Date of Award
8-10-2021
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
African-American Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Lia T. Bascomb
Second Advisor
Dr. Chamara Kwakye
Third Advisor
Dr. Sarita Davis
Abstract
Black girls inhabit bodies marked as hypersexual, ungendered, and undisciplined and have a particular orientation to the compounded everyday violence of hegemonic patriarchy, anti-Black racism, and capitalism. This study analyzes the possibilities for Black girlhood to transgress power structures through the performance of sexuality to curate, define, and name their girlhood for themselves. Research questions include: How is sexuality used by Black girls to create and transgress power? What aspects of sexual surveillance impact the embodiment of sexuality? Using Black feminist theory, this thesis recognizes Black girlhood as an ever-evolving experience and spatiotemporal realm existing in the lived memory of self-identified Black girls beyond childhood. My sample size includes eight self-identifying Black girls ages 18-40, recruited via purposive sampling in the Southern United States. The methodology integrates participatory technology of photovoice in a focus-group activity and in-depth semi-structured interviews to capture the full complexities of Black girlhood.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/23936272
Recommended Citation
Winfrey, Aliyah, "The Sexual Surveillance of Black Girlhood: How do Blackgirls Inhabit Their Bodies?." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2021.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/23936272
File Upload Confirmation
1