How can sociologists explain the improvement in the educational performance of girls?

It is widely argued that gender influences achievement. Sociologists have noticed a difference in the level of achievement in boys and girls under sixteen. Studies show boys do not perform as well as girls in standard subjects in school, girls are now overtaking boys at a higher-level standard. Sociologists noticed this when they saw A' level results and GCSE results, however Post-16 girls tend to drop out of science and technology despite doing better than boys at GCSE. Boys' early literacy skills are markedly lower than girls. Although sociologists agree that there is a definite ‘gender gap' between males and female under sixteen, it is not just a simple case of ‘boys doing badly, girls doing well'. The relationship between gender and achievement is much more complex; problems have arose within the area of ‘the gender gap', it is not the same in all subjects – boys perform slightly better in GCSE maths than girls. It can not be applied to all levels of education, particularly university where the dropout rate is higher amongst girls; social class and gender affect it. A variety of reasons have been suggested for the difference between male and females in relation to achievement. Sociologists have attempted to explain firstly why females out perform males in most subjects under the age of sixteen and secondly why females are less likely to enter higher education (post 16 education) despite the fact that female school leavers tend to be better qualified than male ones. It has been suggested that females out perform males because of the following facts, educational policies to help girls over the past twenty years has seen attempts to improve the academic performance of girls. Coursework favours girls – course work in many subjects has helped to improve the academic standards of many girls. Girls have higher career aspirations; there is now a greater range of role models in society than in earlier years. In the 1970s Sue Sharpe wrote a book called â€Å"Just like a girl† in which she writes that most women then wanted to get married and have children. They did not see the point in staying on at school. There were very few jobs for women in the earlier years – only office jobs, nursing, teaching etc. However in today's' society womens' attitudes towards education have changed. More girls now want to attend college and university. There are a wider range of careers for women these days – fire fighters, business, design etc. The idea of marriage has become less popular. As there are more job opportunities for girls these days, they need qualifications therefore they need to work harder. There are poorer employment prospects for men in regard to the changes in the traditional male manual work. Male overconfidence in their own abilities causes unrealistic high expectations. Anti-school culture makes boys vulnerable to acting out the ‘men behaving badly' role, which in turn places little emphasis on education. Boys are more likely to not do their homework and go out with their friends, than girls. Boys find it more difficult to stay in and do their work as they might be worried that their friends will think that they are not ‘cool'. Girls tend to be more mature. Male literacy problems- it is a fact that boys read and write less than girls. Boys are more interested in their computer games where as girls are more likely to read books. This will help them with their school work. Labelling- teachers are more likely to label boys negatively and create a self-fulfilling prophecy of educational failure. Teachers more likely to think boys are more disruptive than girls therefore do not give them as much help. Therefore they are more likely to fail the subject. Also the parental expectations of their children differ, boys are expected to be tougher and more boisterous, girls tend to be quieter and neater. They are encouraged to play different games and are given different toys therefore this creates the basis for differences in interests and attitudes. Curriculum differences – there are two levels the ordinary and the hidden curriculum. Although schools have to offer girls and boys equal access to all courses, we can see that differences emerge. In the past girls were less likely to choose science or computer courses, (it has to be noted that this may not always be the case, especially in more modern times) they were more likely to take home economics, modern languages, social studies and secretarial courses, it is quite normal for ‘male' subjects of CDT to be on the timetable at the same time as the domestic science and the office skills subjects, therefore the official curriculum varies by gender. However these days girls cannot drop out of science and maths. They also take more subjects that boys would take and they have to so GCSE coursework. This helps girls because they are better organised. The hidden curriculum; this is the way that certain ideas and values of the teachers, other pupils and the wider society penetrate through the school. This is not part of the official school lessons. In the past some sociologists argued that as a result of attitudes shown by both parents and teachers girls learn to underachieve. By this they mean that sex stereotyping occurred in which teachers (and parents) knew what sorts of jobs girls do, and have been traditionally successful in, and they then gear girls to follow courses which lead to careers in these areas. It has been suggested that the main reason why girls perform differently in the educational system from boys is mainly due to the way society and the media creates ‘gender roles' which stress how males and females ought to behave. Magazines and television advertisements portray male and females in different ways making us feel that we have to act like them. There are clear gender roles expected of girls, e. g. to be feminine, to want to marry and to have children and to follow only a relatively narrow range of occupations in nursing and office work, etc. These views are strengthened by the media, which also portray women as sex symbols, nurses or housewives. Sociologists also found that girls were rarely portrayed as the central character and rarely showed initiative. Boys were far more often shown as the central character and tended to engage in more exciting activities. However girls today want independence, they do not want to be second class citizens. Leisure – When girls have time they like to gossip and have a â€Å"chat. † Therefore girls communicate better. This means that girls have better communication and educational skills than boys. In conclusion it is clear that girls are doing better but it is not the whole story because achievement affected by other factors cannot be ignored. These other factors are class and ethnicity.

