Sexism in Gender Stereotypes: a mildly amusing anecdote from 2006

I think this is the right place to post this - its just out of general interest and I was wondering what some others of you guys on EC thought about it

The year was 2006 - I was 7 years old and I was sitting in the year 1 and 2 play area eating a Vegemite sandwich when I overheard 3 kids in the grade below me talking (so they were 5 or 6 years old). Being a busybody, I listened in, of course.

There was one girl and two boys talking, obviously friends. The girl was talking about how she didn't like wearing the school dress (girls could choose to wear the shorts or the dress or the culottes or the netball skirt or tracksuit pants wow the choice) because she thought dresses were silly and then she was saying about how she really liked doing running with her older brothers and sometimes played video games. One of the other boys helpfully added to this, saying, "that means you are a tomboy because you are a boyish girl".

But then boy #2 said "well what about boys who like doing things that girls like? If [girl's name] likes boy stuff and she's a tomboy what am I because I like cooking with my mum and singing?" and then boy #1 said "there isn't even a word for girlish boys." (clearly the vocab expert).

But THEN the girl said "well, you can be a... ginagirl... there we go [boy #2] is a ginagirl!!!!"


Which I think was interesting that there isn't a special word for boys that are more stereotypically feminine as there is a word for girls who are more stereotypically masculine (that doesn't explicitly imply negative connotations). So basically, out gender stereotyping system (as messed up as it is) is also discriminating against some boys.

What are your thoughts on the word "tomboy" and subsequently, "ginagirl" etc. to help classify human beings into groups? And what were your thoughts on this conversation held between these little preschoolers (basically that age)? Just interested as I have seen lots of super intelligent people on the forums! :eusa_clap

 

Hi. Thanks for responding... I still always get a thrill when someone replies to a post I make - such a dag I am.

Just thought I should say wow... you managed to summarise everything I was thinking SO well! Thanks

 

Oh I don't mind - I'm not in it for the replies.

I think you make a good point about pop culture too. In many ways, nowadays it is cool for girls to be tougher and less stereotypically "girly" but the culture surrounding guys hasn't changed as much. Though I will add - I'm pretty involved with the secondary schools music scene in my city (yes church concerts and school soirees - I'm the height of cool) and there is this one all-boys school and their music/choral department is packed. The number of boys that sang was astonishing and they were all really into it (i.e. mum didn't force them into it). That seems to be showing some progress there that boys don't have to macho man to be accepted.