Dissertation
CRYSTALLIZED QUINTESSENCE: RECOGNIZING BLACK GIRL HETEROGENEITY
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2013
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/117987
Abstract
This study extends prior work in Black feminist standpoint theory and Girls' Studies to present Crystallized Quintessence as a framework for investigating the lived experiences of Black girls. The framework is ultimately concerned with producing a body of literature that better reflects the heterogeneity of Black girls. The term Quintessential Black Girl is introduced as a way to disrupt homogenizing narratives about Black girls' identities.
An inductive study of the literature of Girls' Studies and Black feminist standpoint theory was undertaken in order to assess what these literatures contribute to exploring Black adolescent girls' lives. The review also revealed the limitations of these bodies of literature. Girls' Studies literature mirrors the social hierarchy of the US, leaving Black girls positioned as less important than their white counterparts. The shared oppression of Black women and Quintessential Black Girls' is not expressly articulated in Black feminist standpoint theory.
When the scholarly literature corroborates the cultural assertions that all Black girls are the same, it becomes difficult for Quintessential Black Girls to articulate their own identity. Crystallized Quintessence adds depth and nontraditional insights to renderings Black Girls' lives. By drawing from a variety of sources such as empirical studies, popular culture portraits of Black girls, and Black girls' self-narratives, this framework acknowledges, but is not solely focused on Black girls' age, race, and gender. The inclusion of Black girls' voices positions them as essential to more comprehensive understandings of Black girls' lived experiences.
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Details
- Title
- CRYSTALLIZED QUINTESSENCE: RECOGNIZING BLACK GIRL HETEROGENEITY
- Creators
- Leola Dublin Macmillan
- Contributors
- Pamela J. Bettis (Advisor)Lisa Guerrero (Committee Member)Melynda Huskey (Committee Member)Judy Meuth (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Languages, Cultures, and Race, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 269
- Identifiers
- 99900581846801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation