Feminism, Inc. : coming of age in girl power media culture

 by Emilie Zaslow. Zaslow (communication, Pace Univ.) provides an excellent introduction to the nascent field of girl studies. In addition to serving as a solid resource on much of the scholarship already published, the book gives voice to a range of girls from New York City, who speak about how they experience feminism and femininity in their everyday lives and about the tensions between messages concerning feminism and femininity often found in today's girl power media culture. Through focus groups and interviews with 30 participants, Zaslow found that girls understand the contradictions inherent in mediated commodification of feminism but yet lack information on how to collectively resolve unfair social structures. Messages about sexuality as empowerment and subjugation feature prominently in these girls' analyses of contemporary mainstream media. Ultimately the role models to which girls have access reinforce the message that girls have to rely on themselves. Neither celebratory nor dystopian, this study provides insights into the intelligence of contemporary girls and their awareness of the pitfalls of popular culture representation, especially in relation to their complicated lives in a cosmopolitan, difficult urban environment. Zaslow's message: though they are neither anti-feminist nor anti-feminine, these girls cannot reconcile conflicting messages. --Choice (Check catalog)