Hyper-femininity and the construction of the "girly girl" label have been documented widely, but there has been less attention to their content (or any distinctions between these constructs). Indeed, it can be argued that the content of femininity remains a controversial and somewhat under-researched topic in feminist scholarship. This…

This paper draws on the concept of the "Renaissance Child" to illustrate the ways in which gender influences the opportunities and possibilities of high-achieving pupils. Using data from a study of 12-13-year high-achieving boys and girls based in schools in England, the paper considers the ways in which a group of popular boys was able…

In recent years educational policy on gender and achievement has concentrated on boys' underachievement, frequently comparing it with the academic success of girls. This has encouraged a perception of girls as the "winners" of the educational stakes and assumes that they no longer experience the kinds of gender inequalities identified in…

Discusses the extent to which poststructuralist theory can be applied to feminist research. Explores why some feminist researchers are attracted to poststructuralist theory and others are not. Distinguishes between application of poststructuralist theory to descriptive theory and to emancipatory research. Argues that pure poststructuralism is not…

Examination of interviews and role plays of 81 girls and 64 boys aged 7-11 found that children position genders as oppositional to one another. Choice of traditional gender roles results from gender category maintenance within symbolic gender cultures. (SK)

Utilizing questionnaires, this study investigated the possible relationships among sex role ideology, sex role socialization experiences and motivation for parenthood. Subjects included 174 adopting (the traditional homemaker-mother role) and 126 dual-career parents. Adoptive subjects tended to express traditional sex role ideologies, while…

In interviews, 81 British girls and 64 boys aged 7-11 chose a diverse, less gender-stereotyped selection of jobs. There were differences in the types and attributes of jobs chosen by girls and boys, and few children chose jobs traditional for the opposite sex. In role playing, a majority chose gender-stereotypical occupational roles. (SK)

The purpose of the present study was to assess the explanatory powers of three theories of sex role development: secondary reinforcement through parental nurturance; instrumental conditioning by dating partners; and social learning through observations of outcomes for mothers. Subjects' responses to questionnaire items were utilized to measure the…

The constructions of gender formed by elementary school children, aged 7 through 11 years, were studied in relation to their own lives and the issue of adult occupations as revealed in children's role plays. Data were collected from dialogue and role play with 145 children in primary schools in England, and these data were analyzed in a…