Flappers & Ms. Modern

1920s Between the period of the First and Second World Wars, girlhood became a site where social debates on young women’s appearance, habits, and sexualities took place. “Miss Modern”, a girl who was determined to cast  aside conventional ideas of femininity, went on...

“It” Girl

Early 20th Century Since the 1980s, “It” girl has been perceived as an attractive girl who flaunts her sex allure and strongly associated with celebrity, fame, and beauty. The earlier definition of an “It” girl in the early 20th century was different. “It” girl then...

Girls and White Slavery

Pre-World War I in Europe and North America In the Victorian and Edwardian period, important keywords of girlhood were purity and self-sacrifice. Girlhood was frequently associated with the color white and flowers like lilies and snowdrops. However, the development of...

Black Girls in Jim Crow South

Late 19th and 20th century What was it like to grow up as a Southern Black girl under Jim Crow laws that legalized racial segregations in the Southern United States? Witnessing state-sponsored racism and white supremacy, Black girls came to develop and understand...

Student Girls

18th and 19th century Europe Should young girls learn to read? This question would generate little controversy today, but it provoked strong debates and negative reactions in Europe before the 18th and 19th centuries. Young girls had access to books in many European...

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