ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 explores, challenges, and retheorizes the construct of resilience. The authors introduce traditional psychological models of resilience and how they have been applied to youth and their experiences of adversity. They explore challenges and questions related to the traditional model of resilience, including critiques that resilience is often measured based on outcomes rooted in dominant White, heterosexual, middle class values. The chapter describes girls’ experiences of oppression within schools which create adversities to which girls strive to become resilient. Such oppression includes interpersonal sexism and sexual harassment in interactions with peers and adults, as well as policies, procedures, and cultures in schools reflecting sexism, racism, classism, and homophobia.
