Same sex play preferences in children

[LadyBlaBlah]

This is a pretty universal phenomenon that boys like playing with boys, and girls like playing with girls.

(Obviously there are always the few boys that like playing with girls and vise versa but this is not the majority)

I am interested in feminist explanations of this. I haven't ever really read it being addressed.

Below is an abstract from one of the many experiments that tests this - it seems to account for gender stereotyping in some way.

Cite it then. Otherwise it is just hearsay. Don't 'Oh please' me when you are spouting bollocks.

I don't have a feminist analysis for this phenomenon, but from what I understand, it is an age-related thing pre-puberty during which girls and boys separate before they begin to find each other interesting again when they are older. I believe there is cross-cultural research which backs this up, but as a non-academic I don't remember where it is.

I could be wrong, of course- it has happened before.

I find your fallibility extraordinarily hard to believe BoF :o

Would be interesting to know why though, wouldn't it? TBH I think children, if left to it, tend to gravitate towards other children with whom they have interests in common - reading, dancing, screaming competitions etc.

"Thirty-six preschool children viewed pictures of other children playing and were asked to point to whom they wanted to play with."

So how could these pre-school children tell who the boys were and who the girls were?

Is it because the boys and girls had been dressed differently and had their hair cut differently? (must be since there are very few physical differences at that age which are visible when clothed)

If the boys and girls had been dressed differently and had their hair cut differently, just because of their gender, is it possible they might also have been brought up differently, just because of their gender?

And therefore they are not naturally attracted to children their own gender, but rather those who have been brought up to look and act the same way as them?

I rest my case

I think they are attracted to their own gender for social reasons. They are learning and developing their identity. Boys prefer playing with other boys, in order to learn and develop their social identity. It is the same for girls. Play is learning and the social interaction confirms and develops their identity. I think they instinctively know that there is a difference between the sexes, and they prefer to play with the sex that they are i.e. the ones that "look and act the same way as them".

The bigger the social group gets, the more stark the divide becomes, since they are under pressure to choose their side for social reasons. They do not want to be left out of their social group. In small groups, this pressure is not so great and they play happily in mixed groups.

Nah, can't be arsed earwicga

Didn't think you would LadyBlaBlah. Cheers for the hearsay though, always worth a laugh.

Good stuff minipie.

I think that study is a pretty blunt tool to crack an extremely complex nut. There could be all sorts of demand characteristics in a study like this - and the children are aware of the artificial situation and perhaps are trying to give the 'right ' answer to researchers.

Anecdotally I haven't experienced any gendered selection in my DD's playmates. I have caught myself subconsciously steering Dd's towards playing with girls though.

I am not convinced by Cordelia Fine either. But her criticism of Baron Cohen's work is insightful and valuable in my humble opinion.

Earwicga, just to be clear are you saying that this phenomenon of gender segregation in play doesn't exist?

Just to say earwigca, I am not sure why you are so obsessed about the abstract I posted - it is an example of the findings that are found about this subject however there is substantial research on the subject. It is impossible to form an opinion based on one piece of work, whether that be one journal or one book ( e.g. Fine), only an idiot would say they know the answer to anything based on one piece of work.

I am sure you are quite capable of doing a journal search yourself - why do you need me to do it for you? And when you do, you will find different opinions - so what is your point exactly?