PROVERBS AND GENDER STEREOTYPES A COGNITIVE-DISCURSIVE PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROVERB “BOYS WILL BE BOYS”

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Published: Jul 26, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29162/pv.43.1.1200
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Vol. 43 No. 1 (2026): Proverbium
38-66
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Author Biography

Anna Konstantinova

Department of Foreign Languages № 2,

Kuban State University of Technology

Moskovskaya street, 2 A, Krasnodar, 350072, Russia

Main Article Content

Anna Konstantinova
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5647-8236

Abstract

The paper presents a cognitive-discursive study of the gendered proverb Boys will be boys with the focus on its actional and metalinguistic dimensions. The main aim is to explore the discursive dichotomy of the dictum, i.e. its role in 1) perpetuating gender stereotypes about men and reinforcing gendered expectations in Anglo-American society, and, more recently, in 2) reflecting and promoting change catalyzed by the gender equality movement. The material comprises 400 examples, including texts from online articles, opinion pieces, blogs, social media posts, and memes spanning the last twenty years. The research methods applied were Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Sociocognitive Discourse Studies (SCDS) methodology, complemented by the linguocultural method, stylistic analysis, sampling and corpus methodology. The comprehensive analysis of the linguistic, cognitive, and discursive profiles of the dictum Boys will be boys suggests that the gender stereotype embedded in the proverb is being challenged and redefined in discourse, both via canonical and recycled (modified) use, resulting in anti-proverbs. The anti-proverbial derivations attest to significant shifts in social norms and encapsulate sociopolitical change.
 

Article Details

Keywords:
gendered proverbs, anti-proverbs, gender stereotypes, discourse-gender dyad, sociopolitical discourse, "Boys will be boys"
How to Cite
Konstantinova, A. “PROVERBS AND GENDER STEREOTYPES: A COGNITIVE-DISCURSIVE PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROVERB ‘BOYS WILL BE BOYS’”. Proverbium - Yearbook, vol. 43, no. 1, July 2026, pp. 38-66, doi:10.29162/pv.43.1.1200.

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