While Kamler (1994) found the stereotype of men as active and women as passive in the writing of a young boy and girl, Martino (2001) found this same stereotype evident in tenth grade boys’ attitudes towards reading. Many of these boys thought of reading as uncool, boring, and a waste of time when they could be doing something active. I wonder how many of these boys actually felt this way, or if some just didn’t want to admit that they liked reading because they didn’t want to be perceived by their peers as “girly” or uncool. I also wonder how much of the rejection of reading as uncool is due to its identity as a school activity (as opposed to watching TV or playing outside). Not only do these boys not want to be seen as “girly,” but they don’t want to be seen as “dorks.”
Sunday, April 13, 2008
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2 comments:
I wondered that too--identity and self-image are so delicate at that age, you can't be sure you get a true picture. There definitely is that pressure to sort of reject school and be cool. Or at least, if you're gonna be smart and get good grades, act like it's not a big deal. Don't enjoy it, for God's sake.
"I also wonder how much of the rejection of reading as uncool is due to its identity as a school activity (as opposed to watching TV or playing outside)."
I agree and was glad to see this issue raised in the discussion. I think this would be another great place to pursue a more careful examination of boys interests in reading, to flesh this out a bit more.
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