Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World

by Dan Kindlon

The bestselling coauthor of Raising Cain , hailed for its insights into the psyche of boys, breaks new ground with this startling picture of today's American girl—independent, self-confident, highly motivated . . . and fundamentally different from previous generations

There's a new type of teenage girl growing up in America today, and she is having a profound and beneficial influence on society. That's the conclusion of Dr. Dan Kindlon, the widely respected child and adolescent psychologist and the coauthor of the bestseller Raising Cain . Dr. Kindlon supports his startling discoveries about the new "alpha girl" with groundbreaking research, including profiles, case studies, questionnaires and more. In Alpha Girls , Dr.

• presents innovative, newsworthy material about teenage girls that directly contradicts the thesis of Reviving Ophelia

• looks at the many ways in which the accomplishments of the alpha girl's mother have helped to liberate her daughter

• examines the dramatically different relationship between father and daughter today—and how it can transform a girl's psychological makeup, identity, and sense of self

Part of the first generation that is reaping the full benefits of the women's movement, today's American girl is maturing with a new sense of possibility and psychological emancipation. Dr. Kindlon provides us with an in-depth portrait of the alpha girl—a born leader who is ready to explode into adulthood and make her mark on the world and, by her example, serve as an inspiration for women everywhere.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Gender, Womens Studies, Gender Studies

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2006

About the author

Dan Kindlon, Ph.D., a member of the Harvard University faculty for over fifteen years, teaches child psychology and conducts research in child development. A leading clinical and research psychologist specializing in behavioral problems in children and adolescents, Dr. Kindlon has focused on the diagnosis and treatment of emotional issues, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders in over 20 years of clinical practice. He is the author of many articles in scientific journals and several books, including Alpha Girls, Raising Cain, Too Much of a Good Thing, and Tough Times, Strong Children. Dr. Kindlon lectures widely to groups of parents, educators, and mental health professionals, and has made many national media appearances, including on The Today Show, 20/20, CNN, and National Public Radio. He lives outside Boston with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Anne Rioux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give it 2 and a half. The book buys into the so-called post-feminist hype of the 2000's, when so many young women assumed the world was now their oyster and "choice" in every aspect of their lives was now possible. Over the past five or more years, we've grown increasingly aware of how much feminism still has to accomplish in order to create the world these girls thought they were living in. I kept wondering, what will these girls think once they get out into the business world or academia. Will they still find it so easy to "have it all"?

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was referenced by one of the other books I read recently, “Manning Up,” and it certainly reads well as a companion to that newer work. Published in 2006, this book’s research was done in part to refute some of the earlier literature about young women — works like “Reviving Ophelia” and “Queen Bees and Wannabes” which suggested that girls were emotionally vulnerable, felt threatened or intimidated by boys, and struggled with self-image and body issues throughout adolescence. Kindlon argues that these images of young women are outdated and passe, that today’s young women are assertive, bold, and go-getters. He looks at the role of parents in the development of their daughters’ ideas of gender roles, examines the academic and school environments for young women, and the impact that these alpha girls are having on the role of young men.

Kindlon’s primary research was conducted through interviews with 113 girls, as well as a questionnaire administered to over nine hundred adolescent boys and girls throughout North America, an admittedly small survey sample, and one which was skewed towards private schools and affluent, white communities. Kindlon also cautions that his arguments apply primarily to western, first-world societies. However, he does provide counterarguments in the form of interviews with other professionals and researchers, as well as acknowledging that much progress still needs to be made for girls who have less opportunities and resources available to them from birth. Still, Kindlon’s enthusiasm for the new Alpha Girl seems to toss boys to the side, as he closes one chapter, “Perhaps the coming generations of feminized men may be happier than men of the past… men will be able to drop some of the burden of maleness and become more loving. The alphas will provide — fishing for termites, bring home the bacon — while men will have more of a chance to indulge themselves in sublimely pointless play” (176) — as if women want to hear more excuses for immature behavior from men!

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rings true to this classroom teacher

As a classroom teacher that first came into the profession at the height of the Reviving Ophelia type of research done by Mary Pipher. I have participated in classes, seminars and training sessions about how girls are being short-changed in the classroom and in our culture. It was not until I ran across some research I was doing in my Master's Degree program some 15 years later that my eyes were opened to a new possibility: the girls are, on the whole, doing just fine. The boys, on the other hand, are falling by the wayside in heart-cringing numbers. Go to any public school and you can just about guarantee that 7 or more of the top ten will be girls. Look at the special education numbers and 7 out of 10 will be boys.

Dan Kindlon's Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World does not address what is going on with boys, but it does look at a relatively new phenomenon - the hyper-achieving academically gifted, socially skilled, generally athletic, well-connected Alpha Girls.

What makes an Alpha Girl? ...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Cara Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been putting off reading "Reviving Ophelia" and the other teen/tween books about girls because I just wasn't ready to deal with no self confidence, eating issues, etc. Much to my surprise, teens and tweens have changed AS LONG AS they are Alpha girls. Thankfully, I've got two of them. The Alpha girls have self-confidence, do not feel inferior to males and don't lose their voice. After feeling satisfied with the up coming generation, I stopped reading this book about 3/4s of the way through. The topic remained compelling; however, the data was surrounded by dated current events. References to the current Bush administration, scandals of the late '00s in the academic arena and the foretelling of a future which never took place began interfering with the information in the book. Still an interesting read. Parents of girl teens and tweens will find this interesting.

[Laura Craner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little heavy on the personal anecdotes and little too into itself to be really great. The idea that not all girls are Queen Bees and Wannabes is a important, though. Given the dates and the criteria the author used, I was probably an alpha girl in high school (although the author seemed prejudiced against people with mood disorders so he might not have counted me). His book made pretty clear that my choices of a traditional marriage and staying home with my kids turned me into a loser. I respectfully disagree with him. Also, the end chapters about lesbians and how many, many alpha girls will never find a man to satisfy them was soooo Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Anybody else ever read _Herland_. Crazy stuff!

[Alexa Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually, a couple of years makes no difference but it made my head hurt every time the author mentioned the fact that there were no women running for president in a major party and no women as speaker of the house or any other high-ranking political position.

This is a pop science book written by a PhD psychologist and overall, not particularly illuminating. I learned that "alpha girls" are the new generation of women who act like their fathers and love their mothers anyway. Though I think parental relations are important in a person's life, my guess is that the author read a little too much Freud during an important part of his life.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 2.5 stars. This book was written by the same person that wrote Raising Cain. I didn't find it nearly as interesting... mostly based on survey research instead of therapy sessions. Also, it was primarily written about one study of one group of upper middle class girls. The book addresses the high achieving high-school girls out there that will grow up to become leaders in society. I thought it was going to be similar to Raising Cain - addressing the problems facing youth today. It wasn't.

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book extolling the virtues of men would be met with skepticism by me, and this one is no different. The fact that he has two daughters also calls into question the inferences he makes. While it is understandable to have immense pride for your own daughters, can you really separate your heart and mind and look at the facts?

Let's not fool ourselves: This is not an academic proof, and it does not strive to be impartial. This book is a ra-ra text to inspire women.

Overall, I felt that this book did not give me any insight.

[Shantay · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I wanted was a well-researched, meaty book that would motivate and inspire me as a mother. What I got was fabricated "research" and conclusions dispensed as fact. It was very fluffy, like a magazine article that somehow came in hardcover. While I love, love, love the topic, "See Jane Win" and "Flux" are much better books.

[Linnea Arneson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of refreshing after reading a lot of books about how girls' self esteem is being destroyed by the media. Everyone knows someone like that, but for every Ophelia I know five alpha girls who totally get that magazines and stuff manipulate you and who are confident and strong and good at everything.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

kind of cool...explains a lot ...about myself! a tad scientific!

[Dedrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was less engaged with this topic, as I have no daughters nor am I female. However, it was interesting to read in the context of changing gender roles and identities.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring.

[Kiersten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm biased since I am an Alpha Girl :) Great book!

[Natalie Michelle Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so empowering.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

March's Parenting by the Book. Interesting read. Filled with compelling statistics to show that the teenage years do not have to be all doom and gloom for our daughters.

[A_M · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a whole, this looks more like a study than an actual essay or a book throughly researched. I was terribly disappointed by the last chapter on Alphas in Love which basically suggest that some Alphas turn lesbians because they can’t find a male partner. There’s no many things wrong with that chapter that I can’t explain everything here. Okay it was written many years ago but still... not that much.

[Larry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started this several years ago, finally got around to finishing. The book is outdated already, offers no conclusion other than girls have options. Was put off when the author said that (paraphrasing) his research points to girls being better suited for learning, so it's not a bad thing to punt on trying to fix education for boys. Find something a little more up to date.