Many of you may remember that last year, I took a girls' studies class, and regularly posted assignments to my blog. You can see those past posts here. This semester, I'm teaching the same class! I have two wonderful and articulate students, and I thought some of you might be interested in seeing their blogs... Continue Reading →
From the first few lines of The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls (1997) by Joan Jacobs Brumberg, I was hooked. I loved the concept of doing research in girls’ diaries from the past in order to gain present understanding of how girlhood and the intimacies of puberty have changed over the years.... Continue Reading →
I don’t know why, but I was surprised to think of girls as activists. However, after watching some TED talks by girl activists, I realized just how powerful their voices can be, and that we all have a duty to be activists where we can. If we have a story, we should share it. If... Continue Reading →
As most of you know, education is important to me. I wouldn’t be pursuing a Ph.D. if it weren’t. Not only do I believe in education, but I believe in education for girls, and some of the most moving books I’ve read are about this subject. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) by Betty Smith... Continue Reading →
I watched a documentary called The Interrupters (2011), which is about interrupting the violence occurring on Chicago’s streets. There are many organizations working to curb this violence, which kills many children each week, and one of them is The Interrupters. It is a group of former gang members who have decided to use their street... Continue Reading →
This week’s girls’ studies blog post is about the song “He Hit Me,” originally performed by The Crystals in 1962. I also listened to versions by Hole and Grizzly Bear. It was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King when a popular singer of the time explained why she stayed with her boyfriend despite his... Continue Reading →
Our focus in my girls’ studies class this week has been music. The assignment is to make a “mix tape” of songs that were important to my girlhood. I’m supposed to highlight and explain three of the songs, but I thought an explanation of each one was in order. I’ve linked them to YouTube videos... Continue Reading →
I read a Life with Archie comic book for today’s post. I’d never read one before. In fact, I’ve read very few comic books in my lifetime, so it was an interesting experience for me. I had to adjust to the flow of it. As I read, I was thinking about the following questions for... Continue Reading →
There is a stigma surrounding teen pregnancy, and we see that play out in media representations of it. Today’s assignment for my girls' studies class is to compare and contrast the portrayals of teen pregnancy from a documentary called The Gloucester 18 and an episode of 16 and Pregnant. The Gloucester 18 is about the... Continue Reading →
Today’s assignment for my girls' studies class seems a little tricky. Here are the questions. What did you know/not know about sex as a girl? Who, if anyone, did you talk to about it? What, if anything, do you wish you knew? Imagine having your own girl one day—how will you talk to her about... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 