Education and Gender Inequalities 2024-2025

LOS 1: Know the relationship between school and society through sociological concepts, identifying fundamental types of social inequality (social class, gender, and ethnic culture). Schools both fight and reproduce these inequalities.
LOS 3: Understand how the relationship between school and society in different historical periods shapes approaches to social inequality, considering it as a social reality and its impact on education.

Traditional ideas about what boys and girls can or should do influence subject choices.
Girls are often expected to be good at arts and humanities, while boys are often directed toward math and science.
Repeated exposure to these stereotypes can shape preferences and career paths.
Gender stereotypes can lead to specific job choices, with more men in STEM fields and women concentrated in teaching and social work.

Data from UPNA (University of Navarra) shows the proportion of male and female students in different university degree programs.
Questions about the proportion for the UPNA overall, early childhood education and primary education positions, and the degrees with the highest proportions of men and women.
The note also asks whether other factors influence higher education choices.

Data on the choice of university degrees in Spain according to socioeconomic class.
The graph indicates that the choice of degree varies among students from different socioeconomic classes.
Specifically, it indicates trends observed in the choice of Science and Engineering, Business and Law, Vocational Training, Humanities, and Education Sciences.

Gender stereotypes are sets of ideas/representations/opinions/images used to describe men's and women's behavior.
They define roles based on sex, setting social goals/expectations for both genders.
Stereotypes create different evolution/development patterns from childhood, which could lead to inequality and discrimination.

Gender stereotypes influence subject choices at school.
Girls and boys are steered toward different paths from a young age.
The repetition of stereotypes leads to ingrained perceptions, impacting career choices.
Men/women often gravitate to different areas of study, based on prevalent stereotypes.

Common stereotypes associate high-level intellectual ability with men more than women.
Stereotypes discourage women's pursuits in prestigious careers, like physics or philosophy, where brilliance is often valued.
Young girls are less inclined to believe their gender is intellectually gifted.
Children tend to select toys and play activities associated with their gender.

Gender refers to socially constructed characteristics of people, including norms, behaviors, and relationships between genders.
Gender is hierarchical and creates inequalities that intersect with other forms of social/economic inequality (e.g., ethnicity, class, disability).
Intersectionality considers the overlapping elements of discrimination based on multiple identities creating unique experiences.

Sex refers to biological/physiological differences between males, females, and intersex persons (e.g., chromosomes, hormones, reproductive organs).
Gender identity refers to a person's internal experience of gender, which doesn't always align with assigned sex or biological characteristics.

Society creates a correspondence between sex and gender identity (e.g., femininity, masculinity) through socialization.
Agencies such as family, school, peer groups, and media influence societal norms for boys and girls.
Gender performativity (a concept from Judith Butler) argues that gender isn't innate but learned through behavior and performance.

Schools have historically contributed to the reproduction of a patriarchal structure through education.
The 19th century saw gradual expansion of women's schooling, with curricula often emphasizing traditional roles.
Gender inequality in education comes in various forms, including unequal attainment and differentiated distributions in various fields of study.

The gap between male and female enrollment/completion rates is decreasing globally, particularly in Western societies.
However, segregation across fields of study persists and even strengthens in some societies.
Access to education, while equalizing opportunities, can also contribute to socioeconomic inequalities if women are clustered in lower-paying jobs.

Female schooling can use segregated models (physical/curricular separation of the sexes).
Mixed models unify spaces but have a hidden curriculum, which can reproduce gender inequality.
Coeducational models aim to eliminate this hidden curriculum.

Coeducation is an approach based on the principle of gender equality and non-discrimination.
It aims to eliminate power imbalances based on sex and incorporate the realities of both genders in education.
Coeducation aims for equality while addressing gender differences.

Recognizing historical contributions of women in various fields (science, politics, art, etc.) and raising awareness about gender violence
Evaluating and challenging gender stereotypes based on legends/stories and societal expectations in different vocations
Considering gender-balanced representation in various professions (science, engineering, etc.) with appropriate examples
Creating opportunities for girls and women to speak more during classroom discussions
Analyzing space use for girls/boys to potentially identify gender inequalities in classroom behavior and encouraging shared spaces
Promoting gender equality through activities and language revision.

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how social and political identities (gender, sex, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, disability, etc.) combine to create unique forms of discrimination and privilege.
These identities interact, causing experiences and outcomes that are complex and not fully captured by considering single categories in isolation.