"She Can't Fight 'Cause She Acts White": Identity and Coping for Girls of Color in Middle School

Abstract

Middle school presents challenges to the gender identity of girls as they struggle to define who they are in an environment that is larger and more impersonal than their elementary school. For girls of color, this transition also involves an exploration of their identities as female members of racially and ethnically devalued groups. Authors of this research study conducted four focus groups with middle school girls, the majority of whom were African American or Hispanic, in which participants openly discussed how they were affected by and coped with stereotypical language and attitudes within their school. These coping skills, one of which is fighting, were influenced by the processes of socialization and identity development. The findings of this study have important implications for school programs that support teacher responsiveness to gender and cultural identity formation and peer interventions that increase understanding and interaction among diverse groups of girls. Language: en