1. REFLECTING ON GENDER AS A SOCIAL
CONSTRUCT: A QUALITATIVE CASE
STUDY OF A GIRLS CRITICAL GENDER
GROUP
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Dissertation Presentation
Jessica Constandelis

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What happens in the
critical gender group?
How do girls talk about
gender in the critical gender
group?
• What is the
curriculum?
• How does their talk
change over time?
• What activities take
place?
• How do girls deconstruct
and critically assess
gender messages?
• What do girls say they
learned from
participating?
• How do girls say they
would alter & improve
the group?

3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:
DEVELOPMENTAL SYSTEMS ORIENTATION
School
Peer
groups
Community
Family
Social
media
Adolescent
Individual shapes the context of
which he/she is a part.
Popular
culture
Adolescent active producer of
identity development.
Galambos, N. L. (2004). Gender and gender role development in adolescence. Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp.
233-262). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, John.

4. RESEARCH DESIGN:
QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY
CRITICAL GIRLS’ GENDER GROUP
Weeks
1-3
Major Objectives
“Getting to know you” & Trust building activities
4&5
Identification & deconstruction of gender messages
(FACILITATOR DRIVEN)
6-8
Identification & deconstruction of gender messages
(GIRL DRIVEN)
9
Articulating themes & reflecting on identified gender
messages
10
Focus groups

5. DATA COLLECTION
Research Questions
Sources
Audiotape
Observations
Focus
Groups
Journals
X
Artifacts
1. What happens in a critical
gender group?
X
X
X
a. What is the curriculum of the
group?
X
X
X
X
b. What activities take place in the
group?
X
X
X
X
c. What do girls say they learned
from participating in the group?
X
X
2. How do girls talk about gender
in the critical gender group?
X
X
a. How does their talk change
over time?
X
X
X
X
b. How do girls talk back to
gender messages?
X
X
X
X
X

6. KEY FINDINGS:
MOVING BEYOND IDENTIFICATION & DECONSTRUCTION
Multiple
perspectives
& friendships
Critical
consciousness
(Shor, 1992)
Gender messages
are EVERYWHERE
Ways of
seeing
TAKE
ACTION!

7. PERSONAL IMPACT
Adolescence
difficult
developmental
period
Apply empathy
from my
experience
Provide my
students tools

8. PROFESSIONAL IMPACT:
STOCKING MY TOOL BOX
Perceived workplace barriers
Tools for addressing barriers
• Young
• Leadership skills
• Female
• Countless resources
• Male-dominated administration
• Voice
• Girls’ experiences
• Provide girls space & structure

9. IMPACT AT DISTRICT LEVEL:
EDUCATION
& AWARENESS ON MULTIPLE LEVELS
Girls
• Recruitment
Parents/
Guardians
• Seminars
My
Research
Admin.
Staff
• Professional
Development
• Professional
Development

10. IMPACT IN THE FIELD:
ANOTHER APPROACH
ADOLESCENT GIRLS:
ADOLESCENCE:
academic & social Identity
GENDER MESSAGES:
ideal girlhood
confidence, low self-esteem,
eating disorders
INTERVENTIONS:
role models & girls group
Girls’ Group:
Critical consciousness &
language