ABSTRACT
As the field of Girls’ Studies continues to gain momentum, it also evolves and shifts. In this chapter, I keep in mind recent developments and trends in Girls’ Studies against the backdrop of the field’s earlier years in order to look into the future and propose a few directions for upcoming shifts in the field. I ask: What should the future of Girls’ Studies look like? How do we acknowledge all that we have achieved while still highlighting the many avenues we have yet to explore? I begin by establishing the field’s recent history and developments, with a proposal to include additional historical studies of girls’ cultures. I then proceed to outline my three areas of proposed expansion for the field: a more direct and serious consideration of intersectionality, a foregrounding of LGBTQIA+ issues and identities, and a stronger inclusion of girls’ voices. In my final thoughts about my hopes for the future of the field, I conclude with a few points about how university systems perpetuate certain barriers to research, which end up affecting our future directions.