Mohawk Indians: Past and Present Essay

The Mohawk Nation is a Native American tribe of the New York area. They were a sedentary tribe who practiced agriculture in the harsh northeast climate. The primary crops were corn, squash, and beans. The Mohawk were skilled trappers who took advantage of this skill when the Europeans arrived in their area. The tribes worked with other tribes to achieve better relations with other Native Americans and Europeans. This included a constitution and treaties with Americans and Canadians. The modern day Mohawk Nation has tried to keep their culture and their land. The nation of the Mohawks once covered a large area of New York, Ontario, and Quebec. Present day Mohawks mainly live on three reservations. The tribes on these reservations are the Akwesasne, Ganienke, Kahnawake, Kanesatake, Kanatsiohareke, Six Nations, Tyendinega, and Wahta (Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, 2007). The tribe deals with many modern day problems that are similar in nature to the issues of the United States as a whole. Education is a concern for the tribe. The main issue of education is the focus on retaining their culture and obtaining the level of education needed in today’s society. Their answer to this problem was to found the Akwesasne Freedom School. This school was founded in 1979 by parents of the tribe for children in pre-k through eighth grade (Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, 2007). Besides the basic studies the curriculum focuses on culture beliefs and also includes a Mohawk language immersion program. Another concern of the Mohawk nation is the disputes of land ownership in their territories. The tribes of many areas in the New York and Canada area are fighting to keep rights to land that were allotted to them centuries ago. According to Connie Kidd, (2007) after the American War of Independence, during which Mohawk warriors fought as allies of the British, the Haudenosaunee were persecuted in their New York territories and so moved north to ancestral territories along the Grand River, which were reserved for them in the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784. This land was gradually taken out of their hands through disputes and surrenders. The tribes have had trouble being successful in getting the two governments along their  borders to honor separate treaties regarding land ownership. As in any other nation, crime is a concern for the Mohawk Indians. In the Mohawk territory smuggling has become a concern for the local citizens. Drugs, other contraband, and illegal border crossing have risen in the recent years. The smuggling problem seemed to have risen with increased taxes on tobacco in Canada. The smugglers, who are Mohawk Indians and other races, used the Akwesasne area to transport tobacco to Canada, so much so that the area became known as smugglers alley (Bonaparte, 2002). Another factor in the rise in smuggling is the duties that must be paid to bring goods into the Canadian side of the border. Since some of the Mohawk territory is divided between the Canadian and the United States borders the residents must pay to bring goods from one side to another. This has proven to be a hardship for the Mohawk Indians, especially in conducting business inside the reservation. The case of Mitchell vs. the Minister of National Revenue was a decision that stated the Mohawks of Akwesasne did not have an aboriginal right to bring trade goods across the border without paying duty (Bonaparte, 2002). This Canadian court decision, which itself took many years to decide, has affected the Mohawk Indians in conducting business inside and outside the reservation, and thus led to an increase in smuggling. The Mohawk Indians have had trouble combating this problem since the 15-member Tribal police force currently pays for border enforcement from its own operating budget that is supported by Tribal revenue (Indian Times, 2006). The tribes answer to help solve their crime problems is to train local Mohawks to serve in law enforcement. According to the Indian Times newspaper these tribal police officers are ideally suited to monitor this stretch of border as they are Akwesasne residents with an intimate knowledge of the territory (2006). The Office of Law Enforcement Services is responsible for improving law enforcement services and preserving the public’s safety throughout Indian Country. The United States has dealt with smuggling across the borders for many years and from every border. Prohibition times seen the smuggling trade rise in  this very same area yet the items were being smuggled into the United States instead of out. The methods of controlling this problem have changed since that time in history. Mohawk elders can recount that border patrol agents used deadly force to combat the smugglers, native and non-native alike (Indian Times 2006). Even though the smuggling issue has been present since the prohibition days in the early twentieth century the United States government is only now beginning to understand the impact it is having on the Mohawk and surrounding communities. In 2006 the Bureau of Indian Affairs awarded the Tribal Police Department with a grant to help combat the drug smuggling and the illegal border crossing problem in Akwesasne (Indian Times, 2006). This funding is intended to increase the number of native officers to help fight the crime in the community. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are among other government offices that have awarded grants to the police department to aid in buying equipment and addressing other issues (Indian Times, 2006). By working together the two nations can fight an ever growing problem and keep the Mohawk and surrounding communities safe. The various funding from the United States government can be effective in financing the programs needed to protect the community. This cooperation between the two nations will benefit both in the long run. References Bonaparte, Darren. (2002). A line on the map. Wampum Chronicles. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://www.wampumchronicles.com/bordercrossing.html. Kidd, Connie. (2007, Feb. 26). What’s happening in Caledonia. [Electronic version]. Raise the Hammer. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.raisethehammer.org/index.asp?id=533. Indian Time Newspaper (2006, Oct. 16). Tribal police force to receive grant [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 4, 2008 from http://members.aol.com/miketben1/police3.htm. Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs (2007). Welcome to the homepage of the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://pages.slic.com/mohawkna/home.html.

