The modern day American school system is believed to provide equal learning opportunities to adolescents under the age of sixteen; however, as sociologists we know this not to be true based upon studies that have shown disparities between the resources afforded to the children of different socioeconomic class and the resultant relationship with success rates (graduation, retention, scores on standardized tests, matriculation). According to research, sexism becomes another system of oppression within the education system that also affects life chances and also latently reinforces sexist ideals that will come to be reflected later in a professional environment. The reform of the education system due to the feminist movement can be seen as a
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In many forms than one, the classroom becomes an arena for male achievement and female spectatorship. Boys are given more attention from teacher under the notion that they need it more (Sadker 5) attributed to their difficulties focusing and retaining information. This insinuation subconsciously supports that a male’s education is more valued because he is expected to make greater contributions to society as reflected in comparative figures of annual income, workplace population, and political influence. There are several other forms of sexism in the education system more blatant than the previous. For starters, there is lack of representation in the textbooks. Female contributions and historical significance are eluded belittling achievement and also creating a false void of feminine inspiration. More noticeably, the sexes are pitted against each other in academia through means of intimidating comments and sexual (sexist) jokes often coming from a superior. Difficulty can and sometimes is described colloquially in phrases such as “so easy, a girl can do it”. Also, pet names such as “toots”, “cookie”, and “sweetie” reinforces the negative stigma of femininity that limits a woman’s importance to her physical beauty and/or role of being object of
In many forms than one, the classroom becomes an arena for male achievement and female spectatorship. Boys are given more attention from teacher under the notion that they need it more (Sadker 5) attributed to their difficulties focusing and retaining information. This insinuation subconsciously supports that a male’s education is more valued because he is expected to make greater contributions to society as reflected in comparative figures of annual income, workplace population, and political influence. There are several other forms of sexism in the education system more blatant than the previous. For starters, there is lack of representation in the textbooks. Female contributions and historical significance are eluded belittling achievement and also creating a false void of feminine inspiration. More noticeably, the sexes are pitted against each other in academia through means of intimidating comments and sexual (sexist) jokes often coming from a superior. Difficulty can and sometimes is described colloquially in phrases such as “so easy, a girl can do it”. Also, pet names such as “toots”, “cookie”, and “sweetie” reinforces the negative stigma of femininity that limits a woman’s importance to her physical beauty and/or role of being object of