Writing against the grain of popular perception, Pomerantz offers an intricate look at how girls use style to negotiate their identities in school. Based on a year-long study in a Vancouver high school, Pomerantz highlights style as a meaning-making pract

Are girls taking over the world? It would appear so, based on magazine covers, news headlines, and popular books touting girls' academic success. Girls are said to outperform boys in high school exams, university entrance and graduation rates, and professional certification. As a result, many in Western society assume that girls no longer need support. But in spite of the messages of post-feminism and neoliberal individualism that tell girls they can have it all, the reality is far more complicated. Smart Girls investigates how academically successful girls deal with stress, the...

Are girls taking over the world? It would appear so, based on magazine covers, news headlines, and popular books touting girls' academic success. Girls are said to outperform boys in high school exams, university entrance and graduation rates, and professional certification. As a result, many in Western society assume that girls no longer need support. But in spite of the messages of post-feminism and neoliberal individualism that tell girls they can have it all, the reality is far more complicated. Smart Girls investigates how academically successful girls deal with stress, the...

Writing against the grain of popular perception and moral panic, Pomerantz offers an intricate look at the importance of style for girls in school. Based on a year long ethnography in a Canadian high school, Pomerantz highlights style as a meaning-making practice that demands to be taken seriously.