Gender, Motivation and New Literacies

When it comes to the new literacies of the internet and technology, the common belief is that boys tend to be more adept than girls. And while it is important for educators to recognize that gender is socially, not biologically constructed, it is also important not to deny the powerful cultural dynamics of gender. Bronwyn Williams, editor of the Literacy and Identity Department at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, further emphasizes that “looking at how the culture at large constructs expectations of gender identity is important examining and understanding the forces at work on individual boys and girls and how they adapt or oppose such forces…the cultural power of conventional gender roles seems inexorable.” And so, educators must be sure to create opportunities that reflect the tendencies of both gender roles.
Typically more competitive than girls, boys have been perhaps most highly motivated by video gaming. This, however, seems to translate into a myriad of related skills that develop with the organic dynamism of their youth, helping them achieve fluency that is both automatic and instinctual. And while girls are pulling ahead in the traditional literacies of reading and writing, “they lose ground in other ways, particularly development of skills in alternative and computer-based literacies” (Sanford, 2005). As James Paul Gee suggests, the demands on younger generations are increasing as they are expected to compete with an increasing global population of educated workers. Basic skills will no longer be enough for our children to survive as they may have in the past. Now they need to achieve high degrees of innovative and creative fluency in many literacies in order to stay afloat in a world of 'new capitalism.' How are educators to help create those opportunities for girls? What are the motivators that will encourage ‘the cultural power of conventional gender roles’ to draw in those not attracted to the competitive nature of video games?


Sanford, K (2005). Gendered literacy experiences: The effects of expectation and

opportunity for boys’ and girls’ learning. Journal of Adolescent and Adult

Literacy, 49, 302-315.


Williams, B. T. (2007). Girl power in a digital world: Considering the complexity

of gender, literacy, and technology. Journal of Adolescent and Adult

Literacy, 50:4, 300-307.