Tomboys and Sissy Girls: Exploring Girls' Power, Agency and Female Relationships in Childhood through the Memories of Women

Abstract

THIS DISCUSSION ADDS TO the body of literature on young girls and their relationships with each other, through an exploration of the experiences of self-identified ‘tomboys’ and ‘sissy girls’ in early childhood. It does this through the memories of experiences identified by women. It is not our intention to have adult women speaking on behalf of children; rather, their experiences demonstrate how gendered identity is constructed and negotiated in childhood. They represent critical points in the process of gender construction in early childhood for each of these women, and have practical implications for early childhood professionals working with children today. In all cases, the women considered these critical moments as fundamental in shaping their lives. McLeod and Yates (2006) point out that reflexive memory can provide new readings of the past and present. These experiences provide a valuable avenue in which to gain insight to the complexities and contradictions associated with young girls' performances of gender. In addition, they provide some insight to the complexities of girls' relationships with each other, extending understandings of the constitution of girls' desires and friendships. Their earliest memories of being gendered subjects focused on heteronormative regulations to which children were expected to adhere, with each carrying a sense of injustice about these practices throughout their lives.