002). Women in higher education empowering change. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. Mulrine, A. (2001). Are Boys the Weaker Sex? U.S. News & World Report, 131 (4), 40-48 O'Neill, T. (2000). Boys' problems don't matter. Report/ Newsmagazine (National Edition), 27 (15), 54-56 Packer, C. A. (2002). Using human rights to change tradition: traditional practices harmful to women's reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa. Antwerpen: Intersentia Reay, D. (2001). 'Spice girls', 'Nice Girls', 'Girlies', and 'Tomboys"; gender discourses. Girls' cultures and femininities in the primary classroom. Journal of Gender and Education, 13 (2), 153-167. Taylor, D. L. (2004). The gender gap for boys. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48 (4), 290-298 Weis, L., & Fine, M. (2000). Construction sites: excavating race, class, and gender among urban youth. New York: Teachers College Press. Read More