All roads lead to male domination? the case of Théodore, a young upper-middle-class child

This chapter draws on unpublished data from a PhD study on the language socialization of French children aged 2–6. It focuses on the case of Théodore, a boy from an upper-middle-class background, to examine how dominant masculinity takes shape in early childhood. Théodore has legitimate cultural resources but lacks the bodily and linguistic dispositions typically valued by male peer groups in his social background. The chapter is based on ethnographic research in five French écoles maternelles, including two followed longitudinally, and their families in the local area. It shows, first, how gendered and dominance-related dispositions are learned early; second, how class and gender domination are deeply intertwined; and third, how gender boundaries can form through interaction with girls and women, not only within but also through male peer groups. Most middle-class boys benefit from a dual advantage: academic and cultural support at home and competitive physical engagement in peer groups. This helps them learn to dominate as boys. Théodore, by contrast, builds his scientific capital and competitive stance through socialization with and by girls and women. His case shows how early and robust male domination can be in the dominant classes, and points to its systemic nature.