Lads and ladettes in school : gender and a fear of failure / Carolyn Jackson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jackson, Carolyn, 1970-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

High school students--Attitudes.

High school students.

Sex differences (Psychology) in adolescence.

Sex differences in education.

Physical Description:

xxi, 176 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Maidenhead : Open University Press, 2006.

Summary:

This innovative book looks at how and why girls and boys adopt 'laddish' behaviours in schools. It examines the ways in which students negotiate pressures to be popular and 'cool' in school alongside pressures to perform academically. It also deals with the fears of academic and social failure that influence pupils' school lives and experiences. Drawing extensively on the voices of students in secondary schools, it explores key questions about laddish behaviours, such as: Are girls becoming more laddish - and if so, which girls? Do boys and girls have distinctive versions of laddishness? What motivates laddish behaviours? What are the consequences of laddish behaviours for pupils? What are the implications for teachers and schools? The author weaves together key contemporary theories and research on masculinities and femininities with social psychological theories and research on academic motives and goals, in order to understand the complexities of girls' and boys' behaviours. This topical book is key reading for students, academics and researchers in education, sociology and psychology, as well as school teachers and education policy makers.

Contents:

1 'Don't revise, and be a bit bad, that's more popular': Social motives for 'laddishness' 1

2 'I don't want them to think I'm thick': Academic motives for 'laddishness' 24

3 Combining insights to understand 'laddishness': Integrating theories about social and academic motives 36

4 'I don't like failure. I want to get good levels.' Testing times: Academic pressures and fears in school 47

5 'If you work hard in school you're a geek': Exploring the 'uncool to work' discourse 74

6 Fibs and fabrications: Strategies to avoid looking 'stupid' or 'swotty' 85

7 Balancing acts: Who can balance the books and a social life, and how? 101

8 'If I knew how to tackle "laddishness" I'd bottle it, sell it, and make a fortune': Implications for teachers, schools and policy-makers 122.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0335217710

0335217702

OCLC:

64957551

Publisher Number:

9780335217717

9780335217700