White western teenage girls and urban space: Challenging Hollywood's representations

A.L. Bain

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This article explores fictional cinematic representations of the world of white female adolescents in the USA. It argues that Hollywood has disseminated an oversimplified image of teenage girlhood that reinforces the notion that girls participate only peripherally in the daily life of exterior urban spaces. An analysis of nine Hollywood teen movies, from the 1980s and the 1990s, reveals a limited palette of spaces appropriated by predominantly white middle-class American adolescent girls. The analysis, within the broad categories of retreat space, liminal space, and interaction space, suggests alternatives for understanding how adolescent girls use urban space.
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
Article number10.1080/0966369032000113984
Pages (from-to)197-213
JournalGender, Place and Culture
Volume10
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2003
Externally publishedYes

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