You see it in every schoolyard: the girls play only with girls, the boys play only with boys. Why? And what do the kids think about this? Breaking with familiar conventions for thinking about children and gender, Gender Play develops fresh insights into the everyday social worlds of kids in elementary schools in the United States. Barrie Thorne draws on her daily observations in the classroom and on the playground to show how children construct and experience gender in school. With rich detail, she looks at the "play of gender" in the organization of groups of kids and activities - activities such as "chase-and-kiss," "cooties," "goin' with," and teasing. Thorne observes children in schools in working-class communities, emphasizing the experiences of fourth and fifth graders. Most of the children she observed were white, but a sizable minority were Latino, Chicano, or African American. Thorne argues that the organization and meaning of gender are influenced by age, ethnicity, race, sexuality, and social class, and that they shift with social context. She sees gender identity not through the lens of individual socialization or difference, but rather as a social process involving groups of children. Thorne takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery, provides new insights about children, and offers teachers practical suggestions for increasing cooperative mixed-gender interaction.

Gender Play: Girls and Boys in School

Politics & Social Sciences

Thorne, Barrie

Women's Studies

Rutgers Univ Pr

You see it in every schoolyard: the girls play only with the girls, the boys play only with the boys. Why? And what do the kids think about this? Breaking with familiar conventions for thinking about children and gender, Gender Play develops fresh insights into the everyday social worlds of kids in elementary schools in the United States. Barrie Thorne draws on her daily observations in the classroom and on the playground to show how children construct and experience gender in school. With rich detail,she looks at the "play of gender" in the organization of groups of kids and activities - activities such as "chase-and-kiss," "cooties," "goin' with" and teasing. Thorne observes children in schools in working-class communities, emphasizing the experiences of fourth and fifth graders. Most of the children she observed were white, but a sizable minority were Latino, Chicano, or African American. Thorne argues that the organization and meaning of gender are influenced by age, ethnicity, race, sexuality, and social class, and that they shift with social context. She sees gender identity not through the lens of individual socialization or difference, but rather as a social process involving groups of children. Thorne takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery, provides new insights about children, and offers teachers practical suggestions for increasing cooperative mixed-gender interaction.

Social Sciences

Rutgers University Press

Book by Thorne, Barrie, Henley, Nancy

Language and Sex: Difference and Dominance (Series in Sociolinguistics)

Henley, Nancy

Reference

Newbury House Pub

This revised edition of the 1982 classic features eight new chapters and an updated introduction to reflect feminist thinking about the family as it has evolved over the last two decades. Situated in the context of what is often referred to as the "family crisis," the essays address issues such as the increase in divorce, employment of married women and mothers, the relationship of poverty to family structure, controversy over access to abortion, the increasing visibility of varied family forms, and debates over the very meaning of "family."

Rethinking the Family: Some Feminist Questions

Self-Help

Relationships

Northeastern Univ Pr

Gender Play: Boys and Girls in School

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Books by Thorne, Barrie