Internet censorship in the GCC region Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Internet censorship in the GCC region - Essay Example It has become quite evident in the contemporary work, wherein issues related to the aforementioned aspects are quite common. In order to acquire a comprehensive understanding, a discussion regarding internet censorship would be vital. In this regard, internet is undoubtedly regarded as one of the most widely used technologies in the world today. In relation to this significant aspect, the aspect of internet censorship is regarded as the approach or the part of censorship which provides certain necessary restrictions on accessing various sorts of published contents in the World Wide Web (WWW). It would be vital to mention that internet censorship rules differ from one country to other and also from one particular region to other. In the GCC region comprising countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, censorship has a different face altogether (Mohammed, 2012). However, there are certain controversies associated with internet censorship that are also visible in the GCC region. ... Hence, it can be affirmed that the decisions that are usually taken with regard to internet censorship in various regions of the world are subjected to several controversies. Thesis Statement Considering the brief discussion illustrated above regarding internet censorship, the later part of the discussion will mainly focus on depicting the importance and the purpose of internet censorship in the world today along with worthy and relevant examples. The paper will also seek to provide an in-depth understanding about the aspect of internet censorship in the GCC regions. Internet Censorship Definition Censorship is regarded as the approach of the concerned authorities situated in almost every nation of the world towards supervising and controlling the information or the ideas that are disseminated within the people living in the society. This might include examining the books, plays, films along with television shows and restraining the contents that might be unpleasant for the people li ving in the society. Correspondingly, the approach of internet censorship is examining the contents that are published, uploaded or accessed in the internet and restraining the objectionable part for the people of the nations. It would be vital to mention that the approach or the criteria of selecting objectionable contents might differ with the values and morals of the concerned authorities from region to region (Oklahoma State University, 2013). The Purpose of Censorship The significance of Censorship is ought to differ from region to region owing to the purpose for which it is being practiced. However, in general, the purpose of censorship is to preserve the

Culture and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture and development - Essay Example In this case most governments in these regions of the world strive to empower cultural heritage tourism through funding the indigenous art and design industries. This is in order to encourage local communities to maintain their cultures as it can act as a form of social entrepreneurship. West Bengal in eastern India is one of the regions in the world which have embraced the notion of social entrepreneurship in building community wealth (Chaudhury 162). The region is rich in cultural and natural resources. The communities in this region are focused on creative industries which are based on art and culture2. The communities have developed Art Business Hubs which offer cultural products as well as services which basically correlate with their traditions and natural surroundings. Apart from industrial development, culture acts as a medium in the formation of social capital. Social capital helps in the development of local industries through local investment as it promotes communal reliability (Thyer 77). People tend to form communal organizations which fund and market their cultural products thus utilizing natural beauty and architectural heritage to increase revenue generation and employment3. Culture is a key entity in the fight against ethnicity. It promotes diversity thus leading to the formation of a global village which is a positive factor in business and economic development. Therefore, culture is essential in both local and international

