Masculinidades hegemônicas sob o olhar infantil

Abstract

The way gender relations are distributed in society begins in childhood. Yet, children do not passively receive gender and sexuality stereotypes. They have an action on these differentiations that are made since their primary socialization. In dialogue with the domestic units, educational institutions are essential tools in the children's sexogeneric conformations and identities through their regulations and rules. These institutions generally deliver hegemonic representations regarding different sociocultural dimensions targeting hegemonic ideas regarding gender and sexuality. In this research, we observed and analyzed how students self-identified and identified by the others as "boys" and answer the question: "What does it mean to be a boy?" through their drawings. We conclude that it is relevant that children are encouraged to reflect on and question the traditional model of masculinity. This first insight, part of an ongoing research, indicates that it is worthwhile that children reflect beyond the naturalized and uncritically reproduced discourses by training their reflectivity on sexuality and gender, but also by empowering themselves as questioning and reflective subjects.