Primary school girls’ role models
This study explored how the notion of the ‘popular girl’ influences choice of role models for primary school girls (Read, 2011). Female celebrities are often linked to future self-identity in young girls, which may be because celebrities ‘epitomise the conceptualisation of the popular girl’ (p. 4).Research was conducted in 51 different coeducational Year 3 primary school classes in London and North-East England. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the pupils, where they were asked ‘about those they admire in popular culture and in their daily lives; their views of their class teacher; and their opinions on gender and teaching’ (p. 4).
The top six role models listed from 177 girls were (p. 5):
• Female teacher (35)
• Female singer (24)
• Female fictional TV/book character (24)
• Mum (22)
• Female friends (18)
• Male teacher (13)
Therefore the majority of girls wanted ‘to be like someone of the same gender as themselves’ (p. 5).
Read (2011) believes that girls chose these role models for three reasons – appearance, personality and accomplishments (p. 6). Many of the girls’ answers mentioned their role models’ prettiness and physical attractiveness. The majority of girls also selected role models who were the same ethnicity as themselves; ‘all seven of the girls choosing Britney, a white American singer, were themselves white, and of the seven choosing Beyoncé, an African American singer, five were African Caribbean’ (p. 5).
Personality traits also influenced choice of role model, both for known role models such as teachers, friends and mothers, and unknown models such as singers. ‘By far the most common personality traits described by the participants were niceness, kindness and friendliness’ (p. 7). However, ‘celebrities were actually mentioned by children as role models largely in relation to appearance or skills and accomplishments rather than perceived moral or ethical behaviour, for which family and friends were much more likely to be cited as model examples’ (p. 8).
The accomplishments that girls considered important in their role models were quite diverse. ‘One popular form of skill cited by girls was an admiration for a particular occupation or career undertaken by the role model; another popular form of accomplishment was the acquisition of money, possessions or social status. And finally, the single most admired skill cited by girls was the ability to sing or to dance’ (p. 9).
Read (2011, p. 10) concluded that girls’ desire to ‘own such aspects of appearance, personality or skills… attests to the continued dominance of particular socially constructed discourses surrounding ‘ideal’ femininity that arguably emphasise passivity over activity’ (p. 10). However, ‘such desired characteristics are also those considered to characterise the ‘popular’ girl at school – a position of power and influence amongst girls’ peers. Therefore such desires are complexly located within both the constraints of hegemonic femininities and the dynamics of power relations between girls themselves’ (p. 1).
Read, B. (2010). Britney, Beyoncé, and me – primary school girls’ role models and constructions of the ‘popular’ girl. Gender and Education, 23 (1), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/09540251003674089