The Potential Benefits and Risks of Identifying as a Tomboy: A Social Identity Perspective

Although many girls may call themselves tomboys, little is known about the consequences of these self-perceptions. Seventy-six 5- to 13-year-old girls were interviewed and asked to identify their tomboy status (35 traditional girls, 20 tomboys, and 21 "in-betweens"). Tomboyism was associat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSelf and identity Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 563 - 581
Main Authors Ahlqvist, Sheana, Halim, May Ling, Greulich, Faith K., Lurye, Leah E., Ruble, Diane
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Hove Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2013
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Androgyny
Child development
Gender development
Gender identity
Girls
Intergroup attitudes
Preferences
Self image
Sex roles
Social identity
Social identity theory
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Summary:Although many girls may call themselves tomboys, little is known about the consequences of these self-perceptions. Seventy-six 5- to 13-year-old girls were interviewed and asked to identify their tomboy status (35 traditional girls, 20 tomboys, and 21 "in-betweens"). Tomboyism was associated with potentially negative gender identification (i.e., feeling less like a typical girl and less content with their gender), but more egalitarian perceptions of others (i.e., lower intergroup biases and greater acceptance of others' gender-norm transgressions). To further develop the foundational tomboy literature, we first established that tomboyism was associated with more male-typical play preferences, examined the developmental course of tomboyism, and how girls describe this identity. Implications for theories of gender development are discussed.
ISSN:1529-8868
1529-8876
DOI:10.1080/15298868.2012.717709