Gender, popularity and notions of in/authenticity amongst 12-year-old to 13-year-old school girls

Read, B. , Francis, B. and Skelton, C. (2011) Gender, popularity and notions of in/authenticity amongst 12-year-old to 13-year-old school girls. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 32(2), pp. 169-183. (doi: 10.1080/01425692.2011.547304)

Abstract

This paper draws on data from a research project investigating gendered identities and interactions of high‐achieving students in Year Eight in England (12–13 years old), particularly in relation to students’ ‘popularity’ amongst their peers. As part of this study 71 students were interviewed from nine different schools in urban, rural and small town locations. From an analysis of participants’ conceptions of the characteristics of ‘popular’ and ‘unpopular’ students, this paper looks in depth at notions of in/authenticity and how it is perceived and judged in relation to the self and others. In particular, the paper focuses on the genderedness of such discourses of in/authenticity as constructed by these students, and relates such concerns to theorizations of ‘impossible’ femininity.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Read, Professor Barbara
• Authors: Read, B., Francis, B., and Skelton, C.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy
• Journal Name: British Journal of Sociology of Education
• ISSN: 0142-5692
• Published Online: 09 March 2011