School Girls

In the book School Girls by Peggy Orenstein, the focus is on young adolescent girls in middle school, and the effects that the “Hidden Curriculum” and other elements have on their self esteem. “Hidden Curriculum teaches girls to value silence and compliance.” (pg.35) The hidden curriculum is a theory that boys often get more attention than girls in the classroom, and that even if it is negative attention, the girls learn that they are not …showed first 75 words of 246 total…

…showed last 75 words of 246 total…late adolescence, their self-esteem has spiraled downward.” (Pg.38) The focus of sexual harassment is a big one as well. Girls are not taught about sex and contraceptives, and therefore know nothing about their sexual selves. “We consciously infuse girls with a sense of shame.” (p.57) If we do not teach girls about their bodies, and teach them to be assertive, than sexual harassment will occur. “As much as girls repress desire, they embrace desirability.” (p.62)