Read Dilemmas of Desire: Teenage Girls Talk About Sexuality Online
Authors: Deborah L. Tolman
entitlement within, 46, 120–128,
156–157, 163; silent body and,
60–61; egalitarian, 102, 124, 178;
safe space in, 102, 122, 178–179;
geographic context, 174, 178–179,
181.
See also
Peer relationships Religion, 84–85, 94
Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, 3
Reputation, 7–8, 11–13, 22, 195–196;
peer judgment and, 7, 31–33, 45,
66, 98–99, 123, 129, 195–196;
sexual health and, 12–13; participation in study and, 30–33; fears for, 46, 91, 98–100, 137–138;
silent body and, 61, 63, 79; boys’
talk and, 90, 91, 99; lack of
concern about, 155, 157–158, 161,
164–165; geographic context, 175, 177–178.
See also
Double standard; Good girl/bad girl dichotomy; Social consequences of desire
Research, 9–10, 25, 43, 81, 217n2;
surveillance of girls’ behavior, 9–10, 12, 26–27, 32; feminist,
25–26, 38–39, 48, 53.
See also
Methodology
Resistance to desire, 42–43, 48;
disappearing desire, 82–100;
forgetting, 83–84, 87; religious
promises, 84–85; responsibility
for sexuality and, 85–87, 99, 104,
110–111, 115; distancing, 88–94; control of self, 94–100; ambivalence, 100–115; sexual
minority girls, 112–114
Respect, 99, 175–176
Response voice, 210, 211, 213–214 Responsibility for sexuality, 63–64,
201; boys’ lack of, 15–16; sexual abuse and, 75–76; resistance to desire and, 85–87, 99, 104,
110–111, 115
Rich, Adrienne, 16–17, 211
Riot grrls, 187
Rochelle, 29, 42, 88–94, 116, 174,
175, 206
Romance narrative, 81–82, 89–90,
133; geographic context, 175,
179–180
Romance novels, 155–156
Rubin, Gayle, 50–51
Ruddick, Sara, 198
Ruination, narratives of, 175, 181
Safe space, 33, 37, 77; for urban girls,
31–32, 174; interview as, 66–67;
relationships as, 102, 122, 178–179;
entitlement and, 120–121,
135–140; limitations on, 127–128;
underground space, 134–135;
consciousness-raising groups, 190–191; girls speaking with adult women, 191–195; alter- native discourse, 192–193; positive experiences, 193–194; girls speak- ing with other girls, 195–197
Satcher, David, 3
Self-consciousness, 103–104
Self-respect, 175–176
Self stories, 209–210
Sex education, 18, 202–203
Sexual abuse, 28–30, 36, 136, 157,
220nn1,7; rape, 11, 53, 65,
75–76; disembodiment and,
51–52; silent body and, 52, 65; threat of, 52–53; confused body and, 66–71; as women’s responsibility, 75–76; entitle- ment as resistance to, 142–143; geographic context, 182–184.
See also
Victimization; Violence
Sexual development, 80–81, 166; social context, 2–3; double standard, 4–16; hormones,
13–15, 217n2, 218n5
Sexual dysfunction, 227–228n1 Sexual harassment, 9, 11
Sexual health, 3–4, 12–13, 19–22
Sexual intercourse, 9–11, 109, 181; “it just happened” stories, 1–2, 21–22, 60–64, 67, 89–90, 95, 204;
first experiences, 1–2, 21–22,
62–64, 125–126, 191; focus on,
22–23; decision to delay, 129–130, 163–164.
See also
Sexuality, adolescent
Sexuality, adolescent: negative views of, 3–4, 7, 162; statistics, 8, 27, 217n1; female, as problem, 9–10, 18–19; as personal phenomenon, 18–19, 38; girls’ responsibility for,
63–64, 75–76, 99, 104, 110–111,
115, 201; dislike of sex, 88–89, 93,
96; political nature of, 118–119, 151, 222–223n2.
