Gendered Power Relations in the School:Construction of Schoolgirl Femininities in a Turkish High School
In this paper our aim is to explore the construction of schoolgirl femininities, drawing on the results of an ethnographic study conducted in a high school in Ankara, Turkey. In this case study which tries to explore the complexities of gender discourses, we were initially motivated by the questions that have been put forward by critical and feminist literature on education which emphasize the necessarily conflicting and partial nature of both reproduction and resistance and the importance of gendered power relations in the school context. Drawing on this paradigm our research tries to address to a more specific question: how are multiple schoolgirl femininities constructed within the context of gendered school culture, and especially in relation to hegemonic masculinity? Our study reveals that the general framework of multiple femininities is engendered by a tension between two inter-related positions. The first one is different strategies of accommodation and resistance to the gender-related problems of education. The second one is the school experience of girls which is conditioned by their differential position vis-à-vis the masculine resistance culture that is dominant in the school.
[1] H. A. Giroux, Ideology, Culture & Process of Schooling, Philadelphia,
Temple University Press, 1981.
[2] H. A. Giroux, Theory, Resistance and Education, South Hadley, Mass,
Bergin and Garvey, 1983.
[3] H. A. Giroux and P. McLaren, Critical Pedagogy, the State & Cultural
Struggle, Albany, State University of New York, 1989.
[4] B. Kanpoll, Critical Pedagogy: An Introduction, Westport:Bergin &
Garvey, 1999.
[5] P. McLaren, Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the
Foundations of Education, NY & London, Longman, 1989.
[6] M. Arnot, Class, Gender and Education, UK: Open University Press,
1981.
[7] M. Arnot, "Male Hegemony, social Class and women-s education",
Journal of Education, no.16, pp.64-89, 1982.
[8] P. Bourdieu and P. Passeron, Reproduction in Education: Society and
Culture London and Beverly Hills:Sage Publications, 1977.
[9] S. Kessler, D. J. Ashenden, R.W. Connell and G. W. Dowsett, "Gender
Relations in Secondary Schooling", Sociology of Education, vol.58,
pp.34-48, January 1985.
[10] A. Jones, "Becoming a ÔÇÿgirl-: post-structuralist suggestions for
educational research", Gender and Education, no.5, pp.157-166, 1993.
[11] B. Francis, "Modernist reductionism or post-structuralist relativism: can
we move on? An evaluation of the arguments in relation to feminist
educational research", Gender and Education, no.11, pp.381-394, 1999.
[12] D. Reay, " ÔÇÿSpice girls, ÔÇÿNice girls-, and ÔÇÿTomboys-: gender discourses,
girls- cultures and femininities in the primary classroom, Gender and
Education, vol.13, no.2, pp.153-166, 2001.
[13] R. W. Connell, Masculinities, St Leonards NSW, Australia: Allen and
Unwin, 1995.
[14] D. Youdell, "Wounds and reinscriptions: schools, sexualities and
performative subjects", Discourse, no.24 (4), pp.477-494, 2004.
[15] D. Youdell, "Sex-gender-sexuality: how sex, gender and sexuality
constellations are constituted in secondary schools", Gender and
Education, vol.17, no.3, pp.249-270, August 2005.
[16] J. Larkin, "Walking through walls: The sexual harassment of high school
girls", Gender and Education, vol.6, Issue 3, pp.263-282, 1994.
[17] N. Duncan, (1999) Sexual Bullying: Gender Conflict & Pupil Culture in
Secondary Schools London, New ,York: Routledge, 1999.
[18] E. Lahelma, "Gendered Conflicts in Secondary School: fun or enactment
of power?", Gender and Education, vol.14, no.3, pp.295-306, 2002.
[19] E. Debardieux, C. Blaya and D. Vidal, Tackling Violence in schools: A
Report from France, in . P. K. Smith, (Ed.) Violence in schools: the
response in Europe, London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2003.
[20] A. Osler and K. Vincent, (Eds) Girls and Exclusion: rethinking the
agenda, London: Routledge Falmer, 2003.
[21] A. Osler, "Excluded girls: interpersonal, institutional and structural
violence in schooling", Gender and Education, vol.18, no.6, pp571-589,
November 2006.
[22] M. Dunne, S. Humphreys and F. Leach, "Gender violence in schools in
the developing world", Gender and Education, vol.18, no.1, pp.75-98,
January, 2006.
[23] V. Walkerdine, Schoolgirl fictions, London: Verso, 1990.
[24] E. Renold, "ÔÇÿSquare-girls-, Femininity and the Negotiation of Academic
Success in the Primary School", British Educational Research Journal,
vol.27, no.5, pp.577-587, 2001.
[25] E. Renold and A. Allan, "Bright and Beautiful: High achieving girls,
ambivalent femininities, and the feminization of success in the primary
school", Discourse: studies in the politics of education, vol.27, no.4, pp,
457-473, December 2006.
[26] S. Lees, Sugar and Spice: sexuality and adolescent girls, London:
Penguin, 1993.
[27] D. Epstein and R. Johnson, Schooling Sexualities, Buchingam, Open
University Press, 1998.
