A child-centric examination of the lived experiences of young girls aged 7-13 in their personal ...

288 Pages·2016·4.07 MB·English

by  Curtin User

School of Education

Giving voice to girls:
A child-centric examination of the lived experiences
of young girls aged 7-13 in their personal media contexts

Madeleine Rose Dobson

This thesis is presented for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
of
Curtin University

May 2016
Declaration
To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published
by any other person except where due acknowledgment has been made. This thesis contains
no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any
university.
Human Ethics (for projects involving human participants/tissue, etc.)
The research presented and reported in this thesis was conducted in accordance with the
National Health and Medical Research Council National Statement on Ethical Conduct in
Human Research (2007) – updated March 2014. The proposed research study received
human research ethics approval from the Curtin University Human Research Ethics
Committee (EC00262), Approval Number HR116/2012.
Madeleine Rose Dobson
th
26 May 2016
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Contents
Declaration ............................................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ vii
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... ix
Abstract .................................................................................................................................... x
Chapter One: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
Chapter Two: Literature Review.............................................................................................. 6
Chapter Introduction ................................................................................................... 6
The roles of media in contemporary Western society ................................................. 8
The nature of media representations of girls and women ......................................... 15
The potential influence of media on girls and women .............................................. 26
The prospect of media literacy education ................................................................. 37
Implications of the review ........................................................................................ 40
Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 44
Chapter Three: Conceptual Framework ................................................................................. 46
Chapter Introduction ................................................................................................. 46
Paradigmatic worldview ........................................................................................... 47
Theoretical lens ......................................................................................................... 48
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory ......................................................... 51
My conceptual framework ........................................................................................ 53
Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 61
Chapter Four: Methodology ................................................................................................... 62
Chapter Introduction ................................................................................................. 62
Paradigmatic worldview ........................................................................................... 63
Theoretical lens ......................................................................................................... 65
Methodological approach .......................................................................................... 66
Methods of data generation ....................................................................................... 74
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Trustworthiness ......................................................................................................... 89
Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................... 93
Chapter Five: Ethics ............................................................................................................... 94
Chapter Introduction ................................................................................................. 94
The centrality of ethics.............................................................................................. 95
Ethical procedures in the present study..................................................................... 97
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 107
Chapter Six: Interpersonal Context – Findings and Discussion ........................................... 108
Chapter Introduction ............................................................................................... 108
School context ......................................................................................................... 110
Home contexts ........................................................................................................ 121
Discussion ............................................................................................................... 135
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 138
Chapter Seven: Media Contexts – Findings and Discussion ............................................... 140
Chapter Introduction ............................................................................................... 140
Accessibility and monitoring .................................................................................. 141
Degrees of engagement ........................................................................................... 144
Media messages ...................................................................................................... 145
Discussion ............................................................................................................... 161
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 163
Chapter Eight: Girls’ lived Experiences – Findings and Discussion ................................... 165
“All about us:” Re-introducing the girls ................................................................. 166
“Top of my list”: Examining the importance of media ........................................... 170
“I feel…”: Unifying themes .................................................................................... 185
Discussion ............................................................................................................... 197
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 202
Chapter Nine: Conclusion .................................................................................................... 204
Chapter Introduction ............................................................................................... 204
The research problem .............................................................................................. 205
iv
The scope of the study ............................................................................................ 205
The research objectives and questions .................................................................... 205
The key findings ..................................................................................................... 208
The methodology and context of the study ............................................................. 209
Limitations .............................................................................................................. 209
The contributions of the study ................................................................................ 211
Recommendations ................................................................................................... 217
Concluding statement.............................................................................................. 224
References ............................................................................................................................ 225
Table of Appendices ............................................................................................................ 251

v
List of Tables

Table Description Page
1.1 Connecting objectives and research questions 3
1.2 Summary of the study 5
2.1 Guiding questions connected to key themes 7
3.1 The research context through Bronfenbrenner’s lens 53
3.2 Voices heard and unheard in previous research and in public discourse 60
4.1 My paradigmatic worldview 65
4.2 My perspectives regarding core elements of feminist theory 66
4.3 Staff participant profiles 76
4.4 Student participant profiles 77
4.5 Parent/guardian participant profiles 78
4.6 Phenomenological analytical techniques and procedures 84
4.7 Media samples selected for analysis 88
4.8 Evaluating via quality criteria 91
5.1 Reflecting and evaluating via the CRC 107
6.1 Features of the girls’ school context 110
6.2 The educators who participated in interviews 111
6.3 Coding schema for the educator interview data 113-114
6.4 Family structures and home settings 121
6.5 Coding schema for the parent interview data 123-124
7.1 Examples of parental monitoring 143
7.2 Samples sourced from Total Girl 149
7.3 Music videos selected for analysis 155
7.4 Quotes reflecting themes common to all of the music videos 158
8.1 Coding schema for the student interview data 168-169
8.2 Quotes reflecting themes for the girls’ perspectives and experiences 185
8.3 Girls’ reflections on the iPad program 186
9.1 Addressing the achievement of the objectives 206
9.2 Identification of key findings and associated chapters 209
9.3 Summary of recommendations 217
9.4 Key elements needed for a whole-school approach to media education 221

