Lyn Mikel Brown discussed girls’ psychosocial development from girlhood into adolescence and identified different experiences that girls have, depending on their social location. Her discussion included how hegemonic (White and middle class) femininity plays informs different girls’ experiences, identities and behavior.  She described how she found that class differentiated these girls’ experiences of “becoming a young woman.”

 

For this essay, you will 1) summarize Brown’s discussion of these differences; 2) choose two of the readings we have done and 3) how her discussion helps to explain the ideas, research findings and/or issues raised about different experiences of girls “becoming girls” in each of the readings.  Your essay may include how you think the readings raise questions about Brown’s discussion.

 

Please write in the first person!  You (“I”) are the writer, reader, analyst, thinker in this essay.

 

 

Here is a suggestion for how to organize the essay.  It should flow as one piece of writing rather than having numbered paragraphs.

 

1-2 pages:

An intro paragraph in which you state what it is you are “doing” in this essay, including that you will summarize Brown’s key points, which articles you have chosen (refer to by author’s name and title), and a statement of what your main argument will be.

 

A paragraph summarizing Brown’s key points

A paragraph with a short description of the articles

 

2-4 pages:

Analysis of the readings:  Explain the main points that you want to make about the articles using Brown’s discussion as a framework.   Be sure to use appropriate quotes (no more than a sentence or two) to help you make your argument.  You can write about each reading separately or you can integrate them into an overall analysis.

 

½-1 page:

A final concluding paragraph for a short conclusion (which can include issues or questions that you raised or have from the analysis)