In recent decades, large-scale social changes have taken place in Europe. Ranging from neoliberal social policies to globalization and the growth of EU, these changes have significantly affected the conditions in which girls shape their lives. Living Like a Girl explores the relationship between changing social conditions and girls’ agency, with a particular focus on social services such as school programs and compulsory institutional care. The contributions in this collected volume seek to expand our understanding of contemporary European girlhood by demonstrating how social problems are managed in different cultural contexts, political and social systems.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE “A must-read about modern Britain and womanhood . . . An impressive, fierce novel about the lives of black British families, their struggles, pains, laughter, longings and loves . . . Her style is passionate, razor-sharp, brimming with energy and humor. There is never a single moment of dullness in this book and the pace does not allow you to turn away from its momentum.” —Booker Prize Judges Bernardine Evaristo is the winner of the 2019 Booker Prize and the first black woman to receive this highest literary honor in the English language. Girl, Woman, Other is a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity and a moving and hopeful story of an interconnected group of Black British women that paints a vivid portrait of the state of contemporary Britain and looks back to the legacy of Britain’s colonial history in Africa and the Caribbean. The twelve central characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: Amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her Black lesbian identity; her old friend Shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in London’s funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley’s former students, is a successful investment banker; Carole’s mother Bummi works as a cleaner and worries about her daughter’s lack of rootedness despite her obvious achievements. From a nonbinary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, these unforgettable characters also intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to class. Sparklingly witty and filled with emotion, centering voices we often see othered, and written in an innovative fast-moving form that borrows technique from poetry, Girl, Woman, Other is a polyphonic and richly textured social novel that shows a side of Britain we rarely see, one that reminds us of all that connects us to our neighbors, even in times when we are encouraged to be split apart.
Women compare constantly--on social media, in their neighborhood, at church, even in the school drop-off lane. They glance sideways and ask themselves, "How do I measure up?" All this assessment feels like a natural way of finding a place in the world. But it pulls them into feelings of inferiority or superiority, guiding them into a trap of antagonism by the enemy. Satan would like women to strive to measure up, constantly adding to a tally sheet that can't ever be balanced. The way of Jesus is completely upside down from that philosophy. Instead, he says the last shall be first--and the greatest are those who empty themselves, lay down their lives, and serve each other. Through conversations Jesus had and parables he shared, Shannon Popkin has created a seven-week Bible study to address this tendency to compare and judge ourselves and others. Each chapter is divided into lessons, allowing women on a time budget to read a Bible passage, engage in a complete train of thought related to the topic, and then make the content personal--all in one sitting. And the informal teaching tone will make women feel like they're meeting with a trusted friend. Suited for both individual and group study, Comparison Girl will guide women to leave their measure-up ways behind, connect with those around them, and break free from the shackles of comparison!
Written over a span of more than two decades, the essays by Iris Marion Young collected in this volume describe diverse aspects of women's lived body experience in modern Western societies. Drawing on the ideas of several twentieth century continental philosophers--including Simone de Beauvoir, Martin Heidegger, Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty--Young constructs rigorous analytic categories for interpreting embodied subjectivity. The essays combine theoretical description of experience with normative evaluation of the unjust constraints on their freedom and opportunity that continue to burden many women. The lead essay rethinks the purpose of the category of "gender" for feminist theory, after important debates have questioned its usefulness. Other essays include reflection on the meaning of being at home and the need for privacy in old age residences as well as essays that analyze aspects of the experience of women and girls that have received little attention even in feminist theory--such as the sexuality of breasts, or menstruation as punctuation in a woman's life story. Young describes the phenomenology of moving in a pregnant body and the tactile pleasures of clothing. While academically rigorous, the essays are also written with engaging style, incorporating vivid imagery and autobiographical narrative. On Female Body Experience raises issues and takes positions that speak to scholars and students in philosophy, sociology, geography, medicine, nursing, and education.
