Gender Gap

In the highest grouped math class, there is an uneven ratio of girls to boys. In a class of 16 students, there are only 4 boys.  Instinctively I wondered why this ratio existed and wanted to research if this gender gap was normal in core subjects such as math and reading. I thought about previous readings that shared how more girls were going to college and how more girls were earning honor rolls than boys.

While some theorists believe men and women are simply wired differently, other theorists believe gender socialization has played a bigger part in the processing and outward behavior observed in males and females. Although there are differences of opinion as to which behaviors between genders are due to socialization or to biological and physiological differences, I believe socialization has more influence than development differences in what boys are achieving in school and how they are behaving.

Males and females are taught to value different things from birth. For example, it is more socially acceptable for a boy to be really good at a sport and not at school than it is for a girl. More so than not, males who are good at school are labeled as nerds while females are labeled as being “bright” or “studious”. Boys are praised for being athletic, cool, and “manly”, but not necessarily for being studious. In addition, to show a weakness is considered lame, which is why some boys may fall behind because they are afraid to ask for help. While this does not fully explain the gender gap, it is a factor we must consider since societal pressures often include individuals to adapt in order to gain acceptance in society.

 

 

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