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Description:
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This case study focuses on the influence of certain sociocultural factors on
the ability of adolescent girls to fulfill their potentials . Specifically , the purpose of this
research is to advance an alternative perspective on the relationship between the
sociocultural influences of friendship , mother /daughter relationship , school experience ,
and body image and a loss of potential among adolescent girls from a historical ,
poststructural , postmodern -feminist perspective .
The dissertation is presented in the form of narrative from both the author s and
girls and women s perspectives in order to seek a rich and thick description .
Throughout the study , the author integrates moments from her own journey during
adolescence with the young girls and their mothers or grandmothers encountering the
oftentimes overwhelming negative sociocultural challenges existing today .
The data consist of interviews with four girls and four women ; interviews with
two school personnel ; and observations covering 7 weeks of guided discussion groups . Personal stories are closely examined with current and in -depth research to produce
valuable insight and recommendations linking sociocultural factors and potentiality
among adolescent girls .
In general , these data contribute to an existing body of knowledge as well as
advance educational theory regarding adolescent girls and potentiality . Moreover , these
findings bolster the argument that , although realistic approaches to create necessary
change require a certain resignation to the forces that exist within our culture ,
educational psychologists will increase the discipline s impact on students by conducting
comprehensive research that creates and supports genuine efforts to teach girls effective
strategies on ways to not relinquish control to relentless , disingenuous sociocultural
pressures . The case study indicates that , although many positive gains have been made to
support young girls , there remain many obstacles as well . |