Girls in Power: Gender, Body, And Menstruation in Adolescence

GIRLS IN POWER......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 10
MENSTRUATION IS . . .......Page 12
SALIENT BODY EXPERIENCES......Page 14
THE TEEN PARTICIPANTS......Page 18
THE INTERVIEWERS......Page 21
ANALYSIS OF THE DATA......Page 22
ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOK......Page 23
CONCEALMENT AND SHAME......Page 26
THE HORRORS OF LEAKING......Page 29
“WHY I NEVER CARRY A PURSE”......Page 31
THE BODY AS ACTOR......Page 34
WHAT IF IT GETS STUCK?......Page 35
TAMPAX ADS IN A ROOM FULL OF BOYS......Page 40
THE CHECKOUT BOY......Page 41
“SURFIN’ THE CRIMSON WAVE”......Page 42
“IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL”......Page 47
3. Cultural Contexts......Page 50
CULTURAL HISTORY OF MENSTRUATION......Page 51
CONCEALMENT AND HYGIENE......Page 52
TABOOS......Page 54
CONTEMPORARY VIEWS AND ADVICE......Page 55
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE......Page 56
SCHOOLS......Page 59
THE FAMILY......Page 61
MEDIA, ADVERTISING, AND MERCHANDISING......Page 64
MEDICALIZATION OF MENSTRUATION......Page 68
FIFTH-GRADE HEALTH CLASS......Page 69
MENSTRUATION AS A REPRODUCTIVE ISSUE......Page 73
WHAT ABOUT THE BLOOD?......Page 75
EVERY SINGLE MONTH FOREVER AND EVER......Page 77
MENSTRUAL SUPPRESSION?......Page 80
THE VALUE OF FEMALE BODIES......Page 83
WHAT IF MEN COULD MENSTRUATE?......Page 86
UNDERSTANDING GENDER......Page 88
LIVING IN OUR BODIES......Page 90
5. Girls in Power......Page 94
AGENCY AND POWER......Page 95
CREATIVELY RESPONDING TO DOMINANT SOCIAL NORMS......Page 96
FORGING CONNECTIONS......Page 98
“I DON’T THINK BOYS COULD HANDLE IT”......Page 101
MENSTRUATION IS SOCIAL......Page 104
GETTING “IT”......Page 106
STORIES AND SUPPORTIVE TALK......Page 109
WHAT’S NORMAL......Page 110
HOW EMBARRASSING!......Page 113
BUT ADULTS DON’T TALK THIS WAY!......Page 115
INTERVIEWING IN COMMUNITY GROUPS......Page 118
ISN’T MENSTRUATION A PERSONAL EVENT?......Page 119
“WE SHOULD JUST CREATE A WOMEN’S STORE”......Page 120
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER......Page 122
BLAMING MENSTRUATION......Page 126
“GROSSING THEM OUT”......Page 130
MENSTRUATION AS A SEXUAL ISSUE......Page 131
BOYS’ JOKES......Page 134
WHO HAS THE POWER?......Page 138
EMBARRASSING AND TEASING GIRLS......Page 139
GIRLS’ ADVANTAGES......Page 141
EXPRESSING POWER:SECOND AND THIRD WAVE FEMINISM......Page 143
POTENTIAL FOR MANIPULATION......Page 146
ALTERNATE RESPONSES BY BOYS......Page 148
“MY FRIEND KRISTIN EXPLAINED . . .”......Page 150
BEEF JERKY......Page 153
THE TEENS’ CONCLUDING THOUGHTS......Page 156
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS......Page 158
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND GENDERED POWER......Page 159
MENSTRUAL CELEBRATIONS......Page 161
REFLECTIONS ON RESEARCH METHODS......Page 164
CONCLUSION......Page 166
APPENDIX A: Participants in Individualand Group Interviews......Page 168
GIRLS......Page 169
BOYS......Page 170
APPENDIX B: Interview Guides......Page 172
INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS......Page 173
GROUP INTERVIEWS......Page 175
Notes......Page 180
References......Page 188
E......Page 198
M......Page 199
T......Page 200
Z......Page 201