Title
I found my insides: giving voice to the adolescent experience of a gender-specific treatment program
Degree Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2003
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Human Development and Family Studies
First Advisor
Ronald Jay Werner-Wilson
Abstract
Popular family based treatment approaches have generally failed to take into account the unique contextual issues adolescent females face in their development. Gender socialization, cultural stereotypes, and the meaning given to physical changes at puberty, are a few of these sociological contexts that are uniquely different for developing adolescent girls as compared to boys. The purpose of this research was to highlight voices of female adolescents as they shared their experience of being involved in a gender-specific treatment program designed to address the unique issues they faced as developing females. A qualitative methodology was chosen which consisted of eight interviews of adolescent girls who had participated in a particular gender-specific treatment program. Results detail that social context is a large and influential part of the developmental context of these young women. The young women interviewed also reported two main types of change they experienced in the program, namely (1) applied change, which refers to skills learned, and (2) internal change, which refers to how they saw themselves and others. The young women also presented general themes of "finding myself," "liking myself," and "discovering myself"---all of which translated into better self-esteem. Results also indicated that personal desire and a supportive program environment influenced change. Challenges to change were member inappropriateness for the group and mixed messages from the program itself. Interviews also revealed that change could either occur during the program as a direct and immediate result, or change could have a "delayed-impact" where effects of program involvement were not apparent until sometime after completion of the program. Ideas are discussed for how parents, educators, and marriage and family therapists can better enhance the development of female adolescents. Discussed are ways to (1) raise awareness of female adolescent issues, (2) support young women who display non-traditional female behaviors and interests, (3) provide raining for those working with young women, (4) promote positive connections among young women, and (5) enhance program development.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-180813-9899
Publisher
Digital Repository @ Iowa State University, http://lib.dr.iastate.edu
Copyright Owner
Lue Kirsten Turner
Copyright Date
2003
Language
en
Proquest ID
AAI3105112
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
149 pages
Recommended Citation
Turner, Lue Kirsten, "I found my insides: giving voice to the adolescent experience of a gender-specific treatment program " (2003). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 1469.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/1469
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Women's Studies Commons