Are Girls Taking Over the World?

By virtually every measure, girls are thriving in school; it is boys who are the second sex.

Christina Hoff Sommers, "The War against Boys"

Wren was all set to take on the world after graduation. About to complete her senior year as an honor roll student, she was beyond excited about the prospect of starting university in the fall — the first in her family to do so. Involved in her school council, captain of the scrap-booking club, and an A+ pupil (her school average was a cool 92 percent), Wren had already been accepted to two of the four schools she had applied to and felt confident that the other two would come through. Like all the girls in her working-class group of friends, Wren's future looked bright. She was optimistic, passionate, and caring; she knew that she wanted to change the world for the better. "The majority of my girlfriends are as driven as me," she told us. "They all know what they want to do, where they want to go, and are very motivated about pursuing those goals." When Wren noted that the vice president and secretary of the school council were both girls, as were the editor of the school paper and the president of the film club, she reflected for a moment and then said, "Girls are just generally more organized with their thoughts about what they want to do ... Yeah, I think a lot of my female friends are generally more motivated to succeed."

"I've always been a pretty academic student," Wren said, sitting across from Shauna during her interview, wearing her class-of-2015 dark blue hoodie, sporting a loosely tied ponytail, and displaying the bronze manicure she had just gotten in preparation for the semiformal fundraiser that Friday night. Her goal was to study international development and then, if all went well, embark on a short-term career as a humanitarian aid worker before possibly becoming a teacher. And Wren's determination was certainly paying off. She was considered a good bet for receiving the citizenship award at her graduation ceremony and felt passionate about the legacy she was leaving behind as she embarked on the next leg of her academic journey. Indeed, she was the most recognizable person in her school: "I would say I'm popular because everyone knows me." She wasn't popular for being a party girl or gossipy, as is often the case; rather, she was popular for being kind, hardworking, and thoroughly dedicated to her school. "I care about my school quite a lot," she emphasized. "Some of the things I do are invisible to the students, so I don't always get praised for it, but my goal is to make it the best time of everyone's life." Though she was involved in the anti-bullying club, art club, choir, leadership camp, and ME to WE (an organization that empowers youth to change the world through volunteerism and social involvement) and had recently instituted the flourishing scrap-booking club, she still found time to make good on this goal. Before graduation, she had a few more projects up her sleeve: trips, fundraising, spirit activities, and then ... prom. "I've worked up to the power," she said of her status. "It's a good feeling. It's nice to have it pay off."

Though not a "girly girl," Wren admitted that she would enjoy the ritual of dressing up for graduation day when it came in June — but that outfit would not be anywhere near as fancy as the one she had for prom. She had saved up money from babysitting and other odd jobs to buy her moderately priced, yet stylish, graduation dress. Friends would come over to do their hair and makeup and compare their dresses. But ultimately, they would talk about how unreal it all felt. "It's kinda scary to think about it," Wren admitted, "but it's also quite meaningful. It's not the end of your school life, but it symbolizes the end of your child life. It just symbolizes moving on." When Wren walked across the stage that summer in cap and gown, she would do so with sheer exhilaration and pride. "It feels like I've earned this," she stated matter-of-factly. "I work really hard, about a 9.7 out of 10." The other 0.3 was lost to a recently acquired Netflix addiction. "Part of stress relief," she joked. "Otherwise, it'd be a 10 out of 10." Wren's laughter reminded her that taking time away from school work was not the end of the world, even though sometimes it felt like the whole world might come crashing down on her head if she did not keep her eye on the prize at all times.

SMART GIRLS: THE FACE OF THE FUTURE?

Are girls taking over the world? It would appear so based on Wren's story and many others just like it. In fact, throughout the Western world, we have been bