KIN 338I T/TH 930-1045
While I was writing my book review for our awareness assignment I came across an interesting study from the College Student Journal about the effects of childhood "tomboyism" on grown women. The word tomboy doesn't necessarily have a negative stigma in the United States. Girls who are considered tomboys are more likely to take on a masculine role rather than engaging in pretend play. According to this study many women who considered themselves as tomboys played sports. One hundred and twenty-four female undergraduates were recruited for this study from an online participation pool. Results from this study found that participants who were tomboys as children had higher self-esteems as adults. According to this study, girls who were tomboys growing up are more well-adjusted, good leaders and popular as adults. Slightly more than half of the women in this survey considered themselves as tomboys as child but stated that they grew out of it during or soon after puberty. Many girls who continue being tomboys into their teenage years are labeled as loners and don't fit in as well as their non-tomboy counterparts.
"Due to the social inequity of men and women" (Volkom, 2009) it is understandable why many girls want to incorporate some male traits into their actions. According to this article tomboys feel empowered by making male friends and by obtaining their respect. I think that this article was very interesting because I was a tomboy for a few years. I played basketball with the boys everyday at recess. I wonder if this affected the woman I am today.
-Volkom, M. (2009, September). The effects of childhood tomboyism and family experiences on
the self-esteem of college females. College Student Journal, 43 (3), p736.
2 comments:
I thought that this article you chose to write about was very interesting. I was also a tomboy for around five years when I was younger until I quit the sports I was playing. Most of my friends where tomboys also because in soccer you get dirty and show strength. As I got older, a lot of my friends began quiting their sports and entering the world of middle school and high school where they put make-up on everyday and were expected to look like women. I think this is why most girls are only tomboys when they are younger. It is widely excepted to see younger girls act like boys because there are not as many differences in children. I believe that as children get older, they understand that the world often stereotypes older tomboys as lesbians in a negative way. This proves that humans construct gender roles and expectations. It is sad that girls often feel like they cannot be tomboys anymore after the childhood years but I believe that the world is improving by being more excepting. In the movie we watched in class “Kick like a Girl”, the anxiety of girls beating boys was clear, however, with more movements towards co-ed teams I think that the U.S. will improve in the way women are treated.
Kathleen Cragin
KIN338I tues/thur 9:30-10:45
The article that you wrote about actually opened up my eyes to the whole tomboy stereotype. When I was younger I would rather play sports outside then play with dolls and barbies. I hated barbies. But I never really thought about being portrayed as a tomboy when I was younger could have an effect on my self-esteem now. I think that being able to accept the way you are instead of going about worried whether or not you look acceptable by your peers has a big impact on your life and self-esteem. When I was younger even though I played more with guys than with girls, I always felt accepted by the boys and I think that that has carried over into my life now. I don't feel that I need to be accepted by anyone to be happy. What makes me happy is knowing that I love myself for being the way I am and not living a double life to society's norms. There is nothing wrong being different. Everyone is different to some degree, otherwise life would not be as exciting and exhilarating as it is. I just wish that everyone can feel as confident in themselves as I do, otherwise you will never find true happiness.
Kristen Stragier
Kin 338 T/TH 9:30-10:45
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