"GIRLS HAVE LONG HAIR" AND OTHER MYTHS: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GIRLHOOD IN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE GIRLS A Dissertation by SUSAN ILENE DUMMER Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2006 Major Subject: Communication "GIRLS HAVE LONG HAIR" AND OTHER MYTHS: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GIRLHOOD IN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE GIRLS A Dissertation by SUSAN ILENE DUMMER Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Katherine Miller Committee Members, M. Carolyn Clark Leroy G. Dorsey Antonio LaPastina Head of Department, Richard L. Street, Jr. December 2006 Major Subject: Communication iii ABSTRACT "Girls Have Long Hair" and Other Myths: The Social Construction of Girlhood in Fifth and Sixth Grade Girls. (December 2006) Susan Ilene Dummer, B.A., Sam Houston State University; M.A., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Katherine Miller The past fifteen years have yielded numerous studies of girls and the struggles they face in today's society. This dissertation examines the ways that preadolescent girls, "tweens," understand what it means to be a girl and the factors that shape their identity as a girl. Through thematic content analysis of data collected through 22 focus groups and one-on-one interviews, I argue that girlhood is a socially constructed phenomenon. The girls' perceptions of girlhood are influenced by their media consumption, their families, and their social interactions. Their understanding of girlhood includes both physical and psychological characteristics. The girls' understanding of girlhood is also reflective of stereotypical myths of femininity. The experience of girlhood, as described by the participants, is an experience of transition from child to adolescent, an experience of liminality, and includes dialectical tensions that the girls must attempt to negotiate. The girls’ experience of girlhood differs from their perceptions of ideal girlhood, and often the girls indicate that the perceptions are “real” and their personal experiences are not. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Katherine Miller, for her continued support and encouragement not only throughout the research and writing of this dissertation, but from the moment I began my graduate program as a terrified Master's student here at Texas A&M. Thank you, Kathy, for believing in me, for understanding my goals and my dreams, and for helping me to make them a reality. I am so blessed to have you for a friend and mentor. I would also like to thank my committee members for their insight, expertise, and willingness to share their time with me. Carolyn, you introduced me to the study of narratives and the incredible insights that they contain. Antonio, I truly appreciate your willingness to talk through ideas with me and your encouraging me to ask more questions in new ways. Dorsey, yes, you are on my committee! I cherish the discussions we had in your office. You helped me to keep a smile on my face throughout this process, and for that I am grateful. I would also like to thank the special friends who supported me throughout this dissertation and my graduate program. Nancy, I can not tell you how special you are to me. Your support is incomparable. Thank you for believing in me. Jennifer, you are an inspiration to me. Watching you go through this process made it easier for me and kept me going. Thank you for answering my questions and talking through issues with me. I'll miss sharing coffee and pedicures. Katy, thank you for reminding me about the important things in life: food and Grey's Anatomy. Thanks also to the graduate students v in the Department of Communication who shared their time with me. Life in the basement was never dull. My parents and siblings have been a constant source of encouragement. Mom and Frank, Dad and Daylin, Shana and Mark, Steve and Kim, thanks for believing in me. James, Tyler, and Josie, my wonderful family, thank you. I know it has been a hard road. You have made it all worthwhile. Thank you for sacrificing so that I could pursue my dreams and for reminding me that I could do it, even when I didn't believe. I could not have done any of this without you. Finally, thank you to Hannah Kay and all of the girls who took time to talk with me about being a girl. I learned so much from the short time I spent with you. Thank you for letting me into your world. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT........................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................................... vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION, THEORY, AND LITERATURE REVIEW......... 1 Girls as research subjects............................................................ 1 The influence of myth ................................................................. 5 The myth of femininity ...................................................... 8 Social construction of girlhood ................................................... 13 The sources of the social construction of gender identity........... 20 Family................................................................................. 20 Media.................................................................................. 23 Social groups...................................................................... 27 The process of social construction of identity............................. 32 Social learning theory......................................................... 32 Relational dialectics........................................................... 35 Cultivation theory............................................................... 37 Uses and gratifications theory............................................ 39 II RESEARCH METHODOLOGY......................................................... 43 The research process................................................................... 48 The research participants............................................................. 53 The focus groups......................................................................... 55 Interview protocol....................................................................... 57 Analysis....................................................................................... 60 My role as researcher .................................................................. 62 III GIRLHOOD AND MYTH................................................................... 67 Research question #1................................................................... 69 Physical and psychological characteristics......................... 70 Types of girls and social hierarchy ............................................. 82 Research question #2................................................................... 96 The mysterious girl............................................................. 97 vii CHAPTER Page The caring girl.................................................................... 98 The embodied girl.............................................................. 100 The moral girl..................................................................... 102 Four square.................................................................................. 105 IV THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GIRLHOOD........................... 112 Media consumption..................................................................... 112 Family relationships.................................................................... 124 Friends......................................................................................... 134 The sources together.................................................................... 146 V CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS............................... 149 Conclusions ................................................................................. 150 Limitations .................................................................................. 160 New research............................................................................... 163 Epilogue ...................................................................................... 165 REFERENCES....................................................................................................... 166 APPENDIX A ........................................................................................................ 176 APPENDIX B ........................................................................................................ 179 VITA ...................................................................................................................... 180 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION, THEORY, AND LITERATURE REVIEW On January 21, 2006, Jennifer Berry was minutes away from learning who would be crowned Miss America 2006. Before that presentation could occur, the final three contestants had to complete the interview portion of the competition. Each woman was asked the same question, "Tell me about an experience that was influential in shaping the woman you are today." Ms. Berry thought for just a moment, and then described her sixth grade self. She described