The resources and strategies that 10-11 year old boys use to construct masculinities in the school setting

2000; Gilbert & Gilbert, 1998). Although writers such as Connell (2000) make the point
that boys are more likely to turn to rule-breaking when they have a deficit of other
resources to form their masculinity, I wish to argue that the boys who were the most
confrontational in this study used rule-breaking alongside, or as part of, a number of other
resources. They did not turn to rule-breaking because they had nothing else; it was just
one dimension in the performance of their masculine identity. Sometimes humour was
also used as a calculated strategy to divert attention. In the extract below (which comes
from Highwoods) I am trying to find out if a group of boys have any ideas why Rex, who
is academically bright, misbehaves in certain classes, and Travis’s theory is that Rex
deliberately attempts to avert the masculine peer group gaze away from his bodily size.

Travis:       Rex is too fat and he wants to [inaudible; much laughter]

JS:           ‘Cos of his weight? You mean ‘cos he’s fat? Why does that make

him not work hard?

Travis:       If he doesn’t make people think he’s funny they might go on about

his weight

JS:           Oh I see, so if he doesn’t play the class clown people would tease

him?

Travis:       Yeah

However, using this strategy of messing around also brought its own risks and it was also
easy to fail in this very public arena where reputations could not only be made but also be
broken. While this option was virtually closed in the strict regime of Mr Hughes (the
teacher of the class I studied at Petersfield), it was a limited option at Highwoods
(depending on the teacher) but a more open possibility at Westmoor Abbey although
even here it brought its own risks. Sometimes a teacher would ‘triumph’ and a boy could
be humiliated with withering sarcasm, and it also depended on who you were as to
whether you could get away with it amongst the peer group. A boy had to judge the
‘right moment’, and while some always seemed to have peer support (from both boys and
girls), others attracted deprecation for trying too hard. However, humour was also used

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