See also
Desire; Sexual intercourse
Sexually transmitted diseases, 10, 90–91, 176
Sexual minority girls, 17, 46, 196;
lesbian identity, 17, 113, 145–150;
bisexuality, 108, 112–114;
geographic context, 184–185
Sexual objectification, 6–8, 60–61,
73, 82, 91–92, 159; as source of
vulnerability, 99–100
Sexual revolution of 1960s–1970s, 201, 223nn2,3
Sexual subjectivity, 5–6, 19–20, 90,
122, 142, 225n4; feelings of power,
131–132, 159–160
Silent body, 22, 47, 55–65, 177, 186;
sexual violence and, 52, 65; curiosity and, 57–60; peer relationships and, 58–59; in relationship, 60–61; “it just happened” stories and, 60–64
Social consequences of desire, 9, 44–45, 91–92, 101–102, 110;
sexually transmitted diseases, 10, 90–91, 176; alcohol, 138–140;
resistance to, 155, 157–158.
See
also
Pregnancy, adolescent; Reputation
Social construction of desire, 13–15, 24, 38, 50–51, 199.
See also
Heter- osexuality, institution of
Social context of desire, 2–3, 37–38
Social control, 8–9, 16–19, 108; as protection from male aggression, 15, 17; femininity and, 53–55; control of self, 94–100.
See also
Responsibility for sexuality
Socialization, 16–17
Sophie, 29, 45, 128–134, 163–164,
177, 178, 183, 196
Speaking about desire: with adult women, 191–195; alternative
discourses, 192–193, 201–206; with other girls, 195–197; challenging status quo, 197–201
Spillers, Hortense, 225n4 Spur Posse, 15, 79
Stereotypes: in research, 26–27; of African American girls, 166–167, 170, 224–225n4; urban girls, 166–167, 169–171, 186; historical
context, 169, 171; Perfect Girl,
170–171, 179, 186
Suburban girls, 176–180, 219–220n6; disembodiment and, 170–171, 179; Perfect Girl stereotype, 170–171, 179, 186; mixed
messages from society, 177–178; relationships and, 178–179; romance narratives and, 179–180
Szalacha, Laura, 181, 182
Telling Sexual Stories
(Plummer), 198
Thompson, Sharon, 191, 204
Token resistance, 220n8
Towards a New Psychology of Women
(Miller), 20
Transgressive identity, 161–162
Trisha, 29, 33, 135–140, 164, 174, 206
Underground, 134–135
Urban girls, 31–32, 35, 226n9;
stereotypes of, 166–167, 169–171, 186; personal dilemma of desire, 173, 176, 189–190; self-
protection, 173–176; narratives of ruination, 175, 181
“Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power” (Lorde), 41
Vagueness, 67–69
Vance, Carole, 118
Victimization, 2, 26; males as sexual
predators, 4–5, 104–105; research,
9–10; reputation and, 11–13; sexual expression viewed as, 14–16.
See also
Sexual abuse; Violence
Violence, 11, 13, 92, 146, 177, 201,
217n3, 226–227n12; dissociation and, 51–52; fears of, 52–53, 221n3; eroticization of, 133, 221n2; geographic context, 174, 177, 180; sexual minority girls
and, 184–185.
See also
Sexual abuse; Victimization
Virginity, 94–95, 154
Voice-based analysis, 39, 209
Voices, 39, 211–214; erotic voice,
41–43, 55, 187–188, 210–213;
passive, 67; relational, 210;
response voice, 210, 211, 213–214; of body, 210–211; desire voices, 210–211; coding, 211–214
Vulnerability: self–knowledge and, 21–22, 64–65, 78, 129, 135; desire
as source of, 85–88, 90–92, 95–96; sexual objectification as source of, 99–100; geographical context, 181–182.
See also
Reputation
Walker, Alice, 50
Walker, Rebecca, 198–199, 201–202
Ward, Janie, 191
Way, Niobe, 175–176
Web sites, 7, 11, 203–204
Wilson, Marie, 21
Wolf, Naomi, 8
Young, Leslie, 51–52
Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 11
Zines, 118, 187, 222n1
Zoe, 29, 45