In Honor of Girls:
Adolescent Girls and Self-Esteem
An Annotated Bibliography
Prepared by
Karen Lippert
Reference Librarian
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon
***
Home The Entire Bibliography Web Resources
Especially
for Girls
These books are especially appropriate for
adolescent girls.
Apter, Terri and Ruthellen Josselson. Best Friends: The Pleasures and Perils of Girls' and Women's Friendships. New York: Crown, 1998.
If Only I Had a Real Friend, I Knew You'd Understand! Promise You
Won't Tell, and I Never Thought This Would Come Between Us are some
of the chapter titles in this insightful book. Terri Apter and Ruthellen
Josselson noticed that there has been little research done on the subject of
friendship between girls, and thus the authors try to bring this subject to
light. By exploring what happens in girls' and women's friendships, they
say, we can learn a lot about the development and socialization of young
girls. This book celebrates these friendships. At the same time, it
takes "an honest look at the perils and dangers inherent in them, the
pitfalls and places where girls and women can stumble and lose faith in
themselves and in relationships" (xii). How do adolescent girls deal
with rejection? How do they react when their best friend gives them the
cold shoulder or spreads gossip about them? How do they treat each other
when one loses favor with the group? Why are best friends a major factor
in learning about relationships? With real accounts from girls young and
old, Apter and Josselson try to show how absolutely necessary girl-girl
friendships are for girls who are trying to find out who they are and where
they fit in the world. From dealing with betrayal to loving each other
unconditionally, girls' friendships teach them coping and loving skills that
are important lessons for life. For it is a fact, as one contributor
says, that girlfriends outlast the comings and goings of husbands and lovers.
Brown, Lyn Mikel. Raising Their Voices: The Politics of Girls' Anger. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998.
While almost all adolescent girls struggle with identity and self-esteem
issues, some girls are able to retain the strength and voice that have been
part of their personalities while growing up. In her book, Brown focuses
on the experiences of two groups of girls: one group from working class
families, and one from middle and upper middle class families. These
girls discuss the changes they've experienced in adolescence; many
acknowledging the fact that they pretend to be what they are not in order to
fit in to the expected, feminine molds of society. They see this as
hypocrisy in themselves and others. Brown also finds that some of these
girls resist these pressures and expectations, and are able to resist openly
and loudly, with a strength and confidence that often gets lost during this
confusing time. In particularly, Brown relays stories of girls' anger,
and how this anger enables them to fight sexism, discrimination, and the
pressures of popular culture. Whereas some girls disconnect from
themselves and others during adolescence, other girls fight back to keep a strong
sense of self. What allows some girls to find this strength while it gets
lost in others? What part does race and class play? In her
refreshing and enlightening book, Brown attempts to answer these questions and
provide some clues into the diverse personalities of young girls.
Brumberg, Joan Jacobs. The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. New York: Random House, 1997.
Girls today are having a more difficult time handling the process of sexual
maturation than they did a hundred years ago. This time is particularly
dangerous for young girls now, more so than ever before. Why?
Brumberg explains that certain changes in recent history have "resulted in
a peculiar mismatch between girls' biology and today's culture"
(xvii). Girls are maturing at a younger age than ever before, but there
are fewer protections set up for them. They can easily be seduced by
popular culture and peer pressure. And these seductions lead girls to see
their body as the ultimate project, an all-consuming project that shapes their
self-image and self-esteem. In this wonderful book, Joan Brumberg creates
a timeline of growing up female in America and what pressures adolescent girls
have faced in each stage of recent history. This timeline builds up to
the present, where she discusses the importance of menstruation, eating
disorders, sexuality, body image, and popular culture in the lives of girls
today. Brumberg includes photographs and advertisements that illustrate
how certain issues have always been concerns for adolescent girls.
Edut, Ophira, ed. Body Outlaws: Young Women Write About Body Image and Identity. Seattle, WA: Seal, 2000.
