The purpose of this article is to reconsider gender identity formation in youngchildren by analyzing their interactions during children's activities. In the literatureon “gender and education” studies in educational sociology, the assumptions of “internalization” and “gender dichotomy” are generally considered to beapplicable to studies on early childhood; however it is the position of this paperthat these assumptions need to be reconsidered.
This study focuses on gender-related power relations among young children.Observational research on preschool children was conducted at a private kindergartenin the Chugoku district of Japan, from September 1998 to March 1999.Eighty-two preschool children (age 3-5 years) were observed in the kindergarten.Additional observations were conducted at the same kindergarten and twoadditional childcare centers in the Kyushu district of Japan from 2000 to 2001.
A gender dichotomy was found in the following aspects of children's interaction:
(1) Children thought that stereotypical tastes were also greatly genderdifferentiated (for example many boys preferred the color blue and TV cartoonheroes, while many girls preferred the color red and ‘cute’ characters, e. g.‘Kitty-chan’). In addition, when the children reenacted heterosexual ritual behavior (e. g. weddings), they adhered to gender specific roles.
(2) Children actively negotiated with each other in terms of gender. They alsoevaluated appropriate behavior according to gender standards. Furthermore, they constructed a social order using gender, displaying “hegemonic masculinity.”
(3) Girls crossed gender-defined behavior more easily than did boys.
Based on these findings, it was concluded that children actively participatein their own gender identity formation, in addition to being socialized into theseroles. The process of gender identity formation involves negotiation with thesocial world, and is influenced by the mass media.

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