Date of Award
Fall 12-11-2017
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Katie Acosta
Second Advisor
Wendy Simonds
Third Advisor
Rosalind Chou
Abstract
Summer camps are an important part of U.S culture. 11 million children attend summer camp in the U.S.A each year. Yet, little work has been done to explore the cultural phenomenon of summer camp. At summer camps, there are many implicit and explicit norms regarding sexuality and gender. These norms, in turn, have larger implications for understanding children's development of self, their gender identity, and sexuality. I study summer camp culture at Camp Delaware by interviewing former campers (often referred to as ex-campers) about their experiences. I investigate how summer camp culture both reconstructs and reifies social norms, particularly those surrounding gender and sexuality. Summer camps are an under-researched, yet highly important part of U.S culture. It is important we begin to understand how gender and sexuality function in these spaces, so we can replicate the positive effects and work to overcome the negative outcomes of such a unique locale.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/11204975
Recommended Citation
Harvey, Penny, ""It's Camp": Summer Camp Culture, the Renegotiation of Social Norms and Regulation of Gender and Sexuality." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2017.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/11204975