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The research described in this paper illustrates how an analysis of preschoolers' discourse can be used to address some fundamental and general questions of human development. The question of interest here is how children learn the gender ideology of the culture in which they grow up. In particular, what role does language play in transmitting tacit knowledge of sociocultural norms, knowledge which is reflected in the ways children conduct their everyday social lives? Since language is an important medium of socialization, the study of how it is used should be central to understanding how a culture's gender ideology and gender practices are socially constructed and socially transmitted.

This paper focuses on the kinds of verbal tactics that young girls use to further their own interests and to negotiate dissent during conflict. Maccoby (1986: 271) points out that developmental psychologists," have a clearer picture of what girls' groups do NOT do than what they do do." She calls for" a more clearly delineated account of interaction in female social groups." Putallaz & Sheppard (in press), in a review of research on children's conflict management and social competence, also conclude that future research should include gender as a primary focus. Recent research on the nature of conflict talk,(eg,