Abstract:
This thesis examines the political engagement of young American women between 1944 and 1970, as presented in the popular teenage magazine Seventeen. The study focuses on the letters-to-the-editor column of the magazine and the articles discussed therein. The first popular magazine aimed at teenage girls, Seventeen fulfilled a variety of purposes ranging from agony aunt to entertainer. However, political articles also frequently featured amongst such content and prompted plenty of reader-responses. Using these sources, this thesis assesses how, and to what extent, young American women engaged with various political issues; specifically, those concerning formal politics, the politics of prejudice, and gender politics. Investigation into the political engagement evidenced within the magazine also incorporates discussion of any changes and/or continuities over the course of the period studied. Why did the political engagement of young American women vary? To answer this question, this thesis draws on historical context, concepts of framing, and also the notion of female teenage agency. Young women are noticeably absent from most histories of American politics, or if mentioned they are referred to in passing and often denied authority or credibility in their thoughts and actions. This thesis seeks to contribute towards the existing scholarship on the history of girlhood by documenting the multiple and varied ways in which young American women engaged in politics between 1944 and 1970. In doing so I hope to present the voices of those who have been overlooked within this area of the discipline.