Tomboy

The Tomboy, 1873 painting by John George Brown

A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of a boy,^[1][2] including wearing masculine clothing and engaging in games and activities that are physical in nature and are considered in many cultures to be unfeminine or the domain of boys.^[2]

History and society

Tomboy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), "has been connected with connotations of rudeness and impropriety" throughout its use.^[3] The OED dates the first use of the term to 1592,^[3] but an earlier use is recorded in Ralph Roister Doister, which is believed to date from 1553, and was published in 1567. Author Michelle Ann Abate stated that, in nineteenth-century American culture, the usage of the word tomboy came to refer to a specific code of conduct that permitted young girls to exercise, wear "sensible clothing", and to eat a "wholesome diet". Because of the emphasis on a healthier lifestyle, tomboyism quickly grew in popularity during this time period as an alternative to the dominant feminine code of conduct that had limited women's physical movement. Abate stated that this mode of behavior was planned to enhance the power and durability of the country's coming brides and child-bearers and the progeny that they birthed. She said that tomboyism was more than a new fostering method or gender statement for the country's young women; it was also a way to improve the genetic quality of the human population and at least a way to assert white racial supremacy.^[4] In her 1898 book Women and Economics, feminist writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman lauds the health benefits of being a tomboy as well as the freedom for gender exploration: "not feminine till it is time to be".^[5] Joseph Lee, a playground advocate, wrote in 1915 that the tomboy phase was crucial to physical development between the ages of eight and thirteen.^[6] Tomboyism remained popular through World War I and World War II in society, literature, and then film.

During the twentieth century, Freudian psychology and backlash against LGBT social movements resulted in societal fears about the sexualities of tomboys, and this caused some to question if tomboyism leads to lesbianism.^[4] Throughout history, there has been a perceived correlation between tomboyishness and lesbianism.^[3][7] For instance, Hollywood films would stereotype the adult tomboy as a "predatory butch dyke".^[7] Lynne Yamaguchi and Karen Barber, editors of Tomboys! Tales of Dyke Derring-Do, argue that "tomboyhood is much more than a phase for many lesbians", it "seems to remain a part of the foundation of who we are as adults".^[3][8] Many contributors to Tomboys! linked their self-identification as tomboys and lesbians to both labels positioning them outside "cultural and gender boundaries".^[3] Psychoanalyst Dianne Elise's essay reported that more lesbians noted being a tomboy than straight women.^[9] However, while some tomboys later reveal a lesbian identity in their adolescent or adult years, behavior typical of boys but displayed by girls is not a true indicator of one's sexual orientation.^[10]

Gender scholar Judith Halberstam states that while the defying of gender roles is often tolerated in young girls, adolescent girls who display masculine traits are often repressed or punished.^[11] However, the ubiquity of traditionally female clothing such as skirts and dresses has declined in the Western world, where it is generally no longer considered a male trait for girls and women not to wear such clothing. An increase in the popularity of women's sporting events (see Title IX) and other activities that were traditionally male-dominated has broadened tolerance and lessened the impact of tomboy as a pejorative term.^[2] Instead, as sociologist Barrie Thorne suggested, some "adult women tell with a hint of pride as if to suggest: I was (and am) independent and active; I held (and hold) my own with boys and men and have earned their respect and friendship; I resisted (and continue to resist) gender stereotypes".^[12]

Studies

There have been few studies of the causality of women's behavior and interests when they do not match the female gender role. One report from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children suggests that preschool girls engaging in masculine-typical gender-role behavior, such as playing with toys typically preferred by boys, is influenced by genetic and prenatal factors.^[13] Tomboys have also been noted to demonstrate a stronger interest in science and technology.^[2]

Fiction

See also

• Effeminacy
• Geek girl
• Gender variance
• Girly girl
• Sissy

References

External links

• Tomboys and sissies: Androgynous children?
• Tomboys! Feisty Girls and Spirited Women A film by Julie Akeret and Christian McEwen

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