(Long Pause): What Does Silence Say about Boys' Reflexivity?

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Bibliographic Details
Title: (Long Pause): What Does Silence Say about Boys' Reflexivity?
Language: English
Authors: Gabriel Knott-Fayle (ORCID 0000-0002-8587-545X), Michael Kehler (ORCID 0000-0003-1637-7040)
Source: Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. 2026 47(1):16-28.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, High School Students, Males, Reaction Time, Gender Issues, Masculinity, Student Reaction, Student Attitudes
Geographic Terms: Canada
DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2025.2483194
ISSN: 0159-6306
1469-3739
Abstract: Silence is easily overlooked or dismissed as simply a gap in communication. However, silence is ripe with meaning. In this article, we explore the silences and hesitations in a group of high-school boys' responses to questions about gender and consider their import to understanding men's and boys' reflexivity. We note that these silences are telling about resistance, unintelligibility, discomfort, and silencing. Significantly, we contrast these silences with the emotional openness displayed by the boys when engaged in more implicitly gendered topics of conversation. This contrast highlights the tensions for these boys as they struggle to articulate and define their experiences in relation to broader patterns of gender politics. We conclude by exploring the implications of our findings for educators, researchers, and boys and men themselves.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1500865
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:Silence is easily overlooked or dismissed as simply a gap in communication. However, silence is ripe with meaning. In this article, we explore the silences and hesitations in a group of high-school boys' responses to questions about gender and consider their import to understanding men's and boys' reflexivity. We note that these silences are telling about resistance, unintelligibility, discomfort, and silencing. Significantly, we contrast these silences with the emotional openness displayed by the boys when engaged in more implicitly gendered topics of conversation. This contrast highlights the tensions for these boys as they struggle to articulate and define their experiences in relation to broader patterns of gender politics. We conclude by exploring the implications of our findings for educators, researchers, and boys and men themselves.
ISSN:0159-6306
1469-3739
DOI:10.1080/01596306.2025.2483194