vi
List of Figures

Figure Description Page
1.1 The four dimensions of research 4
2.1 The content and structure of Chapter Two 6
3.1 The content and structure of Chapter Three 46
3.2 A visual model of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model 51
3.3 Conceptualising girls and their lived worlds 54
4.1 The content and structure of Chapter Four 62
4.2 The dimensions for analysis of music videos and magazines 89
5.1 The content and structure of Chapter Five 94
5.2 An example of the PowerPoints shown to the girls 104
6.1 The content and structure of Chapter Six 108
6.2 A student from Seaglass uses her iPad 111
6.3 Educator perspectives of media – unifying themes 112
6.4 Lancôme’s campaign featuring Emma Watson 116
6.5 Parental perspectives of media – unifying themes 122
7.1 The content and structure of Chapter Seven 140
7.2 Media devices owned or accessible by the girls 144
7.3 Examples of images constructed to demand viewer engagement 150
7.4 Incarnations of traditional femininity in Total Girl 151
7.5 Aesthetically conventional femininity on display in Total Girl 152
7.6 Analytical dimensions for the analysis of music videos 155
7.7 Interpersonal resourcing techniques in the music videos 156
7.8 Colour fulfilled multiple functions across the music videos 157
7.9 Lighting as a key resource in Roar and Work B***h 157
7.10 Camera angles used to imply power in Roar, Salute, and Work B***h 158
7.11 Camera angles fostering familiarity and equality in 22 158
7.12 Common concepts in the music videos 159
7.13 The portrayal of glamour in 22 and Work B***h 159
7.14 Body diversity was limited in the selected music videos 161
8.1 The content and structure of Chapter 8 165
8.2 Samples of self-portraits by the girls 166
8.3 The spectrum of importance 171
8.4 Hayley's self-portrait 173
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8.5 Seyfried is featured in Amanda True Make Up 175
8.6 Lily's self-portrait 176
8.7 A detail from Lily's self-portrait 177
8.8 Part of Lily's My Little Pony collection 178
8.9 Lily's bedroom contains a variety of media 181
8.10 Photographs reflecting Tuscany’s identity 182
8.11 Tuscany’s heroines 185
8.12 Emotions associated with media as told by the girls 190
8.13 Lola’s bedroom 197
8.14 The unifying themes regarding the girls’ experiences and perspectives 203
9.1 The content and structure of Chapter Nine 204
9.2 The traditional perspective regarding the positioning of media 213
9.3 The cross-contextual presence of media 213

viii
Acknowledgments

I would like to sincerely extend my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the
completion of my thesis. I am truly appreciative of the encouragement, support, and
guidance which have been offered to me and without which this endeavour would not have
been possible.
Thank you to my thesis committee for their infinitely valuable contribution. To Dr. Susan
Beltman, Dr. Eva Dobozy, and Dr. Lina Pelliccione – it has been a privilege to work with
you and learn from you, and I am endlessly grateful for your mentorship.
I also extend my thanks to the entire School of Education at Curtin University, which truly is
a wonderful community made up of people who I consider myself lucky to work with.
Thank you to those who participated in this study. I was fortunate to work with a community
of participants who were enthusiastic about their engagement with the research. To the girls
who were the focus of my thesis – thank you for telling your stories, I truly appreciate your
contributions.
Thank you to my family and friends for their love and support. I am fortunate to have many
wonderful people in my life who inspire and encourage me. To those of you who have stayed
by my side through all of this and who have shown an interest in and enthusiasm for my
work, I am incredibly grateful – perhaps more than I can adequately express. I would like to
make special mention of those who have made a significant difference, who I admire and
appreciate, and who have made my life a happier one: Mum, Dad, Kati, Lizzie, Tasha, Colm,
Ellie, Kim, Mikey, Kara, Kimia, Penny, Andrew, and Netta.
This thesis is dedicated to my grandparents, with all my love to Joan Margaret and George
Dennis Dobson, and in loving remembrance of Eva Luise Margarete Irmgard Dagis.

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Abstract

As educators, we are responsible for guiding and supporting our students as they grow and
develop. Our students face numerous challenges in contemporary society – one of which is
arguably media. Media have an overt and enduring presence in contemporary society.
Children are observed to be particularly avid users. They engage with media for a range of
reasons, such as educational applications and personal entertainment. While media do have
immense potential for positive application, its proliferation throughout society is not without
controversy – in fact, there are many concerns associated with media use, particularly where
children are concerned.
While all of these issues merit discussion, one of distinct note is the problematic intersection
of gender and media. Over the years, this issue has been interrogated extensively. It is often
contended that media representations of girls and women are lacking. The literature shows
that stereotyping, idealisation, objectification, and sexualisation are commonplace across all
forms of media in the Western world. It is frequently argued that these representations are
damaging and dehumanising. This raises concerns for girls engaging with these media.
Research to date has focused largely on media portrayals and potential health hazards, with
an emphasis placed on examining adolescent girls or women in their early twenties. Fewer
studies have focused on younger girls. Very few have approached the issues from a child-
centric perspective; rather, the research is largely adult-centric with little regard given to the
perspectives and experiences of young girls.
The present study sought to contribute to existing knowledge by pursuing a child-centric
exploration of the lived experiences of young girls in their personal media contexts. It
involved a mixed research approach which blended feminist phenomenology with social
semiotics. A small Western Australian primary school consented to participate with the
school principal, four classroom teachers, fourteen girls aged between 7 and 13, and their
parents engaged as participants. Data were generated via five phases: (1) interviews with
educators; (2) student/parent questionnaires; (3) an analysis of media favoured by the girls;
(4) interviews with students; and (5) student-guided/document home tours and interviews
with parents.
Insight was gained into the complex media environments within which these girls exist; the
contrasting perspectives of educators, parents, and children; and most importantly, what it
means to be a young girl living with media, from the perspectives of girls themselves. The
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