icon backReturn to Entries

Girlhood and Motherhood

Girlhood has historically been considered a transition period between childhood and womanhood (as the period preceding motherhood), ending around the time a young woman started menstruating and became able to bear children and get married. Motherhood and girlhood are related in three significant ways: first, in the relations of mothers and daughters; second, in modes of girlish behavior that imitates motherhood and serves as a preparation for it; and third, they intersect in the category of teenage mothers.

Emergence of Girlhood

Girlhood as a distinct category and set of particular experiences did not emerge until the mid-19th century among the middle and upper classes of the Western world. Up until that point, children were almost exclusively considered miniature adults, and until the age of 6 or so, ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles