ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how educational institutions enact gender. It considers why some girls receive grades based on what they wear rather than what they know; why some boys do well in classes merely because they are boys; and why some lessons are tailored to meet the needs of the members of a particular sex. In the course of exploring students’ educational experiences, the chapter also considers the ways educational institutions function as socializing agents, identifying how curricular content, co- and extra-curricular activities, and educational practices interact to shape how students think and feel about themselves. As early as preschool, male and female teachers alike have tended to pay more attention to boys, treating them as the more important sex. The enrollment gender gap is widest among African Africans, Hispanics, and lower-income whites; some colleges have sought to achieve a balanced class while refusing to admit they are after gender balance.
