Girlfighting : Betrayal and Rejection among Girls / Lyn Mikel Brown.
2003
HQ798 .B723 2003
Linked e-resources
Linked Resource
Online Access
Details
Title
Girlfighting : Betrayal and Rejection among Girls / Lyn Mikel Brown.
Author
Brown, Lyn Mikel, author.
ISBN
9780814739112
Published
New York, NY : : New York University Press, [2003]
Copyright
©2003
Language
English
Language Note
In English.
Description
1 online resource
Item Number
10.18574/nyu/9780814739112.001.0001 doi
Call Number
HQ798 .B723 2003
Dewey Decimal Classification
305.2352
Summary
For some time, reality TV, talk shows, soap-operas, and sitcoms have turned their spotlights on women and girls who thrive on competition and nastiness. Few fairytales lack the evil stepmother, wicked witch, or jealous sister. Even cartoons feature mean and sassy girls who only become sweet and innocent when adults appear. And recently, popular books and magazines have turned their gaze away from ways of positively influencing girls' independence and self-esteem and towards the topic of girls' meanness to other girls. What does this say about the way our culture views girlhood? How much do these portrayals affect the way girls view themselves?In Girlfighting, psychologist and educator Lyn Mikel Brown scrutinizes the way our culture nurtures and reinforces this sort of meanness in girls. She argues that the old adage "girls will be girls"-gossipy, competitive, cliquish, backstabbing- and the idea that fighting is part of a developmental stage or a rite-of-passage, are not acceptable explanations. Instead, she asserts, girls are discouraged from expressing strong feelings and are pressured to fulfill unrealistic expectations, to be popular, and struggle to find their way in a society that still reinforces gender stereotypes and places greater value on boys. Under such pressure, in their frustration and anger, girls (often unconsciously) find it less risky to take out their fears and anxieties on other girls instead of challenging the ways boys treat them, the way the media represents them, or the way the culture at large supports sexist practices. Girlfighting traces the changes in girls' thoughts, actions and feelings from childhood into young adulthood, providing the developmental understanding and theoretical explanation often lacking in other conversations. Through interviews with over 400 girls of diverse racial, economic, and geographic backgrounds, Brown chronicles the labyrinthine journey girls take from direct and outspoken children who like and trust other girls, to distrusting and competitive young women. She argues that this familiar pathway can and should be interrupted and provides ways to move beyond girlfighting to build girl allies and to support coalitions among girls.By allowing the voices of girls to be heard, Brown demonstrates the complex and often contradictory realities girls face, helping us to better understand and critique the socializing forces in their lives and challenging us to rethink the messages we send them.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
System Details Note
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Digital File Characteristics
text file PDF
Source of Description
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 18. Sep 2023)
Available in Other Form
print 9780814799512
Linked Resources
Online Access
Record Appears in
Online Resources > Ebooks
All Resources
All Resources
Table of Contents
Frontmatter
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Reading the Culture of Girlfighting
2 Good Girls and Real Boys
3 Playing It Like a Girl
4 Dancing through the Minefield
5 Patrolling the Borders
6 From Girlfighting to Sisterhood
7 This Book Is an Action
Appendix
Notes
References
Index
About the Author
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Reading the Culture of Girlfighting
2 Good Girls and Real Boys
3 Playing It Like a Girl
4 Dancing through the Minefield
5 Patrolling the Borders
6 From Girlfighting to Sisterhood
7 This Book Is an Action
Appendix
Notes
References
Index
About the Author