Differences In Gender And Education Sociology Essay Example

as more important than academic achievement and abilities; on the other hand, boys typically prioritize independence and competence. Dr.Sax's book Why Gender Matters emphasizes the importance for parents and teachers to recognize that each sex undergoes different brain development and functions differently.The language area of the brain develops earlier in girls compared to the areas responsible for social relations and geometry. Girls' brains exhibit differences in emotion processing and linguistic communication when compared to boys' brains. Girls have an easier time expressing their emotions due to the connectivity between speech and emotional brain areas, whereas these areas are completely separate in boys' brains. Additionally, boys and girls respond differently to stress; while stress enhances learning in boys, it hinders girls' ability to learn effectively. Failure to acknowledge these gender variations can lead to misunderstandings and social challenges during adolescence.

Scientific research indicates that individuals are born with either a male or female brain structure, and changing genders later in life is not possible. The brain structure of young boys and girls visibly differs as boys tend to use cardinal directions while giving directions, whereas girls prefer using landmarks. Understanding how the brain functions is crucial for comprehending how individuals learn since all information is stored within the brain. It's important to recognize that boys and girls possess distinct learning styles and acquire knowledge differently.Psychologists have observed that girls often set higher standards for themselves in school and are more critical of their achievements compared to boys. Recent evidence shows that girls are even outperforming boys academically, despite societal norms hindering gender equality. This bias found in society is also reflected in classrooms, which serve as a

microcosm of society itself. Gender bias in education is reinforced through lessons, textbooks, and interactions between teachers and students. The selection of classroom resources like textbooks perpetuates gender stereotypes by excluding women or portraying them unfairly. Teachers should be aware of this hidden bias and avoid using such materials. It is crucial to examine how gender roles are portrayed in classroom examples, storybooks, and texts. Boys and men are often depicted as intelligent, skilled, humorous, and powerful while girls and women are frequently portrayed as passive, silent, and invisible. This portrayal can negatively impact girls' self-confidence and aspirations throughout their educational journey.
Despite the fact that many teachers may be women themselves, they unintentionally reinforce these gender stereotypes by favoring assertive male students over non-assertive female students. Teachers tend to call on boys more frequently, provide them with more detailed criticism, and praise the quality of their work more than girls'.Unfortunately, girls often receive compliments solely based on their appearance. These biases raise concerns about the fairness of educational outcomes and have sparked discussions about equal education among writers.

In the late 1700s, Mary Wollstonecraft emerged as a prominent advocate for women's empowerment through her writings as a female author. Her influential work "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" published in 1792 argued for equal access to education for women alongside men. At that time period, women were largely confined within their homes with limited exposure to the outside world.

Wollstonecraft emphasized that in order for adult females to raise intelligent children who contribute positively to society's advancement; they themselves needed proper education—an opportunity denied to them at large until then— which would enable them to fulfill

this crucial role effectively. The author believed that women should reject submissive behavior and educate themselves, as it would enhance their self-esteem and make them better sisters, wives, and mothers.

Additionally, educating women would yield positive outcomes such as finding happiness through shared interests with their husbands and contributing to their children's education. Wollstonecraft also asserted that if women had independence in fulfilling their own needs, they would be closer to attaining freedom and equality. Moreover, this independence would allow them to marry for love rather than financial support.Defoe expressed similar views in his essay "The Education of Women," where he criticized the limited scope of female education that focused solely on household tasks, neglecting intellectual growth. He argued that expanding women's education beyond domestic skills would bring them greater happiness. Defoe also speculated about why men denied women extensive education and suggested that providing equal educational opportunities might reveal women's intelligence surpasses that of men due to their perceived superior abilities and sharper senses. As a result, he believed men feared competition from educated women, justifying his stance on restricting female education. Defoe advocated for teaching women subjects like music, dance, French and Italian language, engaging in intellectual conversations, and learning history. In contrast, men received education in various other fields.

Additionally, the passage highlights the significance of Title IX in 1972 as a milestone in the struggle for gender equality in education. Title IX prohibited single-sex education in American public schools and emphasized non-discrimination based on sex when receiving federal assistance for educational programs or activities. Prior to Title IX, state laws barred women from certain colleges regardless of marital status.The implementation of Title IX

had a noticeable impact on women's education, with decreases in dropout rates and pregnancies among females. By 2004, there was a significant increase in the number of women completing bachelor's, graduate, and professional degrees. According to the Department of Education, women now earn 58% of all bachelor's degrees in the United States, and this gender gap is expected to widen further in the next decade. Providing essential resources and opportunities for women to learn and practice specific skills leads to improved academic achievement among them. Title IX has opened up numerous new opportunities for females beyond its original focus on high school and collegial athletics. It demonstrates that equal opportunities can lead to women being equally successful as men. This has greatly influenced many Americans today by giving them the freedom to choose any school they want to attend (Page 7).Whether attending an elementary school or a university or college, this act applies to almost everyone. These findings highlight the hard-fought battle by women for the educational freedoms they deserve. However, it is worth considering whether women are influencing the educational system in their favor. DiPrete and Buchmann aim to answer this question and identify the reasons behind the growing gender gap in their research. They suggest that increased opportunities for marriage, higher earnings, and better living standards have contributed to more women achieving success in higher education (DiPrete & Buchmann pg.522). According to data from the General Social Surveys, prior to the 1960s, girls were only equal to boys in families with both parents being college educated. However, in families where the female parent was head and had lower levels of education, boys were

favored over girls. Additionally, this disadvantage for females was even more pronounced in cases where the female parents had higher levels of college experience compared to the male parents.However, a change occurred starting from t he 1960s when mothers' education level became more significant for daughters and fathers' education level became more important for sons (pg.523). Research conducted by DiPrete and Buchmann demonstrates that after 1966,fathers started playing a crucial role in their children's educational outcomes regardless of gender.
There has been a shift from male advantage to female advantage in households where the father was absent or had only completed high school. Despite this, boys growing up in such households face challenges in attaining a college degree. Before 1966, a father's education did not impact his son's educational achievements. The educational system, historically dominated by males for centuries, has transformed recently. Under similar circumstances, girls have shown significant increases in college enrollment and graduation rates, influencing future generations of women. Many factors contribute to this accomplishment including changes in the educational system, increased female labor participation, greater rewards for academic success, individual learning habits, brain structure disparities between genders, and socioeconomic background's influence on education. Women throughout history have challenged gender bias in education and various fields and these efforts have resulted in societal benefits as a whole.