IS DROP-OUT FROM UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION A GENDER PROBLEM?

Boys' underachievement in most Western education systems has been interpreted as symptomatic of a "masculinity crisis". This article analyses gender differences in drop-out rates from upper secondary education in Norway based on relevant research and statistics. The first part argues that gender differences are more related to structural conditions and social background than gender, and should be understood in light of the institutional context in mile-dominated vocational courses. For instance, pupils here are selected for apprenticeship training positions based primarily on grades, which vary more with social background than with gender. However, the relationship between institutional conditions, social background and drop-out has received little attention, and high drop-out rates have been understood as a gender problem for boys. The second part of the article considers the wider societal background for this kind of gender problem interpretations. Such interpretations are related to more general discussions on the "masculinity crisis" and can represent individualized accounts, as they tend to neglect the significance of social context. Finally, there is discussion of how conceptual changes in drop-out research seem to be influenced by general theoretical changes toward more emphasis on individual choice and less on social structures.