By Lester Williams Jr, Contributing Writer
Although the term tomboy has been used for several generations to describe girls and women, its value in modern times has come into question due to the altering view society has towards the female gender.
Dictionary Cambridge claims that a tomboy is “a girl who acts and dresses like a boy, liking noisy, physical activities.”
According to Idiom Origins, the term tomboy dates to the 16th century where it was originally used to refer to a boy who was disrespectful and high-spirited; however, by the end of the century, the term tomboy, as well as the traits connected to it, were linked to girls which is where it remains today.
For many women today, they grew up deciding if they want to be a tomboy and seeing how the term has altered throughout their lives.
“I think it’s a term that you hear less and less now,” Caitlin Hansen, a head sports coach at Saint Leo University, said. “But it is definitely a term that was used, and that I would have used to describe myself, in the 80s and 90s when I was growing up.”
“I have never been offended by the term,” said Hansen. “When I was younger, it was a term that made me proud.”
To some people, the term is important for multiple reasons. “Tomboys are often seen as a great way to appeal to both male and female demographics with the same characters,” according to Tv Tropes.org.
However, to journalist, Lisa Selin Davis, she finds the topic worth examining. In response to her daughter labeling herself a tomboy at only 6 years old, Davis wrote the book, “Tomboy, The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different,” where she questions if the term tomboy is outdated and if society should be using a word with “boy’ in it to describe girls.
Davis is just one example which proves why it is necessary to discuss the significance of the term. By looking back at the history and impact of the term tomboy, people living in America can better understand why girls and women prefer living and titling themselves as a tomboy.
Dr. Allyson Marino, associate professor of English at Saint Leo, has also been fascinated with tomboys and their value to society, specifically in literature.
“I’ve always been drawn to the tomboy characters of literature,” Marino said. “From Jo March of Little Women to Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird is another much-loved example. What makes these girls tomboys is their independence, stubbornness, and willingness to speak their minds.”
“Perhaps, it’s not the term itself that’s the problem, but the very limiting boundaries of what it means to be a girl in history and in our world today,” Marino said.
It appears that many cultures across the globe are obsessed with separating and isolating the female gender into two groups: one that likes dresses and another that likes physical sports.
Dina Cifelli, an assistant sports coach working at Saint Leo, suggested that the term tomboy, “is more normalized now that some of the most influential females are athletes who were considered a tomboy.”
“I think the term is just outdated,” said Cifelli. “It doesn’t matter your style or personality to be an athlete.”
In today’s world, females have to deal with being labeled as a tomboy based on their appearances and doing activities like playing sports.
“I consider myself a tomboy, so I would not be bothered, but I would dislike that they would just assume I am because I play sports,” said Carson Clark, a senior majoring in psychology.
Olivia Buthorn, a senior majoring in healthcare administration, added to Carson’s comment: “If someone called me a tomboy because of my sport, I honestly don’t think I’d mind; however I don’t think playing a sport impacts whether or not you’re a tomboy.”
In order to reflect on the freedom girls and women have today, the current meaning of the term should change. For example, a tomboy in present day can mean a female whose behavior, appearance, and or interest cannot line up perfectly with a stereotypical view of a man or woman.
A definition like this, which recognizes that females do a variety of different task, helps ensure girls and women aren’t incorrectly titled as a tomboy because they stray away from what society views as stereotypical feminine.
