At present, adolescent girls in Hong Kong face increasing pressure from society as most adults believe these girls are rebellious, promiscuous, apathetic, and dependent. In order to examine these claims, this study explores the following: 1) ‘Post-90s’ girls’ perceptions about themselves and the labels ‘Post-80s’ and ‘Post-90s’; 2) how they participate in social movements to redefine their identities as daughters, students, young women, and Hong Kong citizens; 3) their family relationship and their strategies to manage family expectations; and 4) their experiences in the social movements they join, and the effects of their participation on their social and personal lives. I adopt the post-structuralist feminist perspective to explore six girl activists’ agency, life choices, and strategies in managing their relationships within their families, schools, and communities. I follow the interpretivist constructivist approach in examining the process by which these girls give meanings to their practices and personal relationships. I employ methods such as focus group, participant observation, and in-depth interviews to explore their desires, need for social recognition, and life constraints. The results reveal that girl activists want autonomy from their parents. They need their teachers and schoolmates to appreciate their non-academic achievements. They crave society’s acknowledgment of their non-economic contributions in mobilising social change and the cultural values of local cultural heritages and natural landscapes. In the social movements, they want to make new friends who share their visions about social development. They also wish to learn new skills and knowledge from the movements and be able to use them in their daily lives. There are four main interpersonal strategies that the girls employ to manage their personal relationships: 1) they negotiate, 2) deploy alternative identities, 3) make media exposure, and 4) become pioneers to educate their parents, teachers, and schoolmates. They also employ other strategies to mobilise social movements (including the use of cosplay, arts, and alternative media exposure) and draw people’s attention to the causes that concern them. Thus, I argue that the post-90s girl activists distinguish themselves from the ‘Kong Nui’. They believe that Kong Nuis are indifferent to social issues, are uninterested in politics and activism, and would rather focus on consuming branded products. To distinguish themselves from the Kong Nuis, the post-90s girl activists adopt alternative lifestyles (e.g., becoming farmers) and unconventional attitudes towards social development. They are aware that mainstream people regard them as awkward, and they do feel frustrated about being belittled. Nevertheless, they are happy if they can enlighten other people about socio-political injustices in Hong Kong and finding alternative lifestyles. This research has three major contributions. It identifies various ways for young women to make themselves young women icons. It also discusses the new social problems that concern the girl activists, including government-business collusion and ‘property hegemony’. It also demonstrates that, apart from sexual, affective and material desires, teenage girls also need social recognition. Girl activists struggle to be recognised as full members in their families, schools, communities and Hong Kong society by actively participating in social movements. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

In this thesis, I explore and critique the content of the fashion teen magazine CosmoGirl. Through a bricolage of methods, I examine the magazine's representation of teen femininity and compare it to the editor's "pro-feminist" initial goal and intended social role for the publication. / Drawing upon previous studies, and linking my findings to established theories, I analyze the possible relationship between the publication's content and the influence this media genre has on the social development of young women. / My research findings show that CosmoGirl's portrayal of femininity is stereotypical, patriarchal and unrealistic and that such representation perpetuates negative and destructive feelings in young women. / In my discussion, I explore possible reasons for the lack of representation of the editor's goal for the magazine within the magazine's overall discourse. I also discuss the importance of media literacy in education as a means to alter today's media, so its representation of women becomes truthful.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The purpose of the study was to better understand nutrition knowledge, disordered eating and body dissatisfaction among middle school females, in hopes of disseminating this information to parents, teachers, and others with an interest in the well-being of young women. The design of the study determined prevalence of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, and the level of nutrition knowledge among middle school females. 134 subjects completed a 66-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics along with an independent t-test, chi square, and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Prevalence of disordered eating among 7th graders was 18.8%, and 15% for 8" graders. High levels of body dissatisfaction were observed in 35% of 7"' graders and 26% of 8t' graders. A significant relationship was found between nutrition knowledge and disordered eating (r=-.309). There was no statistically significant difference between 70' and 8th graders for either disordered eating or body dissatisfaction. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a career workshop on the career self-efficacy of a group of African American adolescent females (AAAF). The study assessed the preand post-test differences of treatment and level of parental education for change in career self-efficacy after an intervention. A total of 21 AAAF completed the pre- and post-test of the Career Attitude Survey. The data was analyzed by carrying out four t-tests on each of the two independent groups. The results of the study suggest that the career workshop was more effective for change in career self-efficacy for traditionally female careers. The change was more significant for the treatment group and AAAF with at least one parent with some college education. Implications for research and practice were presented. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Lancaster Bible College, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-77).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, Dept. of Public Health, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-225).

Thesis (M. A.)--University of Canterbury, 2008. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 142-153). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.