Negotiating Gendered Identities in Primary School

“Jon is a leading gender scholar in the field of young pupil identities and his book utilises the most recent gendered works on masculinity and femininity. It shows how girls and boys develop their identities, trying to avoid the many pitfalls that a school environment contains. He reveals a surprisingly harmonious situation where learners are being equipped to take on the formidable challenges of high school and adulthood.” -- Robert Morrell, University of Cape Town, South Africa. “From exploring notions of masculinity and femininity, through friendship groups and becoming the ideal boy and girl at school, this book places the voices and perspectives of children at its core. Through a series of first-hand accounts, the book invites readers to step into the shoes of children as they make sense of their everyday world. It is a testament to the power of listening and understanding, reminding us of the importance of honouring children's voices in shaping our understanding of their young lives.” --Deevia Bhana, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This open access book explores young children’s lives in their later years at primary school, from their own point of view. It focuses on how girls and boys experience life in their informal peer group and explores the dynamics of friendships and social hierarchies, identities and how time is spent outside of lessons, including the use of social media. The author interrogates how children make meanings: who they think they are, what it means to be a girl or a boy, and what forms of femininity and masculinity are most dominant. Findings are based on interviews conducted at a middle-class state school and a fee-paying preparatory school on the outskirts of London. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of primary education, schooling and gender, as well as primary school teachers both in the UK and internationally. Jon Swain is Senior Research Officer in the Institute of Education at University College London, UK