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Differences in Children's Construction of Gender Across Culture

An Interpretive Approach

Indiana University, Bloomington

William A. Corsaro

Indiana University, Bloomington

The authors examine gender segregation and cross-sex play in a comparative perspective. Although some level of gender segregation seems to be a universal feature in children's play, taking an interpretive view, it was found that children in some peer cultures emphasize gender differences and ritualize cross-sex interactions and in other cultures, children seldom enforce gender boundaries. Gender identity varies in salience and practice among Italian children, lower-class African American children, and upper-middle-class White American children. Thus, studying gender segregation as something that is constructed and negotiated in children's peer cultures rather than a universal phenomenon that is strictly based on biological or cognitive factors provides a clearer picture.

Key Words: children • gender • play • cross-cultural • interpretive reproduction

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