Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce
Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce
Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
year olds in Elmtown about 15 percent of the boys <strong>and</strong> 20 percent of the<br />
girls had begun to date. (Hollingshead, 1949, p. 224-225). Later studies<br />
by Smith (1952), Lowrie (1956), <strong>and</strong> Cameron <strong>and</strong> Kenkel (1960) indicate<br />
a higher incidence of dating at early ages. The 1958 Office of<br />
Education Survey indicated that in most schools some dating may begin<br />
as early as fourth grade. This national survey, involving data gathered<br />
from fourth, fifth, <strong>and</strong> sixth grade teachers, supports the observation<br />
that in some schools boys <strong>and</strong> girls do not appear to feel a need<br />
to separate from each other during preadolescence. (Lewis, 1958, p. 30-<br />
31). In fact, as low as the fourth grade <strong>and</strong> continuing through the<br />
sixth, they frequently asked for activities such as folk dancing <strong>and</strong><br />
table games together. Boys groomed themselves (some beginning in the<br />
fourth grade), carried a comb <strong>and</strong> used it, washed their h<strong>and</strong>s voluntarily,<br />
<strong>and</strong> occasionally wore a tie. Girls wore lipstick <strong>and</strong> nail polish<br />
<strong>and</strong> groomed their hair. A few children wore “steady rings.” In sixth<br />
grade they showed that they like each other in a friendly way.<br />
Cross-sex friendship is clearly demonstrated in the study by Broderick<br />
<strong>and</strong> Fowler (1961). In the fifth grade (ten <strong>and</strong> eleven year olds)<br />
45 percent of the boys <strong>and</strong> 36 percent of the girls claimed to have had<br />
dating experience. By the seventh grade (twelve <strong>and</strong> thirteen year olds)<br />
nearly 70 percent of the boys <strong>and</strong> 53 percent of the girls claimed to<br />
have had at least one date. Some experience with kissing is common at<br />
these ages. There is no comparable data from earlier decades.<br />
When preadolescents were asked whom they liked best of all the<br />
children they knew (four choices were permitted), the choices across<br />
sex lines ranged from 19.7 percent in the fifth grade to 14.6 percent<br />
in the seventh grade. Percentages of those who chose at least one of<br />
four friends across sex lines give more dramatic evidence of a new look<br />
in boy-girl relations during preadolescence. 51.9 percent of the children<br />
in the fifth grade <strong>and</strong> 37.7 percent of the children in the seventh<br />
grade chose one or more friends of the opposite sex. It would seem<br />
from this that although most boys <strong>and</strong> girls still prefer the companionship<br />
of their own sex, many have bridged this friendship gap between<br />
the sexes.<br />
Cross-sex antagonism during preadolescence has been explained as<br />
partly due to the efforts of individuals to identify themselves more<br />
closely with their own sex <strong>and</strong> as a result of parents <strong>and</strong> others instilling<br />
into children the difference between boys’ <strong>and</strong> girls’ roles.<br />
These differences are diminishing. In the last generation the sex roles<br />
have become more flexible <strong>and</strong> now overlap in many areas. The contents<br />
of the two sets of expectations are becoming more similar as women have<br />
achieved many prerogatives previously regarded as exclusively masculine<br />
<strong>and</strong> men have begun to share many traditionally feminine responsibilities.<br />
As these roles converge <strong>and</strong> the experiences <strong>and</strong> values of the<br />
two sexes become more similar, cross-sex hostility becomes less appropriate.<br />
Rejection of the values of the opposite sex loses much of its<br />
purpose when values are similar. Similarly, as the social status of the<br />
two sexes approaches equality, many boys appear to feel less need to<br />
defend a shaky claim to superiority.<br />
Some of the most convincing evidence that times have changed comes<br />
from the Broderick <strong>and</strong> Fowler study. (1961). <strong>Child</strong>ren were asked to<br />
rank the desirability of a companion of the same sex, a companion of<br />
the opposite sex, or no companion at all in three different situa-<br />
122