We have been working on a new project with the wonderful teachers at Stockwell Park High School in South London. We are exploring the relationship that boys have with reading in the school. In doing so, we are discussing with the teachers essentialist and anti-essentialist positions around the issue of boys and girls and reading. Essentialists view boys and girls as being 'naturally' different in their dispositions and characters - 'boys will be boys' and 'girls will be girls'. Anti-essentialists believe that, if boys and girls are different in these ways, than they are 'made' this way by society. We think it is important to study the ways that those with these conflicting views on boys and girls approach literacy interventions in schools.
We are presently awaiting the views of the students in the school on some of these issues and how they perceive reading both inside and outside of school.
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