Tomboy/Sissy

Early Origins

The origins of both terms can be traced back to as early as the 17th century. Tomboy originally referred to an aggressive boy, but the term later became applied to “loose” women. In the late 19th century, the current meaning of tomboy emerged. Tomboy had a positive connotation at the turn of the century, as demonstrated by a flood of literature about spunky, préadolescent girls. Outdoor activities sponsored by groups like the newly developed Girl Scouts were even recommended for young girls, as vigorous exercise was thought to ward off female hysteria. In adolescence, however, the tomboy was expected to mature into a gender-conforming young woman who willingly took on her womanly duties of marriage and childbirth

Sissy originally is a derivation of sister, often used to refer to young female siblings. In the late 19th century, the term was applied by masculinity social reformers, such as Theodore Roosevelt and G. Stanley Hall, to what was represented as an epidemic of young boys who were sickly, timid, and too tied to their mothers. Advice books abounded that encouraged parents to root out effeminacy in boys. Mothers were especially targeted as the cause of “sissification.” Boys were pushed toward hunting and camping to strengthen their masculinity. By the turn of the century, sissy was closely tied to sexual inversion, a sexology term for individuals who gender-crossed and had same-sex desires. While cultural beliefs about women's asexuality delayed the Ware, S. (2007). Title IX: A brief history with documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's. [Page 837]pathologizing of tomboys, by the 1920s, girls who had not adopted feminine behaviors in adolescence also ran the risk of being labeled inverts. Countering “gender-inverted” behavior in young children became a major concern of sexologists and later psychologists. Waves of “sissy panic” aimed at young boys would continue to emerge in historical periods when masculinity was deemed to be in crisis.