Growing Girls: The Natural Origins of Girls' Organizations in America

by Susan A. Miller

In the early years of the twentieth century, Americans began to recognize adolescence as a developmental phase distinct from both childhood and adulthood. This awareness, however, came fraught with anxiety about the debilitating effects of modern life on adolescents of both sexes. For boys, competitive sports as well as "primitive" outdoor activities offered by fledging organizations such as the Boy Scouts would enable them to combat the effeminacy of an overly civilized society. But for girls, the remedy wasn't quite so clear.

Surprisingly, the "girl problem"?a crisis caused by the transition from a sheltered, family-centered Victorian childhood to modern adolescence where self-control and a strong democratic spirit were required of reliable citizens?was also solved by way of traditionally masculine, adventurous, outdoor activities, as practiced by the Girl Scouts, the Camp Fire Girls, and many other similar organizations.

Susan A. Miller explores these girls' organizations that sprung up in the first half of the twentieth century from a socio-historical perspective, showing how the notions of uniform identity, civic duty, "primitive domesticity," and fitness shaped the formation of the modern girl.

Genres: Nonfiction

284 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2006

Reviews

[Sarah Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and engaging history of the gender politics involved in the scouting and camping movements, especially how adults were invested in creating organizations to shape the identity of "the American girl" and what the girls themselves did with those programs. Loved it!

[Mary Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although this book is suppose to be about both the Girl Scouts and the Camp Fire Girls, most of the discussion and examples are from the Girl Scouts. Miller tends to be disparaging of the Camp Fire Girls and shows no understanding of what it meant to be a Camp Fire Girl.

[Elsie Birnbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing Girls is an in depth look at the first thirty years of Girl Scouting, Campfire Girls, Pioneer Girls etc. and gives a full portrait of the scouting craze in the early twentieth century.