Dress Styles and Adolescent Girls
...income black adolescent girls tend to have problems with obesity, while low-income Latina adolescents tend to score low on self-esteem and self-concept assessments and to have high levels of depression (Kaplan & Cole, 2003). This study is based on a comparison of four ethnic groups observed in a natural setting at local malls throughout the Phoenix valley. The objectives of this study are twofold: to gain insight into how much the media influences dress styles of adolescent girls in four different ethnic categories, and thus influence the development of their sexuality and social identity. The second objective is to look the different locations around the valley and how the location influences dress styles. It is hypothesized that Hispanic girls in lower income areas would dress in a more provocative manner, and Caucasian girls in middle class areas would dress in a more rebellious manner. Method Participants Approximately 50 adolescent girls of Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, and Asian American descent between the ages of 11-15 at each location were observed (n=200). Materials A checklist was created as standard criteria for each dress style (see Appendix). Procedure Three different locations were used for observation: Arizona Mills Mall, Scottsdale Fashion Square, and Chandler Fashion Center. The researcher was located in the center of the food court to make and record the observations. Each location was visited one time for two hours. All locations were visited on Friday night between 5-7 p.m. By using the checklist, the observed girls were analyzed and compared to the type on the list that they most closely fit into. Results The observations supported my hypothesis; Hispanic girls did dress more provocatively at Arizona Mills Mall when compared to Hispanic girls in the different areas where observations were made. When looking at the Caucasian girls, they were consistent in their radical dress styles at Arizona Mills Mall and Chandler Fashion Center, but did not differ that much from the other groups at Scottsdale Fashion Square. All results are presented in Tables 1-3, and Figures 1-3. Discussion Group dynamics are one of the most fascinating areas in social psychology. The impact they can have on an individual is astounding. The impact they can have on adolescents can sometimes be frightening. Adolescents have been described as major players in the multiple “epidemics” that beset the country: pregnancy, STD’s, drug abuse, and suicide are some of the more serious examples (Hill & Fortenberry, 1992). Ethnic groups have been studied more closely in the last few decades and more research should be done in this area to understand the impact acculturation can have on the different ethnic groups. In this study, Hispanic girls appear to be the most influenced by provocative dress styles of many famous women in the media, but despite their provocative dress style, research has shown that they seemed to have higher levels of awareness of the dangers of their sexuality when compared to Caucasian girls. Caucasian girls were observed as the most diverse in their dress style. They seem to be the most influenced by their group style, and appeared to have the lowest level of individuality. Asian American girls seem to be the most conservative. This is consistent with previous research that has looked at Asian societies as a whole, and the pressures women face when developing and maintaining a low profile. African American girls were the most surprising group. They were originally thought to be the most consistent with Hispanic dress styles; but in these observations, they were only slightly similar to Hispanic’s at one location, and were more consistent with the other three groups at the other two locations. Adolescents need to form social identities based on groups that are a collection of individuals who perceive themselves to be members of the same social category and share some emotional involvement (Niemann, et al., 1999). Adolescents seeking to understand their ethnic heritage have a dual task of not only understanding where they stand in American society as an individual, but also as a member of their ethnic group. Adolescent girls have an even more difficult task as they desperately seek answers from all sources available: media, peers, and role models. If society is becoming concerned with girls’ development, it must continue to raise questions about the ways in which girls learn about their sexuality. Media has a stronger influence than some may think, and it is crucial to understand how it influences girls’ dress style, sexual choices, group identity, and countless other developing areas in young girls’ lives. There were many limitations in this study, in cases of group comparisons, all possible efforts should be made to match the groups being compared, to minimize confounding with the many demographic variables that covary with ethnicity. However, because of the many ways in which ethnic groups differ, groups can never be exactly matched. Thus, ethnicity cannot be treated like an indepen...