Girls, Media, and the Negotiation of Sexuality: A Study of Race, Class, and Gender in Adolescent Peer Groups

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Abstract
This study examines how peer group activity and social context affect adolescent girls' interactions with mass media.1 The study consisted of a five-month field observation of middle-school girls from varying race and class backgrounds. The data analysis showed that the peer context was one in which gender identity was consolidated via reference to mediated standards of femininity and sexuality, though these standards differed according to race and class factors. It is concluded that the peer group is of crucial significance: interventions such as media literacy efforts cannot be effective unless they are sensitive to peer group functioning around issues of race, class, and culture.

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