Girls' resilience : negotiating power through discourses of community, gender, success & space

Abstract

Media representations and public discourse about girls' violence and delinquency has presented marginalized, urban girls from disadvantaged communities as risked, vulnerable and deviant . These images problematically masculinize girls and fail to recognize the social milieu of their resilience and this has largely influenced the way girls are offered programming. This thesis examines girls' resilience in ways that recognize strength in the context of classed, raced and gendered resistance. Through art-making, photography and focus group discussions with nine girls, aged 11 and 12, this research found that both femininity and community are flexible and negotiated sources of power for girls that together show signs of resilience.