The Labour Market for Girls and its Presentation in Secondary and Post-Compulsory Education

The main concern of this research is the relationship between the changing structure of the labour market for girls, and the presentation of that labour market in secondary and post-compulsory education. Women face a different career structure from men, both in education and at work, predicated upon the dual role which women perform in society. Women are primarily defined with reference to domestic life, although they are also involved in production. The relationship between education and production was examined theoretically, using the work of Durkheim, Bourdieu and Passeron, Althusser, their critics, and others. It was also considered from the standpoint of the sexual division of labour, and changing interpretations of gender roles since the I9th century. The location of women's employment was considered, with an overview of sector distribution, and special emphasis on the inner London labour market. Dual labour market theory was applied to see how fer it could explain the phenomena, in terms of restricted labour markets. Hair dressing was chosen as a case study of women's employment because it provides a striking example of many features which may be considered typical, low pay and disputes over definitions of skill, for example. Presentation of the labour market was analysed by considering careers teaching and advice in five ILEA comprehensive schools. Option choices were also examined, since sciences and technical subjects are most valuable in direct entry to the labour market. Despite the emphasis on choosing a balanced curriculum, boys and girls were seen to follow very different academic paths. This undoubtedly had consequences for labour market entry. Boys were shown to enter a much wider range of destinations than girls. There was also some evidence that unemployment affects the sexes differently.