Duke-2000-black-in-a-blonde-world-race-and-girls-interpretations-of-the-feminine-ideal-in-teen-magazines

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts, theories, methods, and findings from the lecture notes on race, gender, and teen magazines.

What is the title of Lisa Duke's qualitative study on race and teen magazines?

Black in a Blonde World: Race and Girls’ Interpretations of the Feminine Ideal in Teen Magazines.

What is the central research question of the study?

How race influences African-American and White girls' readings of teen magazines and the magazines' portrayals of the feminine ideal.

Which magazines are identified as the three major teen titles examined in the study?

Seventeen, Teen, and YM (Sassy is noted as no longer published).

What theoretical framework does the study primarily employ to analyze reader interpretations?

Uses and gratifications approach, complemented by audience reception theory (dominant hegemonic, negotiated, oppositional) and the concept of polysemy.

What research method did Duke use to collect data?

Qualitative, in-depth interviews with middle-class White and African-American girls, using auto-driving prompts and a focus group for cross-race validation.

What is the 'School Zone' feature in Seventeen magazine according to the study?

A feature highlighting real girls with diverse backgrounds, considered more authentic and engaging than typical model imagery.

How do African-American girls generally view the magazines' beauty images?

They are largely uninterested; images conflict with African-American beauty standards; they note a lack of Black models and focus more on other content.

How do White girls generally regard the magazines' image content?

They typically invest authority in the magazines’ beauty images and view them as reflecting a White beauty standard, with less awareness of racial bias.

What is described as the 'Great Divide' in the article?

Contrasting views on cosmetics: White girls embrace makeup for social acceptance, while Black girls see makeup as largely unnecessary or inappropriate for their context.

What body image differences were observed between Black and White girls?

White girls emphasize slim body shapes; Black girls emphasize character and attitude and are more likely to accept a range of body sizes; Black girls often view models as too thin and unhealthy.

What factors did African-American girls report as influential in shaping their beauty standards?

Mothers and grandmothers across generations, family and community norms, and cross-generational negotiations.

What did the study say about the prevalence and representation of Black models in teen magazines?

Black girls reported few Black models; when present, models often did not represent typical Black women; representation was limited.

What are the 'dominant hegemonic', 'negotiated', and 'oppositional' readings described by Hall?

Dominant hegemonic: reader accepts the producer's intended meaning; Negotiated: reader understands but does not fully accept; Oppositional: reader redefines meaning against the grain.

What does 'active audience' mean in the uses-and-gratifications framework?

Audiences actively choose and interpret media to satisfy personal needs, rather than passively receiving messages.

What is the impact of including more minority models and real girls in magazines, according to the study?

It could narrow the interpretive gap between White and African-American girls and broaden standards of beauty, though it may also influence how readers compare themselves.

What content did older African-American girls prefer in magazines?

Issue-oriented stories and features about real girls’ experiences, including real-life school and life issues, offering self-knowledge and future control.

How did makeup attitudes differ between African-American and White girls?

White girls often viewed makeup as a normal part of appearance and a tool to blend in; Black girls largely viewed makeup as unnecessary or inappropriate for their context.

What role did race and class play in interpreting teen magazine content, as argued in the study?

Race and class moderate interpretations; readers bring subcultural experiences (interpretive communities) that shape how messages are decoded.

What is the significance of the 'polysemic' nature of texts in this study?

Texts have multiple meanings; readers’ cultural backgrounds and experiences determine which meanings they derive.

What methodological safeguards were used to ensure validity across race in interviews?

Member checks with participants, focus groups led by a same-race moderator, and researcher reflexivity about social position.

What is the role of the US Census projection mentioned in the study?

By 2010, 39% of the teen population would be non-White, highlighting the importance of inclusive representation in teen magazines.

What overarching conclusion does the study reach about how teen magazines function for different groups of girls?

Magazines act as one-way mirrors reflecting White beauty culture; Black girls read for broader content and resist conforming to a White-ideal standard, especially as they age and engage with their cultural context.