Adolescence and ‘Hypersexualisation’ in Francophone Quebec: A Story of Missed Revolutions and Cultural Boundary Negotiations

Abstract

Social discussions, academic debates and increased media attention to the ‘sexualisation’ of adolescents, particularly of teenage girls, have been ubiquitous in Western countries over the past two decades. Since the turn of the century, ‘hypersexualisation’ has been much discussed in Quebec media. This article frames hypersexualisation as a discourse and analyses the articulations between some of its major components, namely the definition of the endangered and redeemable adolescent subject and the presence of a failure narrative pertaining to historically specific emancipatory ideals. By doing so, it reveals the ways in which discussions about adolescent sexuality in Quebec can contribute to boundary mapping in a globalised context.