Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas

252 Pages·2010·1.44 MB·English

by  Jessica K. Taft

Rebel Girls
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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.
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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
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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-
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