Introduction In the article ‘Life is a tightrope’: reflections on peer group inclusion and exclusion amongst adolescent girls and boys, the authors seek to address the issue of peer group inclusion and exclusion by investigating the components of exclusion in relation to gender, the consequences of non-conformity, and strategies that girls and boys adopt in order to achieve group acceptance. The authors examined this through data, which was collected from interviews with adolescents at four different co-ed schools located in various areas of England. The participants of this study were asked, “What is it like to be a boy/girl living in this town?” (Warrington & Younger, 2011, p. 155). These diverse areas included rural, urban, and publicly
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This article provides insightful evidence from their own study done at the four participating schools, and also draws on other literature to substantiate their findings. By objectively examining the results of this data through a sociocultural lens, which in my opinion the authors used, it provides the readers with a unique understanding of how imperative it is for young children to be accepted with regards to their peers, and the repercussions they face when they are excluded. From my perspective, I consider the outcomes of this article to be an excellent resource for educators due to the fact that the authors discuss strategies that can be implemented in order to help those who feel excluded from peer groups. The paper also assesses how peer group inclusion and exclusion can negatively effect adolescent development. The authors make the argument that inclusion within peer groups is vital, and they explore the various factors that lead to individual students being victimized by their peers (Warrington & Younger, 2011). The authors further state that schools have a responsibility to identify and support students that are being isolated. Additionally, they argue that teachers are to be held responsible for engaging themselves and providing a safe environment that embraces their differences, while providing equal opportunities for all students (Warrington & Younger, 2011). By gaining the knowledge from …show more content…
Shauna Pomerantz asserts that this reading is about walking the fine line between what is acceptable and what is not. The article essentially asserts that girls and boys, like the ones interviewed, are cautiously teetering on a tightrope between what is socially constructed as ‘cool’ and what is ‘uncool’. For some, like Martin and Darren who were interviewed, it meant conforming to an image of hegemonic masculinity, which from them included smoking, ‘acting tough’ and participating in criminal activity (Warrington & Younger, 2011). Moreover, a number of girls who were interviewed expressed feeling pressured to live up to an idea of emphasized femininity, which included acting ‘girly’. When girls digressed from this ideal, they reported feelings of loneliness and depression. In one instance, one girl talked about having ‘no fun’ at school due to the fact that she could not be herself. She felt as though she had nothing in common with her peers, and as a consequence other girls patronized her (Warrington & Younger,
This article provides insightful evidence from their own study done at the four participating schools, and also draws on other literature to substantiate their findings. By objectively examining the results of this data through a sociocultural lens, which in my opinion the authors used, it provides the readers with a unique understanding of how imperative it is for young children to be accepted with regards to their peers, and the repercussions they face when they are excluded. From my perspective, I consider the outcomes of this article to be an excellent resource for educators due to the fact that the authors discuss strategies that can be implemented in order to help those who feel excluded from peer groups. The paper also assesses how peer group inclusion and exclusion can negatively effect adolescent development. The authors make the argument that inclusion within peer groups is vital, and they explore the various factors that lead to individual students being victimized by their peers (Warrington & Younger, 2011). The authors further state that schools have a responsibility to identify and support students that are being isolated. Additionally, they argue that teachers are to be held responsible for engaging themselves and providing a safe environment that embraces their differences, while providing equal opportunities for all students (Warrington & Younger, 2011). By gaining the knowledge from …show more content…
Shauna Pomerantz asserts that this reading is about walking the fine line between what is acceptable and what is not. The article essentially asserts that girls and boys, like the ones interviewed, are cautiously teetering on a tightrope between what is socially constructed as ‘cool’ and what is ‘uncool’. For some, like Martin and Darren who were interviewed, it meant conforming to an image of hegemonic masculinity, which from them included smoking, ‘acting tough’ and participating in criminal activity (Warrington & Younger, 2011). Moreover, a number of girls who were interviewed expressed feeling pressured to live up to an idea of emphasized femininity, which included acting ‘girly’. When girls digressed from this ideal, they reported feelings of loneliness and depression. In one instance, one girl talked about having ‘no fun’ at school due to the fact that she could not be herself. She felt as though she had nothing in common with her peers, and as a consequence other girls patronized her (Warrington & Younger,