Consumerism, Eugenics, and the “Ideal Teenage Girl” In 1910-1940 American Culture

Abstract

This project argues that Eugenics coupled with new understandings of adolescence in the early 20th century converged to create an ideal of the “teenage girl”. The concept of adolescence was developed in the late 19th century psychologists. Prior to the 20th century teenagers were not a separate demographic that was considered. She was white, upper-middle class, and sexually chaste. Those who did not fit into this ideal were attempted to be redeemed through public health and education. Advertisements, seeking to influence these newly defined consumers reinforced the ideal of the teenage girl to the general public. In accordance with Eugenic policy, white teenagers were deemed the most “fit”, while Native American and Black female adolescents were found wanting. This paper utilizes advertisements, women’s publications, and primary source documents in public health and education. This research contributes to cultural understandings of adolescence in the United States by documenting the influence of Eugenics and consumerism in defining the ideal “teenage girl” in the early 20th century. There has been a small amount of literature written about each of these topics separately but there are no sources on this topic that draw this comparison between advertisements and public health and education. Due to the lack of literature specifically on this topic, this paper is significant and will contribute to this field of study.