This book is made up of a fascinating collection of essays written by young
women who definitely have something to say. Shout, in fact. The
theme of this book is self-acceptance, and each essay has something unique to
say, whether it be about being a minority in American, having a large derriere,
remaining celibate, or choosing to keep a Jewish nose over having plastic
surgery. Insecurities are thrown onto the table, analyzed, made fun
of, cried over, and overcome. And many of the essays discuss these
insecurities in conjunction with that all-American icon, Barbie. Barbie
has not been helpful to us, folks, so let's change our ideals. This book
is a must for people who are interested in beginning or continuing that journey
toward self-acceptance and love. The essays are humorous and insightful,
and left me feeling inspired. "We are entitled to love our bodies at
any size. We are entitled to speak, act, create and feel wherever we
go." Exactly.
Gray, Heather M. and Samantha Phillips. Real Girl/Real World: Tools for Finding Your True Self. Seattle, WA: Seal, 1998.
I wish I had had a book like this when I was a teenager. This book,
with its real-life stories from adolescent girls, relays the message that
beauty plus a perfect body do not equal perfect happiness. It also
tackles important issues including: Why do girls get bad reputations and boys
don't? Why do adolescent girls have such poor body images and how can we
build up our own image? How destructive are eating disorders? What
is sex for the first time really like? What problems/issues/realities
will I face as a lesbian or bisexual girl? What are the facts about birth
control and STD protection? In each chapter, relevant accounts from
teenage girls are interspersed with useful, practical explanations of each
topic. The authors also include a list of contacts and organizations for
each section. This book is a wealth of information for adolescent girls,
and it can also be a helpful guide for adults who want to understand what girls
are going through, or who want to discuss some of these sensitive topics with
the young girls in their lives.
Hesse-Biber, Sharlene. Am I Thin Enough Yet? The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity. New York: Oxford UP, 1996.
"If you want to be valued, as a potential spouse, as a coworker, as a
friend, then get thin" (4). This statement, Hesse-Biber says, is a
truth that society imposes on women, and a truth that women respond to with
eating disorders. American women are members of "the cult of
thinness," a cult that places a slender figure above all else on the scale
of self-worth. For her book, Hesse-Biber interviewed sixty female college
students, and surveyed 395 male and female college students, to try to
discover, in specific terms, why so many young people are obsessed with body
weight. It's as if, she says, weight is the primary measure of a woman's
worth and identity. And what is the end reward? According to one young
woman who Hesse-Biber interviewed, it's who can attract the most men, and then
keep the one you want. Not a pretty picture, but true for many young
women who have eating disorders. In order to find out the reasons behind
this way of thinking, Hesse-Biber explores the diet, fitness, and cosmetic
surgery industry. She also shows how mass media influences preteen girls
so that they are early "recruits" to the "cult." The personal
testimonies in this book make it a fascinating read -- and sometimes difficult
to read. And by comparing the cult of thinness to a religious cult,
Hesse-Biber puts the whole issue of body image in a new perspective.
Loomans, Diane and Julia Loomans. Full Esteem Ahead: 100 Ways to Build Self-Esteem in Children & Adults. Tiburon, CA: H. J. Kramer Inc., 1994.
This book was written by a mother-daughter team and is a helpful guide for
raising the self-esteem of anybody: girls, boys, children, teenagers,
adults. It offers concrete activites that can build self-esteem.
Chapter titles include: Esteem Each Day, Esteem Each Night, Learning
Esteem, Playful Esteem, and Esteem Extras. People, young and old, will
learn fun ways to give the people they care about a boost. The book also
has a serious side, in which we learn how to be “empathetic” rather than
sypathetic. There are certain reactions that people need from others, and
these reactions have a great impact on self-esteem. Learn how to listen
and react in ways that are helpful to others. From leaving love-notes in
pockets to creating a “laughing board,” this book goes into great detail on how
to make simple, caring, self-esteem enhancing gestures a part of everyday life.
McCarthy, Tara. Been There, Haven't Done That: A Virgin's Memoir. New York: Warner, 1997.
