Girls Negotiating Adolescence

"Adolescents become as an entire social group that cannot effectively know themselves, whose legitimate grievances may therefore be silenced, and who need protection from their own instability. This position in turn legitimates attempts to govern and/or contain this stage of life that is perceived to be ungovernable."

The reading by Rebecca Raby took me a while to untangle and process, but I think I have a grasp on what she is trying to say. She introduces the five discourses that inter-tangle creating a web that traps teenagers, and segregating them from the rest of society. The reading introduces five discourses "the storm", becoming, at risk, social problem, and pleasurable consumption that surround the concept of adolescence. While introducing these five discourses she also introduces her study of Toronto-area teenager girls (from 13-19 years in age) and their grandmothers. She uses the study to explore the idea of these five discourses and how they mold societies idea of adolescence.

"The storm"- this was Raby's first discourse and the one I found most confusing to rap my head around (lets call this my do not understand section). From what I could understand the "storm" describes when teenagers begin to explore their bodies and their personalities. Adolescence is seen as a time to figure out who you are and who you want to be. This is the time that children are often seen as "easily influenced" by outside sources including peers, adults, and the media. Adolescence is also the time where a person starts to explore their sexuality.

Becoming- this describes how adolescence are in a stage where they are readying themselves for the real world and to become adults. Apparently teenagers have yet to become anything and are only in this stage to ready themselves to become something else. Raby points out that although teenagers are only in the process of becoming they can become "at risk" or a "social problem."

At Risk- teenagers are presented many models from society that dictate what the average teenager should or shouldn’t do, wear, feel, and say. These media artifacts often present images of teenagers who are easily influenced, sexually and physically frustrated, and in need of a quick fix or high. These models not only present a model for teenagers to imitate but also present a false image of teenagers to the general public as an age group that needs saving or monitoring.

Social problem- society views teenagers as a social problem that needs to be solved or eliminated. This is displayed in the way teenagers are treated in schools with cops, video surveillance, and metal detectors present in many high schools, town curfews, and dress codes. The dress codes are often used as a way to squash inappropriate behavior, but dress is one of the few outlets teenagers are given to express them and begin to form their own personal identity. We expect them to "become" but society squashes any attempt at it, which often causes discontent and rebellion, which in turn can lead to social problems (seems they're doing some of this to themselves).

Pleasurable consumption- recently the media has shifted its target from adults to teenagers. Raby describes how the teenagers are often viewed as having power over the family finances and a disposable income. The idea of consumption has become one of the only outlets given to teenagers to form their identity and also one of the only places the teenager has power.

I believe the big points from this article are that these discourses established by society are not only hypocritical, but are also a prophecy. Teenagers are expected to act out and then are punished for something that is expected of them. How can a teenager be in the process of becoming, yet already be placed in a category or label? These labels thrusted upon the adolescence of our society become self full-filling prophecies. It is also apparent that we must give teenagers a way to express themselves that is not directly correlated with the financial situation of their family. Society has put to much importance on consumption as a vehicle for self-expression. Teenagers whose families cannot afford this lifestyle are often thrusted into the "social problem" category trying to afford to live up to societies expectations. Another big point is the fact that when looked at individually the discourses are not as strong in their assertions and often contradict each other. Raby makes the point how can adolescences be "becoming" and have already become a social problem? How can a teenager assert their individuality while being smothered by rules and regulations made to snuff out anything that may be considered "at risk" behavior? These discourses tangle together to make it impossible for teenagers not to be alienated, segregated, and stereotyped by the rest of society.