[28] S. Aapola, M. Gonick and A. Harris, Young Femininity: girlhood, power
and social change, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
[29] V. Walkerdine, Daddy-s Girl: young girls and popular culture, London:
Macmillan, 1997.
[30] M. Arnot, M. David and G. Weiner, Closing the Gender Gap: post-war
education and social change, Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1999.
[31] M. W. Apple, Educating the ÔÇÿRight- Way: markets, standards, God, and
inequality, New York: Routledge, 2001.
[32] D. Epstein, J. Elwood, V. Hey, and J. Maw (Eds) Failing Boys?: Issues
in Gender and Achievement, Buckingham, Open University Press, 1998.
[33] B. Francis, Not/knowing their place: girls- classroom behaviour, in G.
Lloyd (Ed.), Problem Girls: Understanding and Supporting troubled
and troublesome girls and young women, pp.9-22, Abingdon, UK:
RoutledgeFalmer, 2005.
[34] H. Lee, Critical Social Research, London: Unwin Hyman, 1990.
[35] L. Stone, "Feminist Educational Research and Issue of Critical
Sufficiency" .In Critical Theory and Educational Research, P. B.
McLaren and J. M. Giarelli (Eds.), State University of New York Press,
1995, p.145-162.
[36] P. Brady, "Jocks, Teckers, and Nerds: The role of the adolescent peer
group in the formation and maintenance of secondary school
institutional culture", Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of
education, vol.25, no.3, pp. 351-364, 2004.
[37] D. Jackson, "Breaking out of the binary trap: boys- underachievement,
schooling and gender relations, in D. Epstein, J. Elwood, V. Hey, and J.
Maw (Eds) Failing Boys?: Issues in Gender and Achievement,
Buckingham, Open University Press, 1998.
[38] J. Kenway, Foreword in : A. Osler, & K. Vincent (Eds) Girls and
Exclusion: rethinking the agenda, London: Routledge Falmer, 2003.
[39] A. Harris, Introduction, In A. Harris (Ed.), All About the girl: Culture,
power, and identity, pp.xvii-xxv, New York: Routledge, 2004.
[40] G. Lloyd (Ed.), Problem Girls: Understanding and Supporting troubled
and troublesome girls and young women, pp.9-22, Abingdon, UK:
Routledge Falmer, 2005.
[41] K. H. Robinson, "Class-Room discipline: power, resistance and gender:
A look at teacher perspective", Gender and Education, vol.4, issue.3,
pp.273-288, 1992.
[1] H. A. Giroux, Ideology, Culture & Process of Schooling, Philadelphia,
Temple University Press, 1981.
[2] H. A. Giroux, Theory, Resistance and Education, South Hadley, Mass,
Bergin and Garvey, 1983.
[3] H. A. Giroux and P. McLaren, Critical Pedagogy, the State & Cultural
Struggle, Albany, State University of New York, 1989.
[4] B. Kanpoll, Critical Pedagogy: An Introduction, Westport:Bergin &
Garvey, 1999.
[5] P. McLaren, Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the
Foundations of Education, NY & London, Longman, 1989.
[6] M. Arnot, Class, Gender and Education, UK: Open University Press,
1981.
[7] M. Arnot, "Male Hegemony, social Class and women-s education",
Journal of Education, no.16, pp.64-89, 1982.
[8] P. Bourdieu and P. Passeron, Reproduction in Education: Society and
Culture London and Beverly Hills:Sage Publications, 1977.
[9] S. Kessler, D. J. Ashenden, R.W. Connell and G. W. Dowsett, "Gender
Relations in Secondary Schooling", Sociology of Education, vol.58,
pp.34-48, January 1985.
[10] A. Jones, "Becoming a ÔÇÿgirl-: post-structuralist suggestions for
educational research", Gender and Education, no.5, pp.157-166, 1993.
[11] B. Francis, "Modernist reductionism or post-structuralist relativism: can
we move on? An evaluation of the arguments in relation to feminist
educational research", Gender and Education, no.11, pp.381-394, 1999.
[12] D. Reay, " ÔÇÿSpice girls, ÔÇÿNice girls-, and ÔÇÿTomboys-: gender discourses,
girls- cultures and femininities in the primary classroom, Gender and
Education, vol.13, no.2, pp.153-166, 2001.
[13] R. W. Connell, Masculinities, St Leonards NSW, Australia: Allen and
Unwin, 1995.
[14] D. Youdell, "Wounds and reinscriptions: schools, sexualities and
performative subjects", Discourse, no.24 (4), pp.477-494, 2004.
[15] D. Youdell, "Sex-gender-sexuality: how sex, gender and sexuality
constellations are constituted in secondary schools", Gender and
Education, vol.17, no.3, pp.249-270, August 2005.
[16] J. Larkin, "Walking through walls: The sexual harassment of high school
girls", Gender and Education, vol.6, Issue 3, pp.263-282, 1994.
[17] N. Duncan, (1999) Sexual Bullying: Gender Conflict & Pupil Culture in
Secondary Schools London, New ,York: Routledge, 1999.
[18] E. Lahelma, "Gendered Conflicts in Secondary School: fun or enactment
of power?", Gender and Education, vol.14, no.3, pp.295-306, 2002.