While this book is a memoir, and thus different from the other books on this
list, it reflects an attitude that is both common and unusual in young women
today. McCarthy relates her story of growing up emotionally and
sexually. She takes us through, in not too-vivid detail, her first
curious explorations with sex, and the many, MANY men with whom she has had
flings/relationships. Her story is probably very similar to the experiences
of many young girls and women except for one thing: throughout her whole
experience, she has remained a virgin. McCarthy's story is very relevant
because it does not preach abstinence, it does not preach anything. It
simply tells of a woman who respects herself, respects her body, and while
holding her virginity dear, still succeeds in becoming a vital and fulfilled
being. Her story is brutally honest, and McCarthy's strong voice might
raise some eyebrows. But her sense of self and individuality also command
respect from the reader, no matter what the reader's situation.
Orenstein, Peggy. SchoolGirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
SchoolGirls opens with the story of a sixth grade exercise, in which the
students imagine growing up as the opposite sex. After taking part in
visualization, the students write down lists describing how their lives would
be different. These lists show that by the sixth grade, both girls and
boys have learned to equate "maleness with opportunity" and
"femininity with constraint" (xiv). Peggy Orenstein delves into
the reasons behind this subconscious developmental phenomenon. Why, at
the onset of adolescence, do girls suddenly falter in math and science?
Why do they lose confidence, feel inadequate, and become fiercely critical of
their bodies? How do boys, and girls' attitudes toward boys, play a role
in this downward spiral? Orenstein uses the eye-opening study done in
1990 by the American Association of University Women, which shows that the self
esteem of girls plummets at the onset of adolescence, as a basis for her own
study. She then spends the 1992-93 school year observing girls at two
economically and ethnically different middle schools. It is with these
interviews and personal testimonies, and a bit of self-reflection, that
Orenstein tries to answer the questions behind girls' self esteem in this very
important book.
Pipher, Mary. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. New York: Ballantine, 1994.
“Something dramatic happens to girls in early adolescence. Just as
planes and ships disappear mysteriously into the Bermuda Triangle, so do the
selves of girls go down in droves (p. 19).” Before girls reach puberty,
they are interested in sports, nature, exploring, can bake cookies or build a
kite, are “tomboys.” But once these girls, who have been excited about
life and affectionate to their parents, hit adolescence and junior high, they
are faced with the pressure to put aside their real selves and transform into
something with which they are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. They give up
their interests which make them individuals, and look for acceptance by their
peers. Why does this happen? Pipher believes the fault lies not with
parents, but with the culture in which the girls of today are brought up.
They experience a social pressure to create a false self which only shows a
fraction of their talents. Pipher tells the stories of several girls who
have faced a variety of storms: the divorce of parents, alcohol and drug
abuse, self-mutilation and suicide attempts, sexual violence, and
depression. Each case brings forth insight into the identity of each girl
and the pressures and insecurities she faces. This book is one of the
first to tackle such an important issue, and it has been instrumental in
helping many young women.
Shandler, Sara. Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls Write About Their Search for Self. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
This book is a wonderful companion piece to Reviving Ophelia. Sarah
Shandler, at age sixteen, read Mary Pipher's book, and felt that Pipher was
speaking directly to her. Well, almost. While Shandler identified
with the girls Pipher wrote about, she felt that Pipher was writing from the
"outside," as a middle-aged woman looking through the window at
adolescent girls, and speaking for her. Shandler wanted to hear Ophelia
speak for herself, and so she sent out a call for essays, journal entries,
stories and poems written by girls that describe and show the adolescent-girl
experience. She received a variety of entries, and eventually organized
them into chapters which discuss the trials that teenage girls face today, such
as body image and eating disorders, family relationships, friendships, love and
sex, school pressures, depression, and differences of race, faith, and sexual
orientation. I found these pieces beautiful and meaningful because of the
honesty behind them. A few of the writings, mostly about body image and
eating disorders, I found to be so brutally vivid and real that they were
incredibly difficult for me to read. But I read on, of course, and found
real insight into the adolescent girl's mind and experience. This book is
stunning.
Tanenbaum, Leora. Slut! Growing Up Female with a Bad Reputation. New York: Seven Stories, 1999.
Everybody remembers those girls who were labeled "sluts" in junior
high and high school. Or perhaps we were one of the unfortunate ones who,
for some reason or other, had the "slut" label attached to us.
Leora Tanenbaum was a freshman in high school whose reputation, after one
twenty-minute make-out session, turned from intellectual to slut. Rumors
spread the next day, and suddenly Tanenbaum had a new reputation that followed
her throughout her remaining three years of high school. In this book,
Tanenbaum uses her own story, as well as stories from other girls who were
branded "slut," to explain the damage that this kind of sexual
harassment and sexual double standard does to young women. She points out
that while boys don't have to worry about their reputations being ruined if
they engage in sexual encounters, girls are in a lose-lose situation.
They are sluts if they do and prudes if they don't. Tanenbaum also
explains that most of the "sluts" have done little or nothing to
deserve this reputation. They are simply early developers, different from
the in crowd, or they have been raped. At the end of the book, Tanenbaum
gives some concrete examples of things girls can do to stop this kind of
harassment. She also explains that teachers and school administrators
need to be educated so that they stop treating these situations as
"normal" for high school students. This book will definitely
help girls who are dealing with the curse of a bad reputation, and it will also
be balm to those who survived the "slut" torments while in school.
Thompson, Sharon. Going All the Way: Teenage Girls' Tales of Sex, Romance and Pregnancy. New York: Hill and Wang, 1995.
Thompson explores the views and experiences of adolescent girls with sex,
romance and pregnancy. By using interviews that she collected around the
country, she looks at the questions: Why are so many adolescent girls
having sex? What process leads them to it? What do they hope to
gain by it? And how does sex at such an early age actually affect their
lives? Visions of true love seem to entrance girls into situations that
they are not ready for, situations that have dangerous and/or life changing
results. Thompson wants her readers to gain an understanding of the
real-life pressures and passions that these young women experience.
"To really understand what motivates the actions of girls, we have to
consider sex and romance from their perspective… (11)." She brings
to life the excitement an adolescent girl feels when she is retelling a
personal story brimming with romance, significant looks, and first experiences
with men and women. Women young and old will be able to identify with the
voices of these vibrant and searching girls.
Vida, Vendela. Girls on the Verge: Debutante Dips, Gang Drive-Bys, and Other Initiations. New York: St. Martin's, 1999.
Why do college freshmen girls go through rush? Why do young girls join
gangs, become witches, or attend debutante balls? Taking part in
sororities, gangs, covens and balls are all ways in which adolescent girls can
be initiated into the adult world. They are symbolic rituals that say,
"You have reached an age in which you command more respect, are sexually
mature, and should be thinking about your future." In her book,
Vendela Vida explores some of these rituals and how they are (or are not)
important to the development of young women. In today's society, says
Vida, young women do not have the structured rituals of the past -- they do not
have the "coming out" parties, the rituals found in many cultures
that celebrate a girl's first period, or even the safe, cohesive family unit
that was more common fifty years ago. With the coming of feminism, many "feminine"
rituals disappeared, and rightly so. But ever since, adolescent girls
have found themselves in a confusing society, in which it is difficult to find
their place or know what is expected of them. Thus, Vida explains, girls
have created their own rituals to represent their need for family, acceptance,
and their emergence into womanhood. Vida looks at several of such
initiations in chapters such as: Sorority Sisters, Debutantes,
Gang Girls, Witches, and Young Brides. This is a
fascinating book that begins to explain the ways in which adolescent girls find
a place for themselves in a confusing society.
Created on March 7, 2000
Last updated December 12, 2002
Please send comments and suggestions to Karen
Lippert
Copyright 2002 Oregon Health & Science University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. Mail Code: LIB, Portland, Oregon 97239