Sociocultural theory of body dissatisfaction posits that internalization of the media ideal and appearance comparison are predictors of body dissatisfaction, a key risk factor for eating disorders. However, no data exist regarding the longitudinal relationships between these variables. The aim of this study was to explore longitudinal…

This paper adds to current discourses around employability by arguing for an explicit recognition of gender, in particular in relation to women's employment in male-dominated sectors such as science, engineering and technology. This is not limited to young first-time graduates but continues and evolves throughout the life course. Mature women…

This paper considers girls' participation in running and other outdoor physical activities in their local areas in London, UK. The paper is concerned with the operation of risk discourses in and around this participation and looks at the way that such discourses impacted on girls' opportunities to take part in physical activities that required…

This paper investigates the characteristics of 15-year-old girls who express an intention to study physics post-16. This paper unpacks issues around within-girl group differences and similarities between boys and girls in survey responses about physics. The analysis is based on the year 10 (age 15 years) responses of 5,034 students from 137 UK…

This study explores how academically talented Black girls read, write and narrate their lived experiences while attending a predominantly white, selective admissions urban high school. Black girls in these types of settings often experience feelings of isolation and silencing, unjust treatment, and underrepresentation in the curriculum (Carter,…

The current study tested sex-specific pathways to early puberty, sexual debut, and sexual risk taking, as specified by an integrated evolutionary-developmental model of adolescent sexual development and behavior. In a prospective study of 238 adolescents (n = 129 girls and n = 109 boys) followed from approximately 12-18 years of age, we tested for…

Increases in substance use prevalence among girls, as well as a lack of research conducted with urban girls of color, highlight the importance of understanding both predictors and outcomes of substance use abstinence (SUA) within this population. This study addresses gaps in SUA research through a longitudinal investigation conducted with urban…

Data from a longitudinal study of women and their children indicate that: (1) concepts of women's roles have become more egalitarian; (2) youth, labor force experience, and educational attainment positively influence egalitarian attitudes; (3) church attendance and identification with fundamentalist religions predict traditional outlooks; and (4)…

Presents data from "Years for Decision 4," the latest in a series reporting results of the National Longitudinal Survey on young women and the work force, including information about education, employment, family status, attitudes, and career plans. Tells how to obtain various reports. (MF)

Using qualitative methods (longitudinal observations and intensive interviews with teachers), this study examined in elementary classrooms the socialization over time of one race-gender group: white girls. Analysis focused on four domains of classroom social life that contribute to race-gender differentiated socialization: teachers' perceptions…

To determine what effect marriage deferment might have on the ability of both sexes to achieve higher educational levels and, therefore, possibly higher occupational status, the study examined socioeconomic status, attitudes toward future educational and occupational attainments, actual educational and occupational attainments, and desired…

A study of 1,500 college students was conducted to determine the effect of sex role attitude and cognitive style on the career decision-making of college men and women. An overlapping longitudinal design (which allowed the study of undergraduates at one-year intervals), selected personal interviews, and five measures of sex-role attitude,…

A study is reported which focused on career formation including ways in which perceptions and expectations are modified by changing economic and social conditions. Chapter 2 overviews the twenty-three tables in this report which highlight results of analysis of data from two Institute for Demographic and Economic Studies, Inc. surveys and the…