Gendered Capital: Childhood Socialization and the “Boy Crisis” in Education

Abstract

This study examined the effect of gender socialization on kindergarten grades using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Kindergarten Cohort. The sample consisted of 6,394 children (3,177 girls; 3,217 boys) from across the United States. MANOVA and follow-up tests revealed that both boys and girls tend to participate in gender-typed activities. Girls are more likely to have positive school attitudes and exhibit positive social behavior; boys are more likely to have negative school attitudes. Regression analyses indicated that participation in “female” activities and positive social behavior positively affect grades; participation in “male” activities has no direct effect. Positive attitudes positively affect the grades of girls; negative attitudes negatively affect the grades of boys. Teacher evaluation practices are also considered.