Growing Up With Girl Power: Girlhood On Screen and in Everyday Life (Mediated Youth)

I read Growing Up With Girl Power for one of my college courses. What was interesting throughout reading this book was that mostly all of the forms of media discussed was familiar to me and still relatively current, unlike what I might read in some textbooks for other college courses. I grew up with and enjoyed a lot of the media and programs discussed in the book like Spice Girls, The Powderpuff Girls, and Kim Possible. I was very young when some these things were popular so I had never thought of them in an analytical way so it was really eye opening to see another side of those things that I would have never guessed existed.

What lies beneath the shell of a girl (and even a boy), is a mind in which is molded through society, media, and peers. Rebecca explores all sorts of different angles on girls growing up from TV Shows, to school life. What makes this book very good is that she brings together several group interviews/discussions with girls, that help analyze how girls are portrayed in society and you would be surprised by how well these young kids could analyze and interpret how they feel with certain TV shows, and life in and outside the playground of their school.The interviews and analyzing that the girls participate in alone is worth the purchase/ There is so much psychological information that you would find fascinating, and sometimes even get a little sad about (such as the girls looking down upon themselves because they don't feel that they are beautiful.). However, Rebecca also looks into the history of how girls are portrayed in society, through TV shows, and music (like the Spice Girls and their "Girl Power" mantra).At times, though admittingly rare,there seemed to have been some bias. But I truly mean it when I say it's rare, because for the most part Rebecca has girls draw their own conclusions in the group interviews/discussions. And most historical analysis she does take different angles to interpret the true messages and impact of gender roles in society.Give it a read if you are interested in the psychology of the adolescent girl.You will likely get more information then you ever thought. It doesn't hurt that Rebecca shows very good writing skills as well, so I don't think you will get bored that easily.

Interesting insight towards certain female characters in TV/Movie. Various female characters featured as examples of commercialized girl power (Reggie Rocket, Ginger Fowler) that had a psychological impact towards influencing young women of America. Definitely an eye-opening subject on female characters that have a positive/negative impact on the lives of young girls everywhere.

An in-depth examination of how "girl power" has been interpreted, not only by the riot grrrls who launched its punk movement, but by girls born in the 1980s and 1990s who grew up with the idea of "girl power" mass-marketed to them particularly through the Spice Girls and certain cartoons. Careful attention is given to race-based differences in girls' reactions to the media.Hains details the ambiguities inherent in popularized, commercialized "girl power": in some forms it indeed promotes self-esteem, assertiveness, recognition of inner beauty and the importance of girls' friendships with other girls, while in other cases it is nothing more than reverse sexism against boys, image-based stereotyping of girls, and the mindless pabulum of cosmetic makeovers and nonsensical song lyrics.The group interview transcripts with young girls are entertaining as well as illuminating. It only makes sense that they were consulted, and this makes the book stand out from other feminist texts that limit themselves to the opinions of adults. With the assumption that the reader has basic knowledge of and sympathy with feminism and anti-racism, this is a quite pleasurable read as an introductory text on the subject of girl power.