Evaluating antitrust legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluating antitrust legislation - Essay Example The origin of Anti Trust Law lies in the reaction to public outcry over the corporate monopolies that dominated US manufacturing and mining. The trusts formed by mergers and mutual understandings used to control prices according to their profit needs. This practice has come to an end by the enacting and executing this act. In the 20th century President Theodore Roosevelt and his successor President William Howard Taft, responded to public criticism over the rapid merger of industries by pursuing more vigorous legal action, and steady prosecution. This brought the downfall of monopoly in the manufacturing resulting in price fall. The Clayton law in 1914 declared price discrimination, tying and exclusive-dealing contracts, corporate mergers and interlocking directorates as illegal but not criminal. The Robinson-Patman Act, passed by US congress in 1936 explicitly forbade forms of price discrimination, in order to protect small producers from extinction due to competition. From 1937 to 1940 Roosevelt's effort to cope with economic decline brought federal antitrust enforcement back. After that Congress added its last piece of important legislation in 1950 with the Celler-Kefauver anti merger act. This made the businesses unable to target the assets of the rivals also in addition to previous forbidding of anti competitive stock purchases. A loop hole was plugged.

Writing a paper about a "TED TALK" Essay

Writing a paper about a "TED TALK" - Essay Example Professor Amy Cuddy said that some power poses don’t only change the way people are perceived by others but also change their body’s chemistry immediately. Body language judgments will predict life outcomes that are meaningful like who people are, who they will promote or hire and how they will ask out for a date. This research will focus on how body language shapes who people are. Amy Cuddy argues that nonverbal expressions of dominance and power in the animal kingdom is about stretching out, expanding, and making you big. It is not limited to primates alone but also to animals which also do this whenever they feel chronically powerful and also the moment they feel powerful. Both people, born blind or with sight expand their bodies and throw hands in the air after winning in competitions. When people feel powerless, they wrap themselves up, close up, make themselves smaller and can’t pump into others. It is possible for people to fake it until they make it. Nonverbal communications can govern both how people feel and think about themselves and also how other people feel and think about them. People smile when they are excited but also feel happy when forced to smile thru holding a pen amid their teeth. A power pose is likely struck by people feeling powerful, but when they pretend to have a powerful feeling they are likely to feel more powerful. People know that their minds can change their bodies (Amy). They should know that their bodies can also change their minds. The minds of the powerful tend to be more optimistic, assertive and confident. They will take more risks as they reason abstractedly (Amy). Difference in physiology is there too, on both the stress hormone and the dominance hormone, cortisol and testosterone respectively. Therefore, when people think of power they should not think on testosterone only but also cortisol as

Katrina disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Katrina disaster - Essay Example The paper addresses planning and implementing of the rescue work, workers safety and hazards, equipment and protective gear required, hazardous materials inside the hospital and their removal. Keywords: Personal Protective Equipment – PPE, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - NIOSH, Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA, High efficiency particulate absorbing – HEPA, Occupational Safety and Health Association - OSHA, contaminants, hazards, hygiene. Evaluation of a large New Orleans Hospital after Hurricane Katrina and resultant flooding is taking place directed by Incident Commander, lead by Industrial Hygienist of the hospital with a team comprising of Hospital’s Safety Supervisor (Programs & Training), the Environmental Manager (physical plant, wastes and regulatory issues), two technicians (IH and environmental sample collection and testing) and 25 other employees. The recovery team is given the name ‘Rescuers†. Teams would be organized by phases in the recovery mission. Phase one would be to make second floor safe and clean for working environment as per set standards. Second phase would be initial evaluation of the building further breaking down into sub-phases according to building levels. Then third phase would be removal of hazardous material from basement and 1st level. Fourth phase would be reconstruction and rehabilitation of the floors. Final phase would be testing and monitoring for safety prior to opening the hospital fro operation. Team would be housed on site in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers powered by generators. Team’s offices would be on the 2nd floor of the building (since below levels are waterlogged) along with surgical suites, clinical laboratory and pharmacy. Pharmacy has been looted and trashed. Since communication means through land line is impossible and few cell phone networks are working, hence radio satellite would be installed for reliable mean of

