New words for old discrimination: childhood between racism, sexism, and a possible emancipation

Abstract

This paper proposes an intersectional reading of prejudices regarding both boys and girls. Its aim is
to give a contribution to the clarification of some analytical categories to get a more profound and
dynamic understanding of the processes of age difference discrimination, as they take place within
our complex societies. The first part of the paper is specifically dedicated to this aspect. The second
part focuses on sexist discriminations affecting childhood. The assumption is that girls have been the
subject of a double discrimination throughout history, due to both their age and gender; this suggests
a path for the renewal of the imaginary about girls specifically through children’s fiction. Innovative
editorial projects will be analysed and proposed as places of experimentation in order to give voice to
a more authentic and diversified female childhood.