TOMBOY RESISTANCE AND CONFORMITY - AGENCY IN SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL GENDER THEORY

Using life history narratives, the present study investigates processe s of agency and consciousness among 14 women who identified themselves as tomboys. Most informants shared two ''moments'' of consciousness-a rejection of femininity and a choice of masculinity. Participants als o revealed two forms of agency-active gender resistance and conformity implications for building agentic understandings of gender identity a re discussed. While agency appears to be an important factor in gender identification, it tends to be overlooked by individuals themselves, perhaps through a process of ''naturalized embodiment.'' In addition g ender consciousness appears to be critical in understanding agency in identification processes.