Power and Identity in Adolescent Girls

Heilman, E. (December, 1998). The struggle for self: Power and identity in adolescent girls. Youth and Society, 30(2), 182.

OVERVIEW

This article is particularly effective by combining theory with practice. The author combines theory with her research of observation and interviews, through the use of narrative vignettes. Most of her research is from a suburban midwestern school. The vignettes center around five girls who share an English class. She focuses on teenage girls’ struggle with power and identity in different arenas: social and economic status, body image, and media.

Girls simultaneously face the difficult task of navigating the social hierarchy of high school, while preparing themselves for the seemingly bleak economic future of their adult lives. For many, the level of success they have gaining status in high school is correlated to their perception of what they can achieve in the future. Therefore, those who find themselves low in the social hierarchy of high school also fail to develop a positive view of themselves and what they can accomplish. For girls who tend to develop their self-esteem within the context of their friendships, being ostracized by their peers can destroy them. Heilman also points out the cynicism of most girls towards the prospect of good jobs. The competitive job market and the reality that many single mothers struggle to make ends meet, result in many teenage girls feeling anxious about their future earning potential.

Many deal with these pressures through strict control of their diets: "Dieting in America is strongly associated with gaining power and having control." This sense of power comes from achieving a goal, making it through a day without eating. The second form of power comes from the approval received from society for looking good.

It is obvious that the media encourages girls to be as thin and attractive as possible. Advertisers know exactly what they are doing. Many teens have expendable cash and are the most susceptible to advertising. Advertisers attract girls’ self-esteem by holding forth an unattainable standard of beauty. Those with weakened self-esteem are most likely to go out and buy anything to make them more attractive. The media shows girls that power comes through making others jealous and though romantic relationships with men.

Family has had a declining influence in the identity construction of girls today. This is connected with the decrease in time spent together; most teens spend very little time with their parents. Most live with either one parent who must work, or with two parents who both work. Therefore, outside influences such as peers, schools, and the media have a greater impact on girls’ identity construction.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. How can teachers, youth leaders, and parents help adolescent girls accomplish the task of identity construction?
2. How can we help these girls to develop realistic goals for their future?
3. How can we fight against the impact of the media that desire girls to have weak self-identities so that they can sell more?
4. How do we teach teens that outer beauty and romantic relationships are not the only defining characteristics of their lives?
5. Are we spending time with adolescent girls so that they can interact with us and discuss their struggles?

IMPLICATIONS

Heilman concludes with five suggestions for schools to help girls in their struggle. These suggestions can be useful in and out of the school setting:

1. Equitable teaching for boys and girls, particularly encouragement that they can plan for future careers.
2. Representation of the experience of girls and women in teaching.
3. Discussions that help teens to deconstruct the messages they are being sent.
4. Counseling and teaching informed by a realistic understanding of adolescence, including social contexts, the effect of mass media, gender, class, and ethnicity.
5. Support for practices that reduce gender, social, and class differences.