Power Plays: Children's constructions of gender and power in role plays

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Abstract
This paper examines the way in which children's constructions of gender via discourse impact upon their interactive power positions. Discourse analysis is utilised in a feminist endeavour to investigate the social effects of gender discourse. Analysing the discussions of primary school children in group role plays, I conclude that although power is discursively produced (meaning that the myriads of different factors contributing to discursive power positioning cannot be analysed independently), children's constructions of gender appear potentially to empower boys and disempower girls in interaction. Foucault has been criticised by feminists such as Soper and Davis for failing to provide an adequate explanation of social power differences: my findings suggest that discourse analysis can reveal trends in power inequality.

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