What are little girls made of? It used to be sugar and spice and everything nice. But in today’s world it’s an entirely different story and Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas is setting the record straight with author Peggy Orenstein at the helm.
As part of its 2011-2012 lecture series, “What is a Girly-Girl?” will deal with “today’s girly-girl culture that influences them [girls] from infancy onward from princesses with pink gowns to spa birthday parties for six-year-olds, to Miley Cyrus to how 13-year-olds present themselves on Facebook.”
“We’re seeing a ‘Kardashianization’ of girlhood,” says Orenstein, whose examination of the lives of young women began in 1994 with her classic book Schoolgirls. “It’s a worrisome trend for those who want daughters to thrive and become confident, happy women. Formerly neutral toys have become gendered, narrowing a girl’s idea about her sexuality, future relationships and academic and professional potential. Girls are being encouraged to embrace this materialistic, image-saturated femininity through an unprecedented amount of marketing targeted at ever-younger ages.”
In partnership with The Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture, the lecture will take place at The Dallas Institute on Wednesday, February 1, at 6:30 p.m.
The good news is that tickets only cost $25, but seating is limited to 100.
Photo provided by Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas