![Girlhood in America [2 volumes] by Miriam Forman-Brunell book cover](/_next/image?url=%2Fbooks%2Fcovers%2Fcmtx0n429019i38isdkdzuwp2.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Girlhood in America [2 volumes]
An Encyclopedia
📘 About This Book
Girls used to be second-class citizens. Today they are coming into their own. Still, girlsʼ lives, their experiences and their roles in the social, cultural, economic and political history of the United States have been widely overlooked. This groundbreaking reference work presents more than 100 signed articles by 98 high-profile interdisciplinary scholars, covering girlhood in North American from the first settlements to the present from a multitude of historical perspectives. Readers will find an impressive array of information, research data, scholarly interpretations and observations. Girlhood in America describes how portrayals of girls in childrenʼs literature, magazines, movies, toys, music and other media have deeply influenced girlsʼ perceptions of themselves and examines rites of passage in multicultural contexts. Excerpts from diaries, memoirs and autobiographical novels, along with more than 150 photographs, illustrate girlsʼ subjective experiences throughout history.
📖 Summary
Girlhood in America, edited by Miriam Forman-Brunell and published in 2001 across two comprehensive volumes spanning 416 pages, serves as a groundbreaking reference work dedicated to a historically overlooked demographic. Historically, girls have occupied the position of second-class citizens, and while modern times show them increasingly coming into their own, their specific lived experiences, daily realities, and pivotal roles within the social, cultural, economic, and political history of the United States have frequently been ignored by mainstream historical texts. This expansive social science compendium remedies that historical oversight by assembling more than 100 signed, meticulously crafted articles written by 98 high-profile interdisciplinary scholars. Together, these contributors map out the expansive terrain of girlhood in North America, tracking its evolution from the era of the first European settlements all the way to the present day through a multitude of historical perspectives. Readers diving into these volumes will encounter an impressive array of empirical information, rigorous research data, scholarly interpretations, and insightful observations that illuminate how young females have actively shaped and been shaped by American society. A major focus of the collection rests on the cultural forces that construct identity. The book describes how enduring portrayals of girls in children's literature, specialized magazines, influential movies, popular toys, music, and various other forms of media have deeply influenced girls' perceptions of themselves across generations. Furthermore, the work thoroughly examines the cultural and social rites of passage that mark the transition into maturity within different historical contexts. By bridging historical scholarship with contemporary cultural analysis, Forman-Brunell has curated an indispensable resource that validates the experiences of young women and challenges scholars, students, and general readers alike to re-evaluate the historical narrative of the United States through the lens of gender, youth, and cultural development.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Features contributions from nearly 100 high-profile interdisciplinary scholars.
Covers a vast historical timeline from early settlements to the present.
Offers a rich collection of research data and scholarly interpretations.
Addresses the deeply influential role of media in shaping self-perception.
⚠️ Cons
As an academic reference work, it may not read like a traditional narrative history.
Published in 2001, it does not capture subsequent developments in twenty-first-century digital girlhood.
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of Girlhood in America? +
The reference work is edited by Miriam Forman-Brunell.
When was this book published? +
It was published in the year 2001.
How many volumes make up this work? +
The work spans two volumes and totals 416 pages.
What subjects and themes are covered in the articles? +
The articles cover social, cultural, economic, and political history, along with media influences and rites of passage.
Who contributed the articles found in the book? +
More than 100 signed articles were written by 98 high-profile interdisciplinary scholars.
