I just finished reading the Introduction and Chapter 1, and cannot help but to think about my own girls in my inner-city classroom. Few truly fit Kindlon’s definition of an “alpha girl”—3.8+ GPA, at least one leadership position, participation in extracurricular activities, high self-rating, and a high achievement motivation score. I’d classify three of my female students as “alpha girls”—far less than 20% of the girls I teach. Which has me thinking, that although we may live in a society where woman do not have to fight the battles over equal rights, we still live in a society where your life trajectory is severely limited by poverty and class, if not by gender. These gains in women’s rights may appear across socioeconomic strata, but they are less widespread among low-income and minority girls.
On page 13, Kindlon asks the question, “Has social and economic equality for men and women been achieved?” We may be close, but until every student is given equal access to a quality education, this question barely factors into the lives of the many American girls growing up in poverty.
What are your thoughts about the dynamics between the "alpha girl," socioeconomic status, and class?
Lydia
I think the Alpha Girl that is described by your author is not as uncommon as we think. I think back to my own suburban school and nearly every girl I grew up with would be considered one of these "alpha" girls. That being said, I think you are absolutely right. The alpha girl is defined not only by her desire to succeed and achieve, but also by her socioeconomic status. Girls in more affluent, suburban communities may have seen model "alpha women," if you will, giving these young ladies something (or rather someone) to aspire to. In poor, inner city neighborhoods, even the notion of an "alpha" girl might seen foreign and practically unattainable. We, as female educators, must be the role models for our students, letting students, especially female students, know that yearning to succeed breeds success. The alpha girl in a lower socioeconomic class can then become somewhat of a super alpha girl, truly defying most odds and creating the new norm for girls everywhere.
ReplyDeleteKatie Packer
I love to think that the girls in our own classrooms will become the "super alpha girl" Katie describes, girls who are able to defy odds despite the life trajectory their socioeconomic status presents.
ReplyDeleteAs a seventh grade teacher, I'm constantly surprised at the independence my girls show. A recent lunch time conversation began with one student asking me what my college dorm room looked like; for the rest of lunch this topic dominated. It was inspiring to hear this group of young woman discuss the future and how each would design their own college dorm room.
In terms of being an alpha girl, many of my students have the confidence in their abilities and recognize the importance of education for their future potential. Yet, are my students alpha girls? By Kidlon's definition, certainly not, and I believe the discrepancy stems from the role socioeconomic status plays in creating alpha girls. The alpha girls the author mentions have achieved academic and extracurricular success, all opportunities afforded to them through education. While my students display the confidence of an alpha girl, they have been denied many of these opportunities due to poverty and socioeconomic status. More importantly, some don’t even know that these opportunities exist for others. Their education has not always supported them and led them on this journey of achievement. As a female educator, I need to give my students a foundation for their aspirations and confidence, and not lot socioeconomic barriers limit the students in my classroom and school community. I want them to know the hard work and dedication needed, even when it means working harder than peers in more affluent communities.
Molly Grant
As Molly eluded to earlier, I believe that the alpha girl described in the book is often the result of opportunity and exposure to the extensive extracurricular activities and education that particular communities provide. This is not to say that our girls cannot and will not become the definition of an alpha simply because they may not have access to the resources. However, the extent to which our girls have to seek and pursue will be much more significant than the effort exerted by female students in other communities. I view the relationship between the alpha girl and socioeconomic status as undoubtedly connected but not limited to the confines of one's upbringing.
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised to read what this book's definition of an alpha girl is. Before I looked here, I was under the impression that an alpha girl/boy is just someone who is the ringleader of a group, and in my mind, the term has a negative connotation because they are usually strong-arming the others and manipulating them. Reading these responses and posts now, however, I feel like the book's definition and my previous understanding of the term might not be mutually exclusive. The thing is, when I look at the girls in my classroom, I mostly see girls who fit only into my previous understanding of the term. I agree that part of the issue is that they do not have a role model to look toward. I wonder, though, how I can take the characteristics that the negative alpha girl displays and get her to become a positive influence for all the other girls in the class.
ReplyDeleteJeff--
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested in your idea of the "negative" alpha girl--the one who pushes others down to get on top through manipulation and strong-arming. (side note not really related to the rest of this post: I'm wondering if that kind of negative alpha girl is aligned somehow with the stereotype of the aggressive, power-suited, pushy businesswoman?) Kindlon gives "alpha" a very positive connotation, but when I read the interviews with some of these girls, I almost cringed: their self-esteem was so high and their ambitions so strong that I had to wonder about what would happen when some of these girls came into conflict with their peers. As a teacher, I definitely see some of these same "negative alpha girls." Those girls run the show, have all of the confidence of Kindlon's alpha girls, but don't channel it in a positive manner. I think working with these girls to show them where their ambition could take them might be one possible route...but working with these girls (who are often my hardest behavior problems!) is certainly a challenge!