[19] E. Debardieux, C. Blaya and D. Vidal, Tackling Violence in schools: A
Report from France, in . P. K. Smith, (Ed.) Violence in schools: the
response in Europe, London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2003.
[20] A. Osler and K. Vincent, (Eds) Girls and Exclusion: rethinking the
agenda, London: Routledge Falmer, 2003.
[21] A. Osler, "Excluded girls: interpersonal, institutional and structural
violence in schooling", Gender and Education, vol.18, no.6, pp571-589,
November 2006.
[22] M. Dunne, S. Humphreys and F. Leach, "Gender violence in schools in
the developing world", Gender and Education, vol.18, no.1, pp.75-98,
January, 2006.
[23] V. Walkerdine, Schoolgirl fictions, London: Verso, 1990.
[24] E. Renold, "ÔÇÿSquare-girls-, Femininity and the Negotiation of Academic
Success in the Primary School", British Educational Research Journal,
vol.27, no.5, pp.577-587, 2001.
[25] E. Renold and A. Allan, "Bright and Beautiful: High achieving girls,
ambivalent femininities, and the feminization of success in the primary
school", Discourse: studies in the politics of education, vol.27, no.4, pp,
457-473, December 2006.
[26] S. Lees, Sugar and Spice: sexuality and adolescent girls, London:
Penguin, 1993.
[27] D. Epstein and R. Johnson, Schooling Sexualities, Buchingam, Open
University Press, 1998.
[28] S. Aapola, M. Gonick and A. Harris, Young Femininity: girlhood, power
and social change, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
[29] V. Walkerdine, Daddy-s Girl: young girls and popular culture, London:
Macmillan, 1997.
[30] M. Arnot, M. David and G. Weiner, Closing the Gender Gap: post-war
education and social change, Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1999.
[31] M. W. Apple, Educating the ÔÇÿRight- Way: markets, standards, God, and
inequality, New York: Routledge, 2001.
[32] D. Epstein, J. Elwood, V. Hey, and J. Maw (Eds) Failing Boys?: Issues
in Gender and Achievement, Buckingham, Open University Press, 1998.
[33] B. Francis, Not/knowing their place: girls- classroom behaviour, in G.
Lloyd (Ed.), Problem Girls: Understanding and Supporting troubled
and troublesome girls and young women, pp.9-22, Abingdon, UK:
RoutledgeFalmer, 2005.
[34] H. Lee, Critical Social Research, London: Unwin Hyman, 1990.
[35] L. Stone, "Feminist Educational Research and Issue of Critical
Sufficiency" .In Critical Theory and Educational Research, P. B.
McLaren and J. M. Giarelli (Eds.), State University of New York Press,
1995, p.145-162.
[36] P. Brady, "Jocks, Teckers, and Nerds: The role of the adolescent peer
group in the formation and maintenance of secondary school
institutional culture", Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of
education, vol.25, no.3, pp. 351-364, 2004.
[37] D. Jackson, "Breaking out of the binary trap: boys- underachievement,
schooling and gender relations, in D. Epstein, J. Elwood, V. Hey, and J.
Maw (Eds) Failing Boys?: Issues in Gender and Achievement,
Buckingham, Open University Press, 1998.
[38] J. Kenway, Foreword in : A. Osler, & K. Vincent (Eds) Girls and
Exclusion: rethinking the agenda, London: Routledge Falmer, 2003.
[39] A. Harris, Introduction, In A. Harris (Ed.), All About the girl: Culture,
power, and identity, pp.xvii-xxv, New York: Routledge, 2004.
[40] G. Lloyd (Ed.), Problem Girls: Understanding and Supporting troubled
and troublesome girls and young women, pp.9-22, Abingdon, UK:
Routledge Falmer, 2005.
[41] K. H. Robinson, "Class-Room discipline: power, resistance and gender:
A look at teacher perspective", Gender and Education, vol.4, issue.3,
pp.273-288, 1992.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:51223", author = "Alev Ozkazanc and Fevziye Sayılan", title = "Gendered Power Relations in the School:Construction of Schoolgirl Femininities in a Turkish High School", abstract = "In this paper our aim is to explore the construction of schoolgirl femininities, drawing on the results of an ethnographic study conducted in a high school in Ankara, Turkey. In this case study which tries to explore the complexities of gender discourses, we were initially motivated by the questions that have been put forward by critical and feminist literature on education which emphasize the necessarily conflicting and partial nature of both reproduction and resistance and the importance of gendered power relations in the school context. Drawing on this paradigm our research tries to address to a more specific question: how are multiple schoolgirl femininities constructed within the context of gendered school culture, and especially in relation to hegemonic masculinity? Our study reveals that the general framework of multiple femininities is engendered by a tension between two inter-related positions. The first one is different strategies of accommodation and resistance to the gender-related problems of education. The second one is the school experience of girls which is conditioned by their differential position vis-├á-vis the masculine resistance culture that is dominant in the school.
", keywords = "Femininity, gender relations, masculinity, school,education in Turkey", volume = "2", number = "4", pages = "217-9", }
