Join us for a WGSS brown bag discussion on "Girl Boss Feminism and Mundane Misogyny: Girls Experiences of Gender, Sexuality, and Sexism in High School" with CJ Pascoe.

Teen mental health is plummeting, a drop that is especially dramatic for teenage girls, who are reporting record high rates of sexual harassment and depression. Educators, parents, and policy makers have largely blamed this crisis on the increasing use of social media. However, the reality of the mental health crisis for teenage girls is more complicated than spending too much time on Instagram or TikTok. These mental health concerns are the result of systemic gendered inequalities, inequalities that are reinforced and amplified online, in peer groups and in the schooling process. This talk will detail the way that girls experience sexist interactions in school and the way in which schools prepare girls to respond to this "mundane misogyny" with a "girl boss feminism," a feminism that is not about challenging systemic inequalities, but is about being individually empowered to navigate sexist interactions. It will also suggest ways that schools can challenge mundane misogyny through shifting school rituals, punishment practices and sex education.