Adolescent Girls Embodied Identities

Schools are institutions that produce and reproduce the meanings society has given to the construction of the body. Adolescent girls try to navigate the physical changes that occur within their bodies and compare themselves to their peers and the socially constructed idealized female body. Girls lack of knowledge about their own bodies combined with power influences challenge girls ability to understand their embodied selves. These issues are magnified in physical education due to the public nature of the environment, where students bodies are on display and can be surveyed and judged by others. This book provides insight on how adolescent girls perceive and feel about their bodies and how they navigate ways to feel comfortable within their own bodies and the physical education environment. Girls voices are represented through student-centered exploratory projects that are also provided in this book. The results should inform physical educators, parents, and students on factors that influence girls embodied identities and why it is important to provide opportunities for their voices to be heard.