Girls, Single-Sex Schools, and Postfeminist Fantasies

249 Pages·2019·3.473 MB·English

by  Stephanie McCall

Girls, Single-Sex Schools, and
Postfeminist Fantasies
Bringing together feminist theory, girlhood studies, and curriculum
theory, this book contributes an in-depth critical analysis of curricu-
lum in single-gender schooling for girls in postfeminist landscapes of
“unlimited choices” and resurgences of proper girlhood. The arguments
challenge the mainstream assumptions and promotions about the guar-
antees of female success via small school supports, tailored curricula,
protection, school choice and class advantage.
Single-gender schools are not homogenous; they have different histo-
ries, student populations, finances and organization. Recognizing this
diversity, Girls, Single-Sex Schools, and Postfeminist Fantasies draws
on rich data collected in two U.S. secondary schools over a two-year
period to identify and explore the ambiguities of success in single-sex
schools for girls. Rich classroom observations and interviews with teach-
ers and students reveal the resounding message delivered to girls—that
they can “have it all” by going to college. By exploring students’ imag-
inings, hopes, and doubts about college, the text illustrates how this
catalyzes girls’ critiques of their futures and of the schooled storylines of
female success. While teachers might trumpet college, career, and lim-
itless horizons, girls seek to understand their social positions and try to
make sense of family, passions, and future happiness.
This book will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate stu-
dents, academics, researchers, libraries in secondary education, girl-
hood studies, sociology of education, gender and sexuality in education,
single- sex schooling, and feminist theory.
Stephanie D. McCall is Assistant Professor in Professional and Secondary
Education at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Routledge Critical Studies in Gender and Sexuality in
Education
Series Editors Wayne Martino, Emma Renold, Goli Rezai-Rashti,
Jessica Ringrose and Nelson Rodriguez
12 Black Men Teaching in Urban Schools
Reassessing Masculinity
Ed Brockenbrough
13 Learning to Live in Boys’ Schools
Art-Led Understandings of Masculinities
Donal O’Donoghue
14 Starting with Gender in International Higher Education Research
Conceptual Debates and Methodological Considerations
Edited by Emily F. Henderson and Z Nicolazzo
15 Women, Islam, and Education in Iran
Edited by Goli M. Rezai-Rashti, Golnar Mehran, and Shirin
Abdmolaei
16 Latina Students’ Experiences in Public Schools
Educational Equity and Gender
Susan McCullough
17 Gender and Care in Teaching Young Children
A Material Feminist Approach to Early Childhood Education
Denise Hodgins
18 Gender, Definitional Politics and ‘Live’ Knowledge Production
Contesting Concepts at Conferences
Emily F. Henderson
19 Girls, Single-Sex Schools, and Postfeminist Fantasies
Stephanie D. McCall
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com
Girls, Single-Sex Schools, and
Postfeminist Fantasies
Stephanie D. McCall
First published 2020
by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an
informa business
© 2020 Taylor & Francis
The right of Stephanie D. McCall to be identified as author of
this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-29041-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-26625-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
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Contents
List of Tables ix
Acknowledgments xi
Preface xv
1 The Education of “Successful” Girls in
Single-Sex Schools 1
2 A Curriculum of Girlhood 27
3 A Place for Girls 61
4 High Hopes and Curriculum as “Makeover” 90
5 High Hopes and a Pedagogy of Privilege 125
6 Cruel Futures, and Other Postfeminist Failures 162
7 A Critical Education for Girls 181
Appendix A: Methodology 195
Index 221

Tables
A.1 Research Questions and Data Collection
Alignment Matrix 203
A.2 Data Collection Methods and Research
Timeline Cycle for Each Case 209
A.3 Multicase Study Final Data Collection
Summary 211