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A Three Generational Study of Tomboy Behavior 1
Betsy Levonian Morgan2
The perceptions and definitions of tomboy behavior were explored across three generations of women. The sample included 521 women (primarily undergraduates, their mothers, and their grandmothers) ranging in age from 17 to 94 who were categorized into one of three cohorts (Generation Xers, Baby Boomers or Senior Citizens) for a final sample of 466. The sample was 87% European American, 6% Native American, 3% Hispanic, and 2% Asian American. Sixty-seven percent of the sample reported being tomboys during their childhood. The average age reported for starting tomboy behavior was 5.8, whereas the average age for ceasing tomboy behavior was 12.6. Age cohort analyses revealed relatively few differences but several interesting findings. The senior citizens tended to differ from both sets of younger women. For instance, senior citizens were less likely to report being tomboys than were Xers or Boomers. Directions for future research include monitoring the social acceptability of tomboy behavior, assessing potential cultural differences in tomboyism, and analyzing correlates of the average age that tomboyism ceases.
In contrast to the depiction of tomboy behavior as uncommon (e.g., Pool, 1994), tomboyism appears to be a normal and a significant portion of most women's childhoods (Burn, O'Neil, & Nederend, 1996; Hyde, Rosenberg, & Behrman, 1977; Plumb & Cowan, 1984). In fact, tomboy behavior appears to expand the repertoire of girls' activities and is correlated with instrumental behaviors such as assertiveness and self-reliance in adulthood (Burn, O'Neil, & Nederend, 1996). This study explored three generations of women's self-perceptions of tomboyism for two major purposes. The first purpose was to compare generational differences in the proportion of women indicating that they were tomboys. The second purpose was to examine generational differences in the perception of what constitutes tomboy behavior, what or who influences the stopping of tomboy behavior, and self-reported ages of the cessation of tomboy behavior.
The term tomboy which boasts the Oxford English Dictionary definition of a "bold or immodest woman" has been in common use since the late 1500's. In fact, William Shakespeare referred to tomboys in the play Cymbeline in 1623. Although the term has a rich history, tomboy behavior continues to be portrayed as "aberrant" in both popular and scientific...