Perception of girlhood (1st reading response)

I have always thought of girlhood as the means of how society raises a girl before she reaches menarche, and what values and lessons they would like to impart to push the girl into whatever role society deems acceptable for the individual that will be responsible for birthing the next generation--I don't necessarily agree with this view but that's the only concept I've known as to define girlhood:  full of lessons (intellectual and household), nuturuing and fostering friendships. This only changes with how each society views the role of women--up until the past few decades, women in the U.S. were basically considered only to be pretty vessels for children, and thus society dictated that they be aesthetically pleasing at all times and that the best practice for them would be to stay at home and tend to the husband.  

But back to puberty and coming of age, how many different rituals of coming into womanhood are there in the world? (Hundreds, I am sure) quinceneras, sweet 16s, bat mitzvahs, etc., all mark a time when a girl is 'successfully' a woman and basically what I've taken these ceremonies to mean is that yay, party time is over, let's get serious and start having babies (or at least get into the pathway of that). I think that while a lot of us still have the stereotypical image of girlhood in our minds (maybe mixed more with intellect and adventurous activities) that this image is importantly engrained in our heads as a society because without us, the next generation wouldnt' come. It's interesting also to note that maybe it may be an older view, it doesn't necessarily have to be an insulting one (I for one am career orientated, and not encouraging all girls to sit around idle and not educate themselves) but everytime a country goes into war, the rhetoric for the country is feminine driven, "motherland," equating females wtih prosperity and the whole basis of life and what's worth living for (which I think is a pretty big compliement and deal.) 

I think it is important for the academy to study this to see how rhetoric drives young girls into certain modes of thinking--what certain connotations of words are, and how they change throughout the years, in turn, shaping girlhood-- "bitch" "whore" "prude" and "slut" being some of them--harsh and extreme examples, but what I hear often in conversations about girls talking about eachother in envy, or guys when referring to girls that don't want the time of day with them. 

I really enjoyed these first articles--especially the "Pink Think" article. The ancedote about the pink versus blue blankets really struck home. My grandmother made blankets for all of her grandchildren to have to be brought home in. Four of her grandchildren were born before me--all boys--and they were given red, green, blue and purple blankets. When she heard I was going to be a girl, she made a pink blanket because "it was necessary." I haven't seen her logic in this--for my sister (born a year and a half later) and my girl cousin, (born five years later) both received gender neutral blankets (blue and yellow) AND that was with the knowledge months in advance that both were going to be girls--I'm sure there's some psychological methodology behind it--but haven't quite figured out what....

-Christine