From the DSM to Ophelia: Teenage Girls and the Psychological Complex

Abstract

This project takes a critical look at the psychological construction of teenage girls in popular culture. It investigates how understandings of psychological crisis in teenage girls become popularized, and considers the political implications of these popularizations, arguing that current conceptualizations are not only inaccurate, they also tend to reinforce conservative social arrangements. A key concern, then, is that the common sense of female psychological distress is articulated to conservative solutions. In order to explore this concern, this project focuses on three different yet interrelated sites of cultural activity: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual's political reverberations; the construction of teenage girls as modern-day Ophelias; and the notion of "girl power" as a recuperative moment for teenage girls. A variety of cultural texts including popular media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, television), and industry and government reports are examined.