Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas

Synopsis

From Anti-war Walkouts To Anarchist Youth Newspapers, Rallies Against Educational Privatization, And Workshops On Fair Trade, Teenage Girls Are Active Participants And Leaders In A Variety Of Social Movements. This Work Illuminates The Experiences And Perspectives Of These Uniquely Positioned Agents Of Social Change. The Author Introduces Readers To A Diverse And Vibrant Transnational Community Of Teenage Girl Activists In The San Francisco Bay Area, Mexico City, Caracas, Buenos Aires, And Vancouver. She Brings To Life The Voices Of These Inspiring Activists Who Are Engaged In Innovative And Effective Organizing For Global And Local Social Justice, Highlighting Their Important Contributions To Contemporary Social Movements And Social Theory. The Work Explores How Teenage Girls Construct Activist Identities, Rejecting And Redefining Girlhood And Claiming Political Authority For Youth In The Process. The Author Examines The Girl Activists' Social Movement Strategies And Collective Political Practices, Detailing Their Shared Commitments To Process-based Political Education, Participatory Democracy, And Hopeful Enthusiasm. Ultimately, This Work Has Implications For Social Movements And Youth Organizations, Arguing That Adult Social Movements Could Learn A Great Deal From Girl Activists And Making Clear The Importance Of Increased Collaboration Between Young People And Adults. Introduction: Growing Up And Rising Up -- We Are Not Ophelia: Empowerment And Activist Identities -- We Are Not The Future: Claiming Youth Authority -- We Are Not Girls: Escaping And Defining Girlhood -- The Street Is Our Classroom: A Politics Of Learning -- Join The Party: A Politics Of Participation -- We've Got Spirit: A Politics Of Hope -- Conclusion: Still Rising. Jessica K. Taft. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.