Tomboys

This topic “Tomboys” is one that investigates the preconceived notions/stigmas on girls who exhibit characteristics typical of a boy. The buzzfeed also discusses social pressures on masculine girls and the result of those pressures. I care about this topic because, as a young girl, I was classified as a tomboy and personally felt the pressures of conforming to my gender.

Are you familiar with the tomboy?

memecenter.com / Via Skerski, Jamie. "Tomboy Chic: Re-Fashioning Gender Rebellion." Journal of Lesbian Studies http://15.4 (2011): 469.

The modern definition of a tomboy is a girl who acts "like a boy" and/or enjoys activities and items typical of boys. The term tomboy originally was used to describe rude, rambunctious boys but in the late 1500s the term shifted to girls. Thomas was a common male name of the time so the shortened version, Tom, was used in conjunction with other words to signify masculinity. Liking sports, being aggressive, and wearing "boy" clothing are all typical stereotypes for tomboys. Most stereotypes of tomboys involve a display of masculinity that is uncharacteristic of a girl. Jamie Skerski, in her piece titled "Tomboy Chic: Re-Fashioning Gender Rebellion", states "The tomboy of contemporary popular culture is coded as masculine both through her dress and mannerisms (participation in athletics, cursing, burping)." This emphasizes society's preconceived idea of tomboys as being boyish. Leah Hardy's article shares her experience with her tomboy daughter, Cecily, a girl who affirms the common stereotype. She wears clothing typical of boys, likes to climb trees and skateboard, and is competitive while playing sports. However, like other stereotypes, the stereotype of a tomboy serves to categorize certain girls and causes others to make assumptions about them based on a set of implications instead of viewing each person as a unique individual. The stereotype also divides tomboys from other girls and can lead tomboys to feeling like they are abnormal because they do not fit in with society's idea of what a girl should be like. Cecily put it best when she said "I'm not a tomboy. I'm not a girly girl. I'm a normal person. End of."

"You're too old to be a tomboy."

giphy.com / Via Halberstam, Judith. Female Masculinity. Durham: Duke University Press, 1998.

The term tomboy is most often associated with young girls, typically ages 5-12. As a girl becomes older, social forces instill the idea that she must rid herself of all tomboyish, masculine tendencies and "act like a lady." Another social factor is the influence of heteronormativity on teenage girls. It perpetuates the idea that in order for a boy to like a girl, she must act feminine, which is typically the opposite of the way a tomboy acts. In Judith Halberstam's piece, "Female Masculinity", she states that "We could say that tomboyism is tolerated as long as the child remains prepubescent; as soon as puberty begins, however, the full force of gender conformity descends on the girl." This quote excellently explains why tomboys are mostly seen/accepted by society at a young age. Children of both genders have a societal allowance to be rambunctious, energetic and playful. However, in a girl's teenage/adult years, she is expected to conform to her gender, which rivals the typical behaviors of a tomboy. This article highlights the problem with society only accepting tomboy behavior at a young age. When the author of the article hit adulthood, she felt the social pressures of her gender and was often belittled by other women due to her interests in gaming and sports. She states that "once you're supposedly an adult, then being a tomboy is just weird." Although, in the end of her article she proclaims that she has learned to embrace her tomboy-ness. This is an important idea for girls who carry their tomboy ways into adulthood, for it emphasizes that they should be able to express themselves however they wish, regardless of what society deems acceptable.

Tomboys vs. Girly-Girls: One Night Only!

youtube.com / Via Paechter, Carrie. "Tomboys and Girly-Girls: Embodied Femininities in Primary Schools." Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education http://31.2 (2010): 230.

A girly-girl, hyper-feminine, is seen by many as the polar opposite of a tomboy; to be one is to not be the other. Although, some children view themselves as “a bit of a tomboy”, refuting the idea that a person must be one or the other. In Carrie Paechter's study, she found that "Some tomboy girls were very clear in their rejection of symbols of femininity, and were seen by others to be so. This was particularly the case regarding clothing considered to be girly, though some girls considered themselves to be only partly tomboy, because while they took on several masculine-marked attributes, such as assertiveness and taking sports seriously, they maintained a feminine style of self-presentation, wearing pretty clothes and make-up." Her findings are interesting due to the fact that some girls considered themselves partly tomboy because typically, people think of the extremes, girly-girl and tomboy, without a spectrum in between. Children are also pushed to the extremes due to pressures by peers to be either on the feminine or masculine side. The video "Girly Girl vs Tomboy" highlights the idea of this common assumption that girls are either extremely feminine or masculine; however, Carrie Paechter states that the development of masculine and feminine practices should be stopped so that girls can be "a bit tomboy", "a bit girly-girl", instead of having to choose an extreme.

Embrace Your Tomboy Ways!

levo.com / Via Lott, Bernice. "Behavioral Concordance with Sex Role Ideology Related to Play Areas, Creativity, and Parental Sex Typing of Children." Journal of personality and social psychology 36.10 (1978): 1087-100.

The view of tomboys throughout society has been very positive, for they are seen as strong and confident with themselves. In Bernice Lott's piece, he suggests that girls who engage in tomboy behavior have a larger range in activities which allows them to have "less gender bound preferences for the future." Being open to more activities and interests typically associated only with males allows girls to have a better understanding and greater involvement in the world. Some girls who display some tomboy characteristics often have an easier time in social situation due to their eclectic interest in both male orientated and female orientated activities and interests. Tuti Scott's article highlights the benefit of being active and engaged in sports. She also states that "The benefits to girls and women who play sports are many; better health, higher confidence, stronger self-image, and better grades." Sports can also help girls form better social connections and challenge them physically and mentally. A typical observation of tomboys is that they are confident and assertive, which allows them to better express themselves and ignore outside pressures. Being a tomboy exemplifies bravery against overwhelming social pressures to conform to one's gender and allows for self-efficacy due to the acceptance of oneself.

Tomboyism and Sexual Orientation

youtube.com / Via LaCroix, Jessica, and Traci Craig. "Tomboy as Protective Identity." Journal of Lesbian Studies http://15.4 (2011): 450-65.

A prevalent generalization made by many people in today's society is that masculine women are lesbian. Therefore, many tomboys are viewed by others as lesbian. Traci Craiga and Jessica LaCroix, in there article "Tomboy as Protective Identity", highlight the fact that not all girls who are tomboys are lesbian, and not all lesbians are tomboys. They go on to discuss the idea that the tomboy identity is often used "to protect girls and women from assumptions or questions about their sexual orientation as they can effectively keep questions about sexual orientation at bay by using a tomboy identity to explain masculine appearances and activity preferences." The video "Tomboys of Berlin" shows a women who felt pressured to dress like a tomboy (masculine) because she liked girls. She goes on to say that she does not worry about whether to be masculine or feminine, for she does not care what people think about her; she dresses/acts according to her comfort level. Both the article and the video emphasize the fact that women, regardless of their sexuality, should act independent of societies idea of how an individual's gender identity and sexual orientation should determine whether one should be more masculine or feminine.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It: Tomboy Edition

themarysue.com / Via Hall, Joanne M. "Tomboys: Meanings, Marginalization, and Misunderstandings." Issues in Mental Health Nursing http://29.6 (2008): 555-65.

Media, such as film and literature, affect the way we see tomboys. Typically, tomboys in entertainment are portrayed as strong and likable. Katniss from the Hunger Games is a popular example of an influential tomboy in movies and literature. Her interest in the outdoors and hunting are main factors that lead to her categorization as a tomboy. She uses this to her advantage by being strong and cunning throughout the series, which brings a positive light about older girls who are seen as tomboys. On television, many popular characters have caused the public to view tomboys as "cool" and "admirable". A character like Arya Stark, from Game of Thrones (also a novel), has increased this perception, with her adept sword fighting skills and her perpetual boldness. Joanne M. Hall, in her piece "Tomboys: Meaning, Marginalization, and Misunderstandings", she discusses the way in which literature has influenced society's view of tomboys and has made them more "acceptable". She uses the character, Scout, from Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird as an example of how literature has affected how people see tomboys. The strong, independent nature of Scout positively portrayed tomboys as resilient and altered the public's view of tomboys from the 1960's to today. In Megan Mayhew-Bergman's article, she discusses how she was drawn to tomboys in fiction, particularly Jo in Little Women, and how they influenced her as a writer and a woman. She admires tomboys in literature because "the 'tomboy' has enviable mobility, the option of moving between gendered activities, and the permission to be honest about her wants and desires."