Growing up Girls : Popular Culture and the Construction of Identity

In today's society, more and more mass media and popular culture is being produced for, about, and by pre-adolescent and adolescent girls than ever before. The intent of this book is to help us better understand the complex relationship between girls and their culture. Informed by a broad range of theoretical perspectives and employing a variety of methodologies, the essays in this collection address the ways that mainstream culture "instructs" girls on how to become a woman-the ways in which the culture approves of "growing up girls." Specifically, these essays examine the messages mainstream culture gives girls about romance, sexuality, life experiences, body image, gender and culture identity, and the way girls themselves negotiate these messages. In todays society, more and more mass media and popular culture is being produced for, about, and by pre-adolescent and adolescent girls than ever before. The intent of this book is to help us better understand the complex relationship between girls and their culture. Informed by a broad range of theoretical perspectives and employing a variety of methodologies, the essays in this collection address the ways that mainstream culture instructs girls on how to become a woman the ways in which the culture approves of growing up girls. Specifically, these essays examine the messages mainstream culture gives girls about romance, sexuality, life experiences, body image, gender and culture identity, and the way girls themselves negotiate these messages. "The intent of this book is to help us better understand the complex relationship between girls and their culture. Informed by a broad range of theoretical perspectives and employing a variety of methodologies, the essays in this collection address the ways that mainstream culture "instructs" girls on how to become a woman - the ways in which the culture approves of "growing up girls." Specifically, these essays examine the messages mainstream culture gives girls about romance, sexuality, life experiences, body image, gender and culture identity, and the way girls themselves negotiate these messages."--BOOK JACKET. Eleven essays assess mass media stereotypes, a girl's rock group, and other influences on adolescent girl identity development, and offer cross-cultural dialogues. Three teens, including one who "has a two- year-old brother who is benefitting form her approach to gender," are among the 14 otherwise adult academic contributors. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR