The development of theory on gendered patterns of achievement in the Anglophone Caribbean: insights, contradictions, and silences

ABSTRACT

Gendered patterns of achievement emerged as a critical policy concern for the small island developing states of the Anglophone Caribbean as early as 1986. Although these patterns are mostly variegated, some males do appear to be disadvantaged on key schooling outcomes as evident in the literacy attainment gap for Trinidad and Tobago in PISA 2009 and PIRLS 2011. Theory explaining patterns in the region has been influenced by simplistic borrowing of ideas and the globalised politics of gender. In this paper, I first analyse the work of major thinkers in the Anglophone Caribbean, exploring insights, contradictions, and silences and then consider the utility of such theory for local policy formulation. This diverse body of local knowledge on the issue provides important and unique insights into a complex policy issue. However, explaining variegated patterns requires new theory that is more nuanced and contextualised, drawn from epistemologically diverse research.

KEYWORDS:

• Caribbean
• boys
• masculinities
• achievement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Morley (2005) used the terms in her analysis of gender equity in British Commonwealth higher education.

2 Apart from the challenge of differences in language and the size of the manuscript, the policy intent of this review favoured a focus on the independent nation states rather than countries which are oversea territories.

3 David Plummer is not included in the 2007 annotated bibliography as his earliest Caribbean work dates to 2008. An arbitrary benchmark of three works was used as the selection factor. The number of citations for the highest cited work per author ranged from 13 for Plummer, McLean, and Simpson (2008) to 205 for Chevannes (2001).

4 Therefore, researchers may be considered as ‘outsiders’ when they study the issue in islands other than their own.

5 Although we might regard Trinidad and Tobago as representative of the Caribbean, there is evidence that the gender gap varies across the islands, with Jamaica possibly having the largest gap and Barbados possibly the lowest (Bailey 2008, 2009).