7.7 Conclusion
Educational institutions socialize our gender norms from an early age. In this chapter, we studied how the representation of all genders and non-power-holding groups is important in school curricula. The expectations for skills and behaviors we learn in school teach us what professions are acceptable as adults. What we learn in school about gender directly molds our understanding of gender stereotypes and expectations throughout our lives.
Women and girls are violently victimized, sexually and through other means, and this can negatively impact their ability to focus on their education. In some countries, girls are not allowed to participate in formal education after age 12. Global agencies are working toward securing safe opportunities in education for all genders. Throughout history, activists have promoted change in society and in the legal system, seeking equal access to power and opportunities for all genders.
7.7.1 Key Terms
This section contains a list of key terms that appeared throughout the chapter, see how many you can reframe within the context of the pieces we discussed.
- agents of socialization: the ways we learn to act in society through peers, education, family, and mass media.
- career tracking: the process of subtly or even overtly steering certain genders into certain education paths.
- credentialism: the importance of symbols of knowledge with a formal certification document like a diploma or certificate of completion.
- hate crimes: violent crimes based on a person’s demographics.
- hidden curriculum: knowledge not explicitly transmitted such as gender stereotypes and cultural expectations for gender.
- implicit bias: the unintentional belief or expression of bias.
- queer studies: the study of the intersectionality of gender and sexuality.
- social constructionism: the concept that identity is built through our interactions with and expectations by society.
- symbolic annihilation: the invisibility of a group or culture in the media.
- title ix: prohibits sex discrimination in education which receives federal funding.
- women’s studies: the study of women’s history, gendered-based power inequity, and contributions to science, academia, and society.
7.7.2 Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
“All sections of Conclusion” by Jane Forbes is licensed under CC BY 4.0.