Doing Gender Through Patterns

Abstract

in play. I build on feminist questionings of the notion of gender identity within the field of gender studies, to outline a sociocultural, psychological proposition. I propose to bridge the problem of sameness and fluidity in gender through the notion of psychological patterns, as semiotic and relational modes through which people express and develop their actions (Cabra, in press; Zittoun, 2020). The paper proceeds in three moves. First, I present the central tenets of a sociocultural psychology and develop an understanding of gender within this perspective. Second, I present and develop the idea of psychological patterns. Third, to substantiate my proposition, I present two examples of children doing gender and the patterns I argue they have so far developed.