Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas PDF
Preview Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas
Rebel Girls This page intentionally left blank Rebel Girls Youth Activism and Social Change across the Americas Jessica K. Taft a New York University Press New York and London NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London www.nyupress.org © 2011 by New York University All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Taft, Jessica K. Rebel girls : youth activism and social change across the Americas / Jessica K. Taft. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–8147–8324–5 (cl : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–8147–8325–2 (pb : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–8147–8337–5 (ebook) 1. Teenage girls—Political activity—America. 2. Youth—Political activity—America. 3. Social action—America. I. Title. HQ799.2.P6T35 2010 305.235’2097—dc22 2010024128 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For all the girls fighting the good fight in their schools and communities. This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix 1 Introduction: Growing Up and Rising Up 1 Part 1: Building the Activist Identity 2 We Are Not Ophelia: Empowerment and Activist Identities 23 3 We Are Not the Future: Claiming Youth Authority 47 4 We Are Not Girls: Escaping and Defining Girlhood 71 Part 2: Making Change Happen 5 The Street Is Our Classroom: A Politics of Learning 99 6 Join the Party: A Politics of Participation 123 7 We’ve Got Spirit: A Politics of Hope 151 8 Conclusion: Still Rising 177 Methodological Appendix 193 Demographic Tables 201 Notes 205 Index 229 About the Author 241 | vii This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments Several amazing political and intellectual communities have sus- tained and inspired me throughout the process of research and writing this book. These communities of activists, radicals, dreamers, rebels, and dis- sidents have been the source of countless late-night discussions on many of the broader themes that I write about in this book. To all of the mem- bers of these groups, both formal and informal, I am incredibly grateful. I have learned so much from each and every one of you. Particularly, I want to thank Ginny Browne, Brian Helmle, Diane Fujino, Matef Harma- chis, Anthony Francoso, Xuan Santos, Ofelia Delgado, Lashaune Johnson, Amory Starr, Chris Bickel, Sheila Katz, and Hagar Kotef. Each of you has been a source of both support and insight. My parents, Mark and Susan, encouraged my intellectual curiosity from an early age, and I thank them for helping me to become someone who would keep on asking questions. My partner Gabe was always supportive, accepting my long absences for field research, my incredibly messy office, and my distracted book-filled brain without flinching or complaining. John Munro and Sandi Nenga deserve special thanks for giving the entire manuscript detailed, thoughtful, and careful readings, and offering me so much wonderfully specific feedback. Jordan Camp also read several chapters and provided some invaluable ideas. Finding Hava Gordon and having the chance to talk youth activism with another sociologist has also been very helpful to my thinking. Many thanks also go to my faculty mentors at the University of California at Santa Barbara all of whom supported my research from the beginning, giving me the freedom to roam the region and seek out these stories. Their trust in me and my work was a real gift. As a scholar of previous generations of young activists, Dick Flacks was excited about my ideas, enthusiastic about my writing style, and appreciative of the girls I’ve studied. Verta Taylor taught me a great deal about professional sociology and social movements scholarship. Finally, Avery Gordon was a constant inspira- tion to me as an example of a rigorous and radical scholar-activist. Her feed- | ix
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