“I feel a little bit of both”: Exploring the relational experiences of Norwegian tween girls through age as enactment and age-shifting

Age categories gloss over complexities and nuances, and are sometimes used as an uncritical entity in childhood studies. This study explores how Norwegian seventh-grade girls, considered to be tweens, understand and enact their age through a relational ontological approach. Theoretically the concept of “age as enactment” is suggested, showing how age is produced in heterogeneous assemblages. The study finds that “age-shifting,” how girls navigate between child and teenager repertoires, a primary feature for tween girls. The concept of age-shifting allow us to view age as both a social strategy and as flexible, contextually, and relationally enacted.