Commonplaces are a code comprised of signs, symbols, or words that link a discourse community together. They occupy a continual place in time with a history of past, present, and future. The audience may reach across socio-economic and other boundaries. Commonplaces allow an individual to know who they are interacting with; however, problems can occur when the commonplaces are misinterpreted or not understood due to cultural or other issues. Commonplaces are necessary because they are a framework for a dialog. For example, if we think of Kenneth Burke's metaphor of discussion being likened to a parlor and imagine individuals wandering in and out of the parlor participating in an ongoing discussion--the commonplaces an individual sees, hears, or senses, allows him/her to know they are in the correct room engaging in the correct conversation.
I think the issue of commonplaces in girlhood is complicated because there is variance between different subcultures of girlhood: girly-girls, tomboys, bookworms (my oldest daughter used to call herself a gerd for girl nerd), mean girls. The same item may have different interpretations. I think I mentioned this before, but in Girls Like Us, Karen Mitchell writes "Black Patent Leather Shoes." Black patent leather shoes may be a figure of girlhood; however, what do they mean to each girl? Mitchell says her shoes "Reflected me" (line. 22). Were black leather shoes constraining to some girls? I considered mine dancing shoes although Mitchell says she never danced in hers. So attention has to be paid to the interpretation of commonplaces.
Now that the above is out of my system, I think boys are a commonplace for girlhood. Perhaps, it's the unspoken one. I think nail polish ia another commonplace maybe it's black or maybe its pink, but it is used to express belongingness to a community. Notice the different colors may indicate different subcultures of girlhood. Facebook to me is the antithesis of a commonplace book. Instead of a "public self [being] rehearsed in this intensely private arena" Facebook is meant to be a public exhibition; the elements of private and internal reflection are missing (Lockridge 338).
For girlhood, my daughters say cupcakes, dressing up and 'happily ever after.' Is happily ever after even in the male lexicon? Additionally this course has reminded me about commonplaces in my girlhood, unicorns, Anne of Green Gables, and others.
Here's a link to more information about Milcah Martha Moore's commonplace book:
http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2008/10/milcah-martha-moore.html
The blog also contains information about Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson and Susanna Wright.
I suppose the reason I feel such a connection to these women is because of commonplaces.
First, I think I need to meet your gerd daughter - sound like my kinda gal!
ReplyDeleteAnd I really like thinking of boys as a commonplace for girlhood. It's so true and is a great example of ways commonplaces regulate and exclude. I don't think sexuality is important at all stages of girlhood but it's there at some point so what does the "boy" commonplace mean to a queer girl or teen? What does it tell her about herself?
I am also interested in the commonplace of transgressive, out-of-the-box girl. It seems like that's a mainstream thing to be now - a girl who doesn't go along with the mainstream. I'm not sure what to do with that.
I like the idea of "boy" as a commonplace for girl, and I'm also curious what kind of index "boy" makes for a queer teen. At what point does "boy" as a commonplace begin to exclude, and also to what extent does hetero-normative conformity include "boy," as cultural reference point, in the lives of queer adolescents?
ReplyDeleteYour discussion calls the male-female gender binary into question. How does the masculine-female dichotomy affect queer teens? How do they identify with "girl" and "boy" commonplaces? How do they avow and disavow with heteronormative subjectivities? I think Jen's statement about "the commonplace as transgressive" is interesting here. How avowal with queer or “out-of-the-box girl” (and boy) abjectivities has taken on a popular “subject” position through an increased attention in mediated mainstream cultural representations. I think the question to ask is—how are commonplace subjectivities of "girlhood" and "boyhood" mediated with abject positions of queer identity in mainstream media culture to produce representations of what now seem to be sensational, mainstream queer subjectivities?
ReplyDeleteI think that your description of nail polish color as a commonplace was spot on. I think that we could add over all appearence as a commoplace as well. Girlhood should never be defined as pink and frilly, I have a friend with 2 daughters and they are polar opposites. My friend is constantly trying to get her tomoyish daughter to wear a dress and curl her hair because that is how she was culturally socialized. Sometimes we have to be ok with our daughters wearing t-shirts and jeans and black nail polish.
ReplyDeleteI am really interested in what you said about 'happily ever after' not being 'in the male lexicon.' I think this is a really great point as to the common understandings and spaces girl inhabit versus those of boys. THere is no equivalent (that I know of) for 'ball of chain' in female speak, something I think speaks to how girls and boys are differently socialized. Again, great point!
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