Window panes and mirror frames: social constructions of American girlhood in children's pages and periodicals (1865-1952)

Abstract

Window Panes & Mirror Frames: Social Constructions of American Girlhood in Children's Pages and Periodicals (1865-1952) Representations of girlhood have been socially constructed via media content and popular culture. This can be done by providing a society with a certain way of talking about girls, creating, in essence, a discourse. Content from 177 articles in children's periodicals and 757 articles in children's sections and girls' pages from 1865 through 1952 were examined to discern what girls were reading about: a) Who or what girls could be (roles), and b) How girls could be (traits, learned or inculcated). The purpose was to get a better understanding of what the girls' choices were (range of roles and traits seen in texts) and what messages girls were most exposed to (frequency of constructions and messages in texts). At least 21 roles and more than five dozen traits were identified—dominant, enduring and/or consistent—across the 87-year period. The Socializer role became more mentioned while the Nurturer roles became less mentioned, and the Keeper-of-the-Hearth roles remained strong. A proper-sphere discourse dominated throughout the 87 years.