ABSTRACT
This study explores the gendered discourses of youth sexualities. More specifically, it reports on research examining t(w)een girls’ discursive construction and negotiation of their femininities in the context of sexting. Using a qualitative method, the study attempts to contribute to the understanding of the multidimensionality of femininity. In order to do so, it brings femme theory into focus and contributes to its growth by analysing tween and teen girls’ discursive positionings when narrating their sexting experiences. The results give evidence of the pervasiveness of femmephobia and draw attention to the fact that the use of specific linguistic strategies not only allow the participants in the study to occupy different femininities in their narratives, but also to regulate the in-group and out-group sexualities. Furthermore, the presence of coercive language provides a clearer understanding of the cultural devaluation of femininity.
