Purity Balls, Abstience, and Patriarchy: Controlling Girls' Bodies and Minds
Location
CSU 204
Start Date
6-4-2010 10:00 AM
End Date
6-4-2010 12:00 PM
Student's Major
Gender and Women's Studies
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Emily Boyd
Mentor's Department
Sociology and Corrections
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
The first purity ball was held in 1998, just two years after abstinence-only education was implemented into public schools after receiving almost half a billion dollars in funding nationwide. Abstinence-only education has taught many young girls across the country that there is no such thing as safe sex and that they must control themselves and avoid sex at all cost. Purity balls are an attempt to make girls feel special and loved by their fathers, but the language and messages used during these events produce more of a controlling and limited relationship rather than a loving, open, and honest one. Using content analysis, I examined the current information already compiled on abstinence-only education and purity balls and their effects on young girls. I have analyzed these sites with a feminist lens that attends to the connections between these movements and the oppressive force of patriarchy on the lives of young girls in the United States. The popular, commercialized abstinence movement teaches girls that their worth is dependent on their purity, which is controlled by men – be it their fathers, husbands, or a random guy on the street. Consequently, girls are not taught how to protect themselves and love their bodies, but are set-up for failure in a game they can never win.
Purity Balls, Abstience, and Patriarchy: Controlling Girls' Bodies and Minds
CSU 204
The first purity ball was held in 1998, just two years after abstinence-only education was implemented into public schools after receiving almost half a billion dollars in funding nationwide. Abstinence-only education has taught many young girls across the country that there is no such thing as safe sex and that they must control themselves and avoid sex at all cost. Purity balls are an attempt to make girls feel special and loved by their fathers, but the language and messages used during these events produce more of a controlling and limited relationship rather than a loving, open, and honest one. Using content analysis, I examined the current information already compiled on abstinence-only education and purity balls and their effects on young girls. I have analyzed these sites with a feminist lens that attends to the connections between these movements and the oppressive force of patriarchy on the lives of young girls in the United States. The popular, commercialized abstinence movement teaches girls that their worth is dependent on their purity, which is controlled by men – be it their fathers, husbands, or a random guy on the street. Consequently, girls are not taught how to protect themselves and love their bodies, but are set-up for failure in a game they can never win.
Recommended Citation
Bourdeau, Nicole. "Purity Balls, Abstience, and Patriarchy: Controlling Girls' Bodies and Minds." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 6, 2010.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2010/oral-session-11/2
