School Girls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap (1994), by Peggy Orenstein draws felicitous attention to the critical issue of American culture’s deleterious effects upon its young women. Specifically, Orenstein focuses on the American educational systems’ approach to girls and subsequent self-esteem. In addition she covers parental influences and examines coping styles, or adaptive propensities, of various cultural subgroups. The author devoted a significant amount of time and effort to the compilation of School Girls.

Orenstein uses two school system populations to draw her observations; Weston being the rural representative and Audubon illustrating the urban. This unique approach makes the subject matter most germane to a number of educational sub populations. All educators from the grade school level through the high school level and beyond would benefit from the examples richly detailed in School Girls. The final section entitled Through The Looking Glass being most important for educators. While the earlier sections of the work describes actual events and lives at the different schools, depicting a predominantly negative theme, the final chapter adds a more applied component to the work. It gives a positive example of a teaching curriculum and style that can be implemented in other school systems, whether embraced by the entire system or attempted by a single teacher.

The way the final chapter (Through The Looking Glass) offers a means for effecting change is worth discussion. The focus is on an inclusive educational program in a class format. As defined by the instructors that engineered the inception of this course, Ms Logan and McIntosh, the emphasis is on turning the conventional student-teacher relationship on its head. Students have the opportunity to become experts through self-directed work and individual curriculum as well as competitive, but fair interaction. The program offers some interesting and seemingly effective methods for attitudinal change in boys and girls. Grounded in feminist philosophy the competition discussed means a competitive spirit as opposed to a win/loose grudge match between the sexes. As detailed by School Girls this program seems to have very positive effects on attitude and behavior. There are some programmatic ideas and styles that can be gleaned from the last chapter of School Girls.

School Girls is also well suited for both male and female students between late grade school age to early college level. The ideal impact may be for those in middle school and early high school. Those in late grade school may find some of the vocabulary challenging but will discover a great deal of the content personally pertinent and informative in terms of their middle school years to come. One other caution for young people is that the language is often explicit. Parents of children, particularly girls, may find this book useful in terms of building awareness of what their daughters will face and for providing an improved language in dealing with their child’s experiences.

Additionally, Orenstein’s work is a good read for someone interested in sociological influences on self-esteem and body-image. Specifically, the influence of parents and educators in the lives of girls and even boys. It is especially apt for those searching out the issues for the first time because it uses detailed case examples of individuals, allowing personal identification, and outlines the greater educational systems and attitude at Weston and Audubon public schools quite well.

A strength of the book is in the author’s longitudinal type of involvement with each school system. Her power of observation and journalistic prowess are evident. Her descriptions are full and vivid. One of the most powerful aspects of this book is its attention to multicultural factors. Orenstein takes great pains to cover Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic girls and the various ways American culture influences their self-perception and behavior. This is an aspect of School Girls that keeps it fresh and adds a depth to the book that will reach out to a broader audience. It adds a comparative feature that has the semblance of a scientific type of comparison case study.

While Orenstein pro-offers wonderfully detailed descriptions of each school system, the students and teachers within, and highlights the unique educational program at books end, the scenarios are subjective and anecdotal in nature. There is very little empirical citation. Many of the sources cited are journalistic in nature and there is a strong reliance on Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America. Some examples become repetitive and her message is clear long before the final chapter. Individuals familiar with this topic in the popular literature may find some unique insights throughout the book. This is mainly a result of Orenstein’s approach of examining school systems as a source for the oppression of young girls in America, but the reader may still crave some more solid information after reading School Girls. This may be a positive motivation for those unsure of their level of interest in the subject but is not a good source for those that desire more. For those familiar with the social science literature there will be little to be found here in the way of new information. There is no attempt at scientific inquiry. One should read School Girls with this in mind and not interpret the anecdotal angle of the work as an authoritative scientific work. School Girls is a lengthy news article of sorts, albeit insightful and powerful. It is important to keep in mind that Orenstein is foremost a journalist.

In conclusion, School Girls is a striking work that details a number of sensitive issues concerning young women in our society and the detrimental nature of modern attitude concerning gender differences. At times School Girls is extremely provocative in its depiction of the travesty that individuals in all stations of life, educated and uneducated, unwittingly expose our young women to at a very formative time of their lives. It is a book that reads like a novel at times but speaks to each new reader with the insight of the wise grandparent who has some very important things to say. For those teachers and young people, but particularly parents, who are interested in exploring the issue of young women, self-esteem and the confidence gap this book is a powerful start.