"Being tomboy is a form of freedom ideology, resistance against domination of feminine and masculine values, as well as imaging gender future," he said in the Margono Auditorium, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, on Monday (30/11).
Else Liliani mentioned these at her doctoral program open examination in humanities sciences. Under the guidance of promotor Prof. Dr. Siti Chamamah Soeratno and co-promotor Prof. Dr. Juliasih K., S.U, she defended her dissertation entitled the Tomboy Character in Children Novel: Analysis on Feminine Discourse on Novels Tomboy Girl, My First Make Up, Kado Untuk Ummi, and Best Friends Forever.
Else said the tomboy nature is representation of individual freedom to choose their identity in the heterogenous and modern society. Being tomboy is seen as a truth from individual to deny feminine hegemony that controls individuals to achieve masculinity considered superior in the heterosexual society.
"Being tomboy became an effort to gain balance that has to be owned by any individual to sustain in the global society that is competitive. Being tomboy became imaging gender future that is expected to be owned by female children," she explained.
Else viewed the fight between identity and power relation in children novels shows a rupture as it denies feminity and embracing masculinity, the children novel appear to worship and oblige to gender identity that is already regulated in the heterosexual society.
Else concludes that it is an effort to demystification of traditional gender value in society. Feminity is not an absolute for a girl to look more normal. Girls have the right to choose quality and experience same as boys.