WOMEN'S STUDIES VERSUS BEAUTY CULTURE PROGRAMS AS THERAPEUTIC EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS WHO HAVE EMOTIONAL AND ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS

DEBORAH ANNE STILES, Boston College

Abstract

This investigation explored the effects of two types of psychoeducational interventions on the ego identity development, sex-role identity, and attitudes toward women of maladjusted and emotionally troubled adolescent girls. A comparison was made between the effects of a traditional beauty culture course and a developmental, non-traditional, women's studies course. The subjects of this quasi-experimental study were 64 adolescent girls who were attending six special and alternative schools. In all, there were four groups of girls assigned to women's studies (N=24), three groups of girls assigned to beauty culture (N=20), and three groups of girls who did not receive any special intervention, but were tested for comparison purposes (N=20). Each of the girls was given three tests: an adapted version of the Ego Identity Scale (EIS) (Rasmussen, 1964), the short version of the Spence-Helmreich Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) (1973), and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) (1974). The girls were also asked to draw a picture of "a woman doing something". Both interventions were conducted by Saint Louis County Department of Human Resources women with the assistance of many women guests. Classes were held two hours a week for six weeks. Girls in the beauty culture classes learned about make-up, hair styles, skin care, figure control, fashion, and poise. Girls in the women's studies classes learned about themselves and other women; they discussed problematic situations which are of concern to teenage girls and they interviewed women of various ages and women in non-traditional jobs. Other topics included women in the arts, sex-role stereotyping, and affirmative action. After six weeks all of the girls were retested on the same three measures and drawing of a women. On the basis of the statistical analysis of the data, the following results were obtained: (1) The maladjusted girls in this study scored lower in ego identity development than "normal", well-adjusted teenagers and scored more psychologically masculine than "normal" young women. (2) Using t tests for independent samples, it was found that the mean posttest score of the women's studies participants was significantly different from, and higher than, the mean posttest score of the beauty culture participants on the EIS (p < .012). (3) When t tests for correlated data were used, it was found that the mean posttest scores of the women's studies participants were significantly different from, and higher than, their mean pretest scores on the EIS (p < .047), and AWS (p < .001). (4) Contrary to expectation, the mean posttest scores of the beauty culture participants were significantly different from, and higher than, their mean pretest scores on both the masculinity scale and instrumental/agenic scale taken from the BSRI. It had been expected that the beauty culture group would make gains in femininity, not masculinity. (5) Examination of the posttest drawings showed that approximately two-thirds of the women's studies participants, but only one-third of the beauty culture participants, portrayed women doing activities appropriate for adults not children. Because of the quasi-experimental design and the many limitations of this study, the results should be interpreted with caution. The results suggest that a developmental, feminist, women's studies intervention can provide more therapeutic benefits for maladjusted girls than a traditional beauty culture intervention. The results suggest that participation in women's studies classes can lead to ego identity development, more liberal attitudes toward women, and imagery of women as being mature, adult persons.

Recommended Citation

DEBORAH ANNE STILES, "WOMEN'S STUDIES VERSUS BEAUTY CULTURE PROGRAMS AS THERAPEUTIC EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS WHO HAVE EMOTIONAL AND ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS" (January 1, 1980). Boston College Dissertations and Theses. Paper AAI8017840.
http://escholarship.bc.edu/dissertations/AAI8017840