‘I sat back on my computer … with a bottle of whisky next to me’: constructing ‘cool’ masculinity through ‘effortless’ achievement in secondary and higher education

Jackson, Carolyn; Dempster, Steven

doi:10.1080/09589230903260019

Cited by 130 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…This perhaps reflects the fact that rather than being alienated, middle class men are more likely to fit the neoliberal notion of the ideal pupil as being 'naturally brilliant' (Jackson and Dempster 2009) and to therefore be less inclined to work or listen, although there are questions around whether the discourse (and in some cases, the reality) of girls' greater educational success is also a factor here.…”

Section: Laddism In the Classroommentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although important research has been conducted in this area (see for example Jackson 2003, Francis and Archer 2005, Jackson and Dempster 2009, more is needed around how class relations underpin gender performances in education. We should renew discussions around rebellion as a reaction to marginalisation, while also reflecting on what and who is defined as disruptive.…”

Section: Laddism In the Classroommentioning

confidence: 99%

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(Re)theorising laddish masculinities in higher education

Phipps

2016

Gender and Education

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In the context of renewed debates and interest in this area, this paper reframes the theoretical agenda around laddish masculinities in UK higher education, and similar masculinities overseas. These can be contextualised within consumerist neoliberal rationalities, the neoconservative backlash against feminism and other social justice movements, and the postfeminist belief that women are winning the 'battle of the sexes'. Contemporary discussions of 'lad culture' have rightly centred sexism and men¹s violence against women: however, we need a more intersectional analysis. In the UK a key intersecting category is social class, and there is evidence that while working class articulations of laddism proceed from being dominated within alienating education systems, middle class and elite versions are a reaction to feeling dominated due to a loss of gender, class and race privilege. These are important differences, and we need to know more about the conditions which shape and produce particular performances of laddism, in interaction with masculinities articulated by other social groups. It is perhaps unhelpful, therefore, to collapse these social positions and identities under the banner of 'lad culture', as has been done in the past. IntroductionIn the past 20 years, critical studies of men and masculinities have burgeoned (Beasley 2012). A broad body of work across the social/biological sciences and humanities, focusing on men's and boys' identities and a variety of social problems such as mental health issues, unemployment, educational underachievement and violence, has been paralleled by the development of a policy literature on how gender issues affect men (Kimmel, Hearn and Connell 2004). Laddism as both an identity performance and social practice has been a key part of this canon, investigated as a phenomenon in itself and positioned as a causal factor in relation to a number of 'men's issues'. Since 2010, the figure of the 'lad' has especially come to dominate discussions around masculinities in UK higher education, and has been associated with concerns about sexual harassment and violence. However, there have been few attempts as yet to (re)theorise and contextualise contemporary laddish masculinities, a space I wish to occupy in this paper.

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Section: Laddism In the Classroommentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Laddism In the Classroommentioning

confidence: 99%

(Re)theorising laddish masculinities in higher education

Phipps

2016

Gender and Education

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“…Consequently, science is an area where you can succeed based on both practical and analytical abilities (Danielsson 2011), which makes it an academic area accessible to Bosse and Henrik as working-class men. Secondly, since achievement in science and mathematics is viewed as at least partly relying on innate abilities, in Bosse's case, it could also be argued that possibility for a perceived effortless achievement in science, thus the construction of an acceptable school-boy masculinity (Jackson and Dempster 2009;Warrington et al 2006), has been important for his participation in the discipline. Thus, Bosse was as a school pupil able to construct himself as an effortless achiever in these subjects, thus constructing an acceptable school masculinity (Jackson and Dempster 2009;Warrington et al 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science for whom? Case studies of two male primary school student teachers’ constructions of themselves as teachers of science

Danielsson

2013

NorDiNa

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This paper investigates intersections of gender and the teaching and learning of science in case studies of two male primary school student teachers, exploring how these student teachers negotiate identities as teachers of science. The project works from dual theoretical starting points. Firstly, the project is founded in a feminist post-structural understanding of gender as performative, something 'done' in a social context rather than an inherent characteristic of a person. Secondly, learning is, following situated learning theory, conceptualised as involving the constitution of an identity. Empirically, the paper draws on semi-structured interviews with two primary school student teachers specialising in science. The paper explores the two student teachers' classed and gendered interpretations of school science, in particular how they use these interpretations as a means for them as male teachers to fit into the primary teacher role with its feminine connotations. Finally, some implications for teacher education are discussed.

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“…As in other Western contexts (Jackson & Dempster, 2009), it has also been noted in Nordic contexts that in ideal constructions of masculinities there is a strong notion of being average, i.e. not standing out as a "study nerd", and achieving in accordance with one's (academic) talent rather than by the hard work of studying Niemi & Rosvall, 2013;Nyström, 2012;Rosvall, 2013).…”

Section: Different Conditions For Developing Valued Masculinities or mentioning

confidence: 99%

The academic–vocational divide in three Nordic countries: implications for social class and gender

et al. 2018

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In this study we examine how the academic-vocational divide is manifested today in Finland, Iceland and Sweden in the division between vocationally (VET) and academicallyoriented programmes at the upper-secondary school level. The paper is based on a critical re-analysis of results from previous studies; in it we investigate the implications of this divide for class and gender inequalities. The theoretical lens used for the synthesis is based on Bernstein´s theory of pedagogic codes. In the re-analysis we draw on previous studies of policy, curriculum and educational praxis as well as official statistics. The main conclusions are that contemporary policy and curriculum trends in all three countries are dominated by a neo-liberal discourse stressing principles such as "market relevance" and employability. This trend strengthens the academic-vocational divide, mainly through an organisation of knowledge in VET that separates it from more general and theoretical elements. This trend also seems to affect VET students' transitions in terms of reduced access to higher education, particularly in male-dominated programmes. We also identify low expectations for VET students, manifested through choice of textbooks and tasks, organisation of teacher teams and the advice of career counsellors.

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‘I sat back on my computer … with a bottle of whisky next to me’: constructing ‘cool’ masculinity through ‘effortless’ achievement in secondary and higher education

Cited by 130 publications

References 30 publications

(Re)theorising laddish masculinities in higher education

(Re)theorising laddish masculinities in higher education

Science for whom? Case studies of two male primary school student teachers’ constructions of themselves as teachers of science

The academic–vocational divide in three Nordic countries: implications for social class and gender

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