Poster #182 - Accommodation and Resistance to Norms of Femininity in Adolescent Girl’s Friendship Experiences 

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Sex, Gender

Integrative Statement

Abstract
Research has revealed the ways in which girls are pressured to be “the perfect girl” who doesn’t get angry, is nice regardless of how she is treated, and silences what she knows about herself and others (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Anyon 1984; Gilligan 1982; Gilligan, 2011). Research conducted with primarily white and/or upper class girls suggests that girls resist silencing what they know especially during late childhood (Anyon, 1984; Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan 2011). While studies have examined adolescent girl’s accommodation and resistance to feminine norms, few have considered the distinct ways that girls both accommodate and resist feminine ideology in their friendship experiences. Research indicates that adolescent friendships are important for fostering social identity and a sense of belonging (Karpov, 2005; Peshkin, 1991). The present study extends this research to examine the patterns of accommodation and resistance to feminine norms among an ethnically diverse sample of 30 adolescent girls’ friendship experiences. The study addresses the research questions 1) How do adolescent girls accommodate to femininity norms in their friendships? 2) How do adolescent girls resist femininity norms in their friendships?

Methods
The sample for the present study is drawn from a larger longitudinal study in New York City. Qualitative data was drawn from 30 semi-structured interviews of African American (9), Chinese American (7), Dominican American (8), and European American (6) female 11th grade high school students. Content analysis and open coding were used to identify themes and reveal patterns in the qualitative data (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). The 30 semi-structured qualitative interviews were coded for accommodation and resistance to norms of femininity, including endorsing feminine qualities of kindness, empathy, and relationality (Tolman & Porche, 2000; Brown & Gilligan, 1992).

Results and Discussion
Findings reveal that adolescent girls accommodate to femininity norms through the idealization of friendships, avoidance of conflict, and the generalization of friendships. Generalization of friendships is discussed when participants equally qualified large groups individuals as friends (as opposed to making distinctions between friendships). Although all participants accommodated to femininity norms in some manner, Chinese and White adolescent girls were more likely to accommodate to norms of femininity.
Participants also resisted femininity norms in their friendships by expressing a realistic sense of friendships, approaching relational conflicts, and making distinctions between friendships. Dominican and African American adolescent girls were more likely to resist femininity norms in their friendships. The ways in which race/ethnicity intersects with adopted strategies of accommodation and resistance to femininity norms will be discussed.

Authors

• Sohini Das, New York University
  Presenting Author

• Angelica R Puzio, New York University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Anna Bennet, New York University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Niobe Way, New York University
  Non-Presenting Author