Boys' Education and Feminism

Paper Summary:

The paper refers to Michael Kimmel's analysis of the debate over gender stereotyping and its relationship with boys' underachievement in academic studies today. The paper provides a critical examination of this debate and reveals that this problem actually pre-dates the modern feminist movement, thus proving that the greater access and performance of girls in the education system is actually not related to underperformance of boys. The paper contends that this critique of feminism can be seen as an agenda-driven effort by conservative forces to both undermine the gains of the feminist movement and also obscure the reality of the negative impact of gender stereotyping upon boys' academic performance.

Outline:
Introduction
Background in the Debate
Backlash Politics and the Issue of Masculinity
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In "What About the Boys?" Michael Kimmel explores a number of facets of the complex debate over gender stereotyping and the contemporary education system. Proceeding from an initial focus upon the current concern over the apparent decline in academic performance of boys in recent years, Kimmel develops a wide-ranging interrogation of not only issues and agendas in the current debate, but also of broader social gender conditioning and stereotyping in our culture and how this is negatively impacting generations of males."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brozo, William. "Bridges to Literacy for Boys." Educational Leadership. September (2006): 71-74.
• Gates, A. "Sex Differences in Reading Ability."Elementary School Journal. 61 (1961): 431-434.
• Jordan, Ellen and Cowan, Angela. "Warrior Narratives in the Kindergarten Classroom: Renegotiating the Social Contract?"In Michael Kimmel, (Ed.). The Gendered Society Reader.New York: Oxford University Press, 2004, 227-242.
• Kimmel, Michael. "What About the Boys? What the Current DebatesTell Us - and Don't Tell Us - About Boys in School."In Michael Kimmel, (Ed.). The Gendered Society Reader.New York: Oxford University Press, 2004, 243-263.
• Martino, Wayne. "Boys, Masculinities and Literacy: Addressingthe Issues." Australian Journal of Language and Literacy.26.3 (2003): 9-27.

More papers on Boys' Education and Feminism:

• Term Paper # 134191 : "Feminization" of Education and Boys"
• Book Review # 28773 : "The War Against Boys"
• Term Paper # 108336 : "Gender Gap in Education"

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