Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination

Caribbean Studies
Content Page
Acknowledgement
 Statement of Problem
Errol Miller (1991) wrote that in the Caribbean, early socialization puts boys at a
severe disadvantage in schools. Applewhaite(1998) suggested that the male
underachievement was a result of inherent female biases in and out of the school.
These two reports postulates that the male role or position within the society is
becoming marginalized due to the feminization of the teaching profession which
eradicates role models.
After Observing this problem, the researcher concluded that this topic is suitable
for the carrying out of a research.

Aims &Objectives
Aims
1) To become aware of the effects and causes of male underachieving in La
Parfaite Harmonie
2) To Educate the community about the effects of marginalizing the male’s role
and how it can be reduced
Objectives
1) To identify solutions to decrease the rate of male underachieving
2) To discuss the impact male underachievement will have on the society.
3) To assess the effective measures that can be implemented to reduce male
marginalization.
 Introduction
Women and the feminization of the teaching profession has been debated for
decades, in some places for over a century. The term feminization has tended to
apply to centuries where women are a significant majority of the workforce.
Several organizations challenge the reasons for the teaching professions being
feminized and the gender unbalance that was created which shifted towards
women. Several Sociologist strive to assess the impacts that this might have on the
learning process. According to the Stabroek News, “New concerns raised about
Caribbean males’ underachievement”. In this article, the World bank released a
report that highlighted the reverse gender gap. The male’s role is becoming
increasingly marginalized and thus a rise in other issues have been shown such as
crime, teenage pregnancy, unemployment, domestic violence, etc.
Thus, in seeking to assess this issue and all of its complexities, this research is
entitled “Feminization of the teaching profession and its relationship with male
underachievement in Guyana”. This document will comprise of information on the
prevalence, impacts and solution to this crisis. The immense content of references
and sociological perspectives will add to the existing knowledge on the fact that
males are failing and so are our societies. This research will also provide insight to
current CAPE Students in disciplines such as Sociology, Entrepreneurship,
Caribbean Studies, Law,etc. Lastly the public can use the gathered information to
determine what needs to be implemented to revive our males, to revive our society.
The following are definitions of various terms used that will be useful to obtain a
clear understanding of the substratum of this research.
 Literature Review
It should be noted that the current issue of male underachievement is not isolated to
social issues such as crime, poverty and teenage pregnancy. This epidemic is
prominent across Caribbean territories and majority of the western civilizations. The
changes in the socialization process in institutions such as the family, education,
religion has changed and now places the males at a disadvantage. As such the boys
do not align masculinity with the educational process and role models are being
hindered from being created. As such numerous researchers in and out of the
Caribbean have found interest in this topic so that resolutions can be given to both
government and private sectors.
Mary Cobbett & Mike Younger, wrote a journal called “Gender and Education”
Volume 24,2012 – issue 6. The journal sought to analyze the issue and to explore
whether boy’s achievement is indeed a problem, “In the sense of both an imperial
reality and issue requiring political attention” The journal explored the “complexity
of educational underachievement and whether this relates to broader political –
economic marginalization (or privileging) of boys. This article aligns with the
current topic which is the author speaks of the fact that males are underachieving
and acknowledge that it is occurring on such a large scale that political steps needs
to be taken. The Journal highlights that males are being marginalized by political
and economic measures due to their difference in learning abilities from females.
The large influx of female teachers which is a result of government measures geared
to benefit all genders, has placed males in an unfavorable light / environment -
additionally the journal makes it readily clear that to improve the situation, group
discussion with the male groups must be formed to find ways to address the problem.
The issue has been addressed by many Caribbean Scholars such as Errol Miller who
highlighted in his case study “Save Our Boys” that “The Caribbean is one of the few
regions in the world where there are more illiterate men than women. In 1999, the
literacy figures were 25.9 per cent for men and 14.1 percent for women. Although
there have been improvements, the education ministers of commonwealth countries
raised the issue of boys’ underachievement and poor attendance at school. This case
study goes to highlight the fact that male underachievement isn’t a Guyanese
problem only but a Global issue. The study also speaks of the fact that this issue is
not only isolated to only teenage pregnancy but also many others that can be deemed
as deviance, therefore Regional Action must be taken.
According to Jamaican – Gleaner, (2012) Maureen Samms- Vaughan (2001) stated
that the conundrum of the male underachievement could be attributed to different
experiences of male-female children in primary and all-age schools, a teaching
technique or approach which facilitates girls or greater vulnerability of boys when
exposed to similar circumstances as girls. The writers in the webpage alludes to the
situation of being addressed in this research. The feminization of the teaching
profession has posed an advantage on the girls but left our boys vulnerable and
unresponsive to their techniques. This correlates with Mary Cobbett & Mike
Younger’s journal ,Gender and Education .It highlights that the teaching experiences
of males in educational institutions may be contributing greatly to a large amount of
males. The typical classroom is being presented with one teaching technique that is
expected to suit all genders while acknowledging that information is communicated
differently by both genders.
A similar study was found in Nasser Mustapha’s “Sociology for Caribbean
Students” which contained additional information that bears relevance to the current
issue. Mustapha’s book highlighted that many Caribbean scholars suggested that
male’s underachievement was due to the labeling theory and lower parental
encouragement. He alluded to a small-scale study that was done in Trinidad by
Applewhite that suggested male underachievement was a result of inherent female
biases in and out of school. Teachers, as well as parents were more likely to
encourage girls to become academically successful. This was done so that females
can be freed from the possibility of experiencing abusive marriages, dependence,
poverty and teenage pregnancy. Education became an escape from the gender roles
in society and as such parents and teachers encouraged females to perform.in
contrast, the labeling theory was applied in this study to highlight the effect of
creating a bad label on males due to their genetically inherent aggressive behavior
and as such any male that is seen as being anything than passive is being labeled as
indiscipline or a delinquent and as such, they will act in accordance to the title given
to them.
 Data Sources
The study within the confines of this document seeks to determine the relationship
between the feminization of the teaching profession and male underachievement
.The above is complimented with the causes of male underachievement, the effects
and solutions. This paper will also highlight information on the recent increase of
feminization in the teaching profession. These findings will be used to fuel the
creation for recommendations and conclusions related to the epidemic stated above
in Guyana.
The data was obtained primarily through the use of a survey, however an observation
was carried out at several secondary and tertiary institutions .These methods were
deployed to achieve the first aim and second objective. The survey was found to be
advantageous as the quantitative data collected would be valid and reliable in the
event of generating an analysis or theory. This strategy was found to be highly
applicable as the mere nature of the research demands a high focus through the use
of primary methods.
The instrument deployed was a questionnaire consisting of 9 open and closed
questions which include options such as Yes or NO. This method was useful as it
reduced the amount of time consumed and the respondent was given enough time to
give their own opinion.
A total of 20 Questionnaires were distributed between the hours 4-5 on Friday and
Thursday, the 24th and 25th November, 2017, in the selected sample area of 10
randomly and 10 criteria based selected instructions (Tertiary institutions in Guyana
affiliated with Caribbean Examination Council).
Secondary Sources of Data were utilized to be an equal event as it provided
additional information such as sociological theories and concepts. The use of reports
as well as online statistics added authenticity to this paper.