Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gender and power in school: On girls' open resistance

  • Published:
Social Psychology of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Drawing upon a Swedish empirical study of gender and power relations in a 9th-grade classroom, this paper focusses especially on girls' attempts to gain influence in school. Typically, such behaviours are reported to be more frequently exhibited by boys, as is almost all kinds of public classroom participation. In the class reported on here, however, girls are those actively contesting power relations and pursuing their principles. This is done through a process much resembling the idea of a representative democratic model. The features and implications of this process are elaborated in relation to two conflicts taking place in the class.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anyon, Jean (1983). Intersections of gender and class: Accommodation and resistance by working-class and affluent females to contradictory sex-role ideologies. In S. Walker & L. Barton (Eds.),Gender, class and education. Lewes: The Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, Joanne R. (1981). Differential treatment of females and males in mathematics classes.Journal for Research in Mathematics Education,12, 40–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjerrum Nielsen, Harriet (1987). Jenter p» østkanten — n»r kvinneligheten blir synlig i klasserommet [Girls from the east side — when femininity becomes visible in the classroom]. In H. Bjerrum Nielsen (Ed.),Jenteliv og likestillingslære. Oslo: J W Cappelens Forlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boaler, Jo (1997). Reclaiming school mathematics: The girls fight back.Gender and Education,9, 285–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R.W. (1987).Gender and power. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crossman, Margaret (1987). Teachers' interactions with girls and boys in science lessons. In A. Kelly (Ed.),Science for girls? Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, Lynn (1984).Pupil power: Deviance and gender in school. Lewes: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, Lynn (1994). Can students make a difference?International Studies in Sociology of Education,4, 43–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawtrey, Liz, Holland, Janet, Hammer, Merril, & Sheldon, Sue (Eds.) (1995).Equality and inequality in education policy. Clevedon: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faith, Karlene (1994). Resistance: Lessons from Foucault and feminism. In H.L. Radke & H.J. Stam (Eds.),Power/gender: Social relations in theory and practice. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garpelin, Anders, Lindblad, Sverker, & Sahlström, Fritjof (1995). Vikings and hip-hoppers in the classroom — an explorative case study of cultural conflict in an educational setting.Young,3, 38–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz, Deborah (1991). Analyses of racism and sexism in education and strategies for change.British Journal of Sociology of Education,12, 183–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giddens, Anthony (1984).The constitution of society. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, Christine (1985).Typical girls? London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulbrandsen, Liv Mette (1994). Blant hester og gorillær i skoleg»rden: Utvikling i en kjønnet kultur [Among horses and gorillas in the playground: Development in a gendered culture].Psyke & Logos,15, 109–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hägglund, Solveig (1992).What did they learn? (Report 1992:04). Göteborg: University of Göteborg, Department of Education & Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hjort, Katrin (1984).Pigepœdagogik-? [Pedagogy for girls-?]. Copenhagen: Gyldendals pedagogiska bibliotek.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holden, Cathie (1993). Giving girls a chance: Patterns of talk in cooperative group work.Gender and Education,5, 179–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, Poul E., Krogh-Jespersen, Kirsten, Kruse, Anne-Mette, Reinsholm, Niels, & Reisby, Kirsten (1984).Skoleliv-Pigeliv. Copenhagen: Unga Pædagoger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, Allison (1993). Becoming a “girl”: Poststructuralist suggestions for educational research.Gender and Education,5, 157–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kampmann, Jan (1993). Kønnets betydning i sm»børns relationsdannelse [The importance of gender in child relations]. In A.M. Nielsen, C. Stormhøj, D. Søndergaard, I. Frimodt-Møller, K.G. Hansen, & T.R. Eriksen (Eds.),Køn i forandring. Copenhagen: Forlaget Hyldespjæt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, Alison (1986).Gender differences in teacher-pupil interactions: A meta-analytic review. Manchester: University of Manchester, Department of Sociology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsson, Staffan (1993). Initial encounters in formal education.Qualitative Studies in Education,6, 49–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lever, Janet (1976). Sex differences in the games children play.Social Problems,23, 478–487.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindroos, Maarit (1995). The production of “girl” in an educational setting.Gender and Education,7, 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Llewellyn, Mandy (1980). Studying girls at schools. In R. Deem (Ed.),Schooling for women's work, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lpo 94 (1994).Läroplaner för det obligatoriska skolväsendet och de frivilliga skolformerna [The national curriculum for the compulsory school]. Stockholm: Utbildningsdepartementet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mac an Ghaill, Maírtín (1988).Young, gifted and Black. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahony, Pat (1983). How Alice's chin really came to be pressed against her foot: Sexist processes of interaction in mixed-sex classroom.Women's Studies International Forum,6, 107–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahony, Pat (1985).Schools for the boys? Co-education reassessed. London: Hutchinson (in association with the Explorations in feminism collective).

    Google Scholar 

  • McRobbie, Angela (1991/1977). The culture of working-class girls. In A. McRobbie (Ed.),Feminism and youth culture. Houndmills: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Öhrn, Elisabet (1993a). Gender, influence and resistance in school.British Journal of Sociology of Education,14, 147–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Öhrn, Elisabet (1993b). Gender and prosocial development in different educational settings.Comenius,50, 181–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Öhrn, Elisabet (1997).Elevers inflytande i klassrummet [Pupil influence in the classroom] (Report 1997:05). Göteborg: Göteborg Universitet, Institutionen för Pedagogik.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oldersma, Jantine & Davis, Kathy (1991). Introduction. In K. Davis, M. Leijenaar & J. Oldersma (Eds.),The gender of power. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shilling, Chris (1991). Social space, gender inequalities and educational differentiation.British Journal of Sociology of Education,12, 23–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skeggs, Beverly (1991). Challenging masculinity and using sexuality.British Journal of Sociology of Education,12, 127–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sørensen, Anne S. (1991). Könskulturer och könets kultur [Gender cultures and the culture of gender]. In H. Ganetz & K. Lövgren (Eds.),Om unga kvinnor. Stockholm: Studentlitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spender, Dale & Sarah, Elizabeth (Eds.) (1980).Learning to lose. London: The Women's Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanworth, Michelle (1983).Gender and schooling. A study of sexual divisions in the classroom. London: Hutchinson (in association with the Explorations in feminism collective).

    Google Scholar 

  • Statskansliet (1990).Statistisk »rsbok Göteborg 1990 [Statistical yearbook Göteborg 1990].

  • Walkerdine, Valerie (1990).Schoolgirl fictions. London: Verso.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ve, Hildur (1995). On gender and equality in schools in late modernity. In K. Reisby & K. Schnack (Eds.),What can curriculum studies and pedagogy learn from sociology today? Studies in educational theory and curriculum (Vol. 16). Copenhagen: Royal Danish School of Educational Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis, Paul (1997).Learning to labour. How working class kids get working class jobs. Farnborough: Saxon House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, Maggie (Ed.) (1991).Girls and young women in education. A European perspective. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education and Educational Research, Göteborg University, Box 1010, S-431 26, Mölndal, Sweden

    Elisabet Öhrn

Authors
  1. Elisabet Öhrn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elisabet Öhrn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Öhrn, E. Gender and power in school: On girls' open resistance. Social Psychology of Education 1, 341–357 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02335553

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02335553

Keywords

Search

Navigation