Old Testament Book of Jeremiah Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Old Testament Book of Jeremiah - Research Paper Example The prophetic ministry of Jeremiah began in 626 B.C and finished at around 586 B.C. Jeremiah’s ministry immediately preceded that of Zephaniah. Habakkuk was a modern-day prophet, and that would include Obadiah. Even though Ezekiel began his ministry in Babylon in the year 593 B.C, he also was a delayed contemporary of the grand prophets in Jerusalem. How and when Jeremiah died is vaguely known; Jewish custom, however, asserts that whilst existing in Egypt he was murdered by being stoned.   In the case of Jeremiah, God was critical. Jeremiah’s divinity conceived the Lord God as Creator of all that exists as almighty, as ever-present. Jeremiah attributed a large number of superior qualities to the God he served (King, 1993). Thus, describing God as the Lord not only of Judah but also of the world. At the same time, God is extremely alarmed about the people and their responsibility to him. Jeremiah’s highlighting as to this regard is comparable to that of Ezekiel, the two men have become acknowledged as the â€Å"prophets of individual accountability.† The irrefutable connection involving sin and its penalty, so evident to Jeremiah will watch his adored Judah in her demise, led him to the search of his celestial vocation a blistering cleric of uprightness and his writings have lost none of their commands with the transitory of the centuries.   The book of Jeremiah names disasters and also reveals its form and mirrors it back to its listeners. It depicts the entirety of the devastation; it also talks of pain and bitter anguish, as it articulates the rawness of the world in which the remaining will unearth. It first describes disaster as a coming event, an onrushing assault upon Jerusalem, by means of the subliminal â€Å"foe from the north† (1:14; 4:6).   

Essay on School Life Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On School Life - Essay Example With this particular process, there is the ability to understand the school culture through organization, identity, resources and community relationships which are established. The conclusion which the authors show is that there needs to be a re-evaluation of leadership and the association which teachers have on every level toward enhancing the school culture. The strength of this article begins with the different areas which are evaluated for teachers. Instead of limiting the environment to the culture that is expected in a general context, the author’s examine the specific culture of the school environment. The combination of organization, resources and community are evaluated independently to create the right conclusion. This is combined with the dependent variables which are associated through the survey and observation to reach a better conclusion about what is occurring within society. This combination of information is one that allows the right evaluation to be made in terms of environment and with the concept of culture which is built from the different expectations with relationship building and the school relationships. While the survey and overall evaluation is one that considers a variety of concepts, there are also limits with the approach that is taken from the idea of teacher leadership. The evaluation of different components doesn’t move into the individual leadership styles or expectations that are within the classroom. This is furthered with the inability to create the right association with how one should respond to the environment or how each of the independent variables links to culture. The gap in defining culture, teacher roles and the other independent variables, both in the review of theories and in the broader context, doesn’t provide the correct association with what is needed in terms of leadership. The idea of teacher leadership becomes one that carries a gap toward the culture which is evaluated because of the lack of theory that is provided. Another change which would alter the way in which this article is presented is with the theories based on the evaluation. There were a small number of teachers that were observed and the survey was a casual and unstructured evaluation. If there were different structures or observations, it may have changed the results that were associated with the overall evaluation. The idea of teacher leadership and the model for school renewal may have carried different results with broader observations as well as more structure to the data which was retrieved. Further studies would need to be done to alter the way in which the information was presented. Combining this with more thorough application to school culture, leadership and the understanding of environment would have then closed the gaps with the research which was conducted. In the article by Ronald Lindhal, â€Å"The Role of Organizational Climate and Culture in the School Improvement Process,† t here is an understanding of what it means to belong to a complex institutional environment. The evaluation which occurs in this article looks at improvement in schools, climate and the school culture that is associated with the main ideologies that are there. The theoretical viewpoint is one which makes a statement that the school system carries a complex system because of the combined associations with education and the culture of the institution. In turn, there is the need for