Gender Inequality: Boys vs. Girls

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Gender Inequality: Boys vs. Girls

Sex-role stereotyping creeps into the life of the school throughout the entire day. In elementary schools every subject children learn and every period they experience can contribute to preserving out-moded, sex-biased attitudes and limitations. (Shapiro, et.al., 1981) Bias books represent girls and boys in different roles. Gym classes have boys lifting weights for strength and girls involved in aerobics for flexibility. Math classes contend girls against boys on games like math jeopardy. History presents men in leadership positions and women in supporting roles. Every child knows by school age what male/female role expectations are. A male should be strong, silent, logical, brave, and competitive. A female should possess entirely different sets of standards. She should be dependent, intuitive, emotional, and unassertive. (Shapiro, et.al., 1981) Teachers raised in the same societal norms rarely consciously address these issues of sex stereotypes and teach boys and girls according to these expected norms.

Boys vs. Girls issues regarding behavior and teacher feedback

Numerous studies have shown that boys get teachers attention by being straightforward and unreserved. Boys get more praise from teachers. Girls and boys receive different feedback from teachers. Teachers mark girls’ work as either correct or incorrect, but provide boys with more detailed explanations about how they can improve upon their performance. (Gray & Leith, 2004) This empathetic approach to teaching boys is often explained by the fact that boys are more likely than girls are, to be diagnosed with ADHD, drop out of high school, commit murder and commit suicide. (Wermers, 2004) Therefore boys continue to receive mo...

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...technology networking students in new ways.

Leo, J. (1994). De-escalating the gender war. U.S. News. Retrieved November 18, 2004 from Internet. http://www.keepmedia.com/acct/QuickRegSubmit.do

This article examines the whole point of our gender system today in regards to its use to maintain structured gender inequalities to produce a subordinate class. The idea that Boys/men are thought of as oppressing sex and girls/women thought of as victims.

Wermer, J. (2004). A return to roots: Isolating boys in single-sex programs grows more common. Richmond Times, pp.4. Retrieved September 21, 2004 from Internet. http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?c=MGArticle&cid=1031775244480&page

This article is concerning a possible solution to the problem of gender inequality in the classroom. How boys and girls could benefit from the single-sex school experience.

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