This moving and unforgettable memoir of a transgender pastor’s transition from male to female is an “audacious, gripping, and profoundly real journey that speaks to the mind, heart, and soul” (Joshua J. Dickson, director of Faith Based Initiatives, Biden Campaign)—perfect for fans of Redefining Realness and There Is Room for You. As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman, and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of sixty. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion. Feeling utterly alone after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women’s opinions devalued in favor of men’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And, was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image? In As a Woman, Paula’s “critical questions about gender, personhood, and place are relevant to anyone. Her writing insightfully reveals aspects of our gender socialization and culture that often go unexamined, but that need to be talked about, challenged, and changed” (Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her) in order to fully understand what it means to be male, female, and simply, human.
Sara Meredith is a mother of 4 beautiful healthy girls. Her third daughter, Livvy was born healthy and developed well until just after twenty months. To Sara's horror, Livvy developed symptoms like having Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Autism and Parkinson's disease all rolled into one. If you can picture this, you are close to understanding what she had to endure. She didn't just have the problems with her joints. She didn't just have epilepsy. She didn't just have breathing problems. She didn't just have feeding issues. She didn't just have communication issues. She had them all. This is the amazing story of a little girl with attitude, a mother's fight to get a correct diagnosis and support. This is about Rett Syndrome which almost exclusively grips girls. This may be the worst illness which you have never heard of and one the entire medical world should know about, but still many know nothing. Rett Syndrome has been described as, the lights are on, somebody is at home, but they can't get out. In purchasing this book, you are helping all little girls with Rett Syndrome as the profits will be funding the work underway to find a cure at www.reverserett.org.uk This is not a book about disability, it is also about ability. Every child has potential and Sara maximizes the quality of each day of Livvy's life. Parts of this book are tearfully happy, and some are tearfully funny. Some sections are brutally harrowing. The end, however, is both humbling and inspirational.
Tween girls have access to an unbelievable amount of media and information with just a simple click of the remote or mouse. Every outlet they turn to attempts to subtly influence their worldview...and what they believe about themselves directly affects how they live. Wynter Pitts, founder of For Girls Like You magazine, gives girls a new devotional showing them a correct definition of themselves, opening their eyes to God's truth and the difference it makes in their lives. Each daily devotion includes a prayer to help girls apply the lesson. "If you've wondered whether there is anything left on the planet to entertain your young beauties that promotes morals you'd approve of, look no further" —Author and speaker Priscilla Shirer
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Discover how to harness the power of food to support your body’s natural rhythms, empowering you to heal and thrive in this cookbook based on the revolutionary international bestseller, Fast Like a Girl. Do you struggle with hormonal imbalances or feel like your diet is out of sync with your body’s needs? Do you find it difficult to manage your energy levels throughout the month? Many women experience these challenges, often without understanding why. This book will show you how to use food as a powerful tool to support your body’s natural rhythms and guide you to a healthier, more balanced life. Thousands of women worldwide have embraced the fasting lifestyle introduced in Dr. Mindy Pelz’s revolutionary worldwide bestseller, Fast Like a Girl, and celebrated the return of regular menstrual cycles, improved fertility, and weight loss that had previously seemed impossible. In Eat Like a Girl, Dr. Mindy teaches how to use food to enhance these benefits. With over 100 recipes for both plant-based and omnivore diets, she shows you how to eat for your hormones and use food to support your fasting lifestyle, while enjoying delicious recipes that reflect the latest nutritional science, including: Quick and easy “fasted snacks” to sustain you while fasting Nourishing choices to break your fast and stabilize blood sugar Meals designed to support hormonal production and balance Recipes that keep blood sugar levels steady and support a healthy gut Dr. Mindy writes, “You deserve to live in a body you love—a healthy, happy, vibrant body that lives congruently with your hormonal wisdom.” Eat Like a Girl is more than a cookbook—it’s a manifesto for living in tune with your body.
Steve Harvey, the host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show, can't count the number of impressive women he's met over the years, whether it's through the "Strawberry Letters" segment of his program or while on tour for his comedy shows. Yet when it comes to relationships, they can't figure out what makes men tick. Why? According to Steve it's because they're asking other women for advice when no one but another man can tell them how to find and keep a man. In Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Steve lets women inside the mindset of a man and sheds light on concepts and questions such as: The Ninety Day Rule: Ford requires it of its employees. Should you require it of your man? The five questions every woman should ask a man to determine how serious he is. And much more . . . Sometimes funny, sometimes direct, but always truthful, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is a book you must read if you want to understand how men think when it comes to relationships.
