Sticks and Stones
In 1981, Hemmer and Kleiber set out to examine the labels of "tomboy" and "sissy" in a midwestern school. They found that the children labeled by their peers as tomboys and sissies weren't actually any more androgynous than other children, but that there were specific behaviors that could trigger the labels, such as creativity in boys. The infamous J. Michael Bailey, however, found that tomboys were "substantially and significantly more masculine than their sisters" (Bailey et all, 2002), although not as masculine as their brothers. However, the "tomboys" in Bailey's study were identified by their parents, not by their peers.
It is unclear whether the boundaries of gender-appropriate behavior are substantially different for adults and children. However, the reactions of children to any non-conformity can be very severe. Zucker et al (1995) found that boys had a stronger negative reaction to a feminine boy than girls did to a masculine girl. Moore (2003) also found that boys received a more negative reaction to gender-atypical expression than girls. Interestingly, Hilgencamp and Livingston (2002) found that women who classified themselves as "tomboys" had greater confidence in their career success, suggesting that their self-esteem had not been damaged by their experience.
[note: Commentary will now be posted BEFORE the daily article, so as to appear below it on the main blog page. Today's commentary is here]
It is unclear whether the boundaries of gender-appropriate behavior are substantially different for adults and children. However, the reactions of children to any non-conformity can be very severe. Zucker et al (1995) found that boys had a stronger negative reaction to a feminine boy than girls did to a masculine girl. Moore (2003) also found that boys received a more negative reaction to gender-atypical expression than girls. Interestingly, Hilgencamp and Livingston (2002) found that women who classified themselves as "tomboys" had greater confidence in their career success, suggesting that their self-esteem had not been damaged by their experience.
[note: Commentary will now be posted BEFORE the daily article, so as to appear below it on the main blog page. Today's commentary is here]