Introduction: special issue on tomboys and tomboyism.

This article provides a critical introduction to, as well as an overview of the articles within, this special issue. The opening portion briefly discusses the history of tomboyism as both a cultural concept and embodied phenomenon. Then, the subsequent paragraphs provide a brief summary of the five essays that comprise this themed edition. In so doing, the Introduction addresses the current state of scholarship on tomboys and tomboyism, while it also highlights possible areas for future study.