Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the Best Book of2008 from The International Gender and Language Association In this ground-breaking ethnography of girls on a playground, Goodwin offers a window into their complex social worlds.
- Combats stereotypes that have dominated theories on female moral development by challenging the notion that girls are inherently supportive of each other
- Examines the stances that girls on a playground in a multicultural school setting assume and shows how they position themselves in their peer groups
- Documents the language practices and degradation rituals used to sanction friends and to bully others
- Part of the Blackwell Studies in Discourse and Culture Series
Trade Review"It is impressive how Goodwin entwines an enormous breadth of literature from anthropology, sociology, education and linguistics into a systematic and persuasive explication of the linguistic and social practices recorded.... Highly recommendable." (
Discourse & Society, May 2008)
” The book offers both rich and rigorous ways of looking at children's naturally situated conduct that speak(s) to larger concerns of social science research.” "It is clearly of great value to students of language and social interaction, interpersonal communication scholars, and researchers concerned with the development of communication competence or with group processes…” (International Journal of Communication)
"This book is a gold-mine. It is a rich source of data for anyone who is interested in how embodiment actually works in practice and who needs to understand, therefore, how social categories are not pre-existing structures." (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, December 2008)
"Goodwin has offered scholars an innovative, interdisciplinary and very meticulously articulated piece of work." (Journal of Sociolinguistics, November 2008)
“A powerful [and] provocative read… Highly recommended” (Choice)
“Hidden Life develops into an engrossing read … .One of Hidden Life’s strengths is Goodwin’s diverse sample of Latino, Asian, African American, and Caucasian girls.” (Feminist Collections)
“Rich analysis … .Full of rich and diverse data … and important policy recommendations. Shines a bright light on the complexity … of preadolescent girls.” (Sex Roles)
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
1. Introduction.
2. Multimodality, Conflict, and Rationality in Girls’ Games.
3. Social Dimensions of a Popular Girls’ Clique.
4. Social Organization, Opposition, and Directives in the Game of Jump Rope.
5. Language Practices for Indexing Social Status: Stories, Descriptions, Brags, and Comparisons.
6. Stance and Structure in Assessment and Gossip Activity.
7. Constructing Social Difference and Exclusion in Girls’ Groups.
8. Conclusion.
Appendix A: Transcription Symbols.
Appendix B: Jump Rope Rhymes.
Notes.
References.
Author Index.
Subject Index
