Abstract

School playgrounds are critical arenas wherein children’s gender performances unfold, and ‘games’ of gender subordination or domination transpire. Theoretically predicated on Butlerian and Baradian gender performativity approaches, this qualitative study analyses how children negotiate and perform gender, exploring the material-discursive effects of human and non-human agents (e.g. football, sartorial elements) in their intra-actions with the body. Data were collected through observations and semi-structured interviews with 80 pupils from two Athenian elementary schools. Findings showed that playgrounds were dichotomised into rigid gender zones, and the children reaffirmed their gender allegiances by forming gender-homogeneous playgroups and engaging in diametrical activities. Gender-zone transgressions were frequent, albeit with high social and emotional cost, especially for boys who were uninterested in football and lacked athletic dexterity. Finally, the results highlighted the effects of material-discursive forces in gender identity development and, specifically, how ‘successful’ masculinity, girly femininity, sissies, and tomboys emerged through the material-discursive intra-actions of playgrounds, bodies, football, and heteronormative discourses.

摘要

学校操场是重要的舞台，孩子们的性别表演在这里展开，性别从属或支配的“游戏”正在上演。这项定性研究在理论上基于巴特勒和巴拉德性别表演方法，分析了儿童如何协商和表演性别，探索人类和非人类代理（例如足球、裁缝元素）在他们与身体的内部行动中的物质话语影响。数据是通过对来自雅典两所小学的 80 名学生的观察和半结构化访谈收集的。调查结果表明，游乐场被划分为严格的性别区，孩子们通过形成性别同质的游戏小组和参与完全不同的活动来重申他们的性别忠诚。性别区域越界频繁，尽管具有很高的社交和情感成本，尤其是对于对足球不感兴趣且缺乏运动灵活性的男孩。最后，结果强调了物质话语力量在性别认同发展中的影响，特别是“成功的”男性气质、少女气质、娘娘腔和假小子是如何通过游乐场、身体、足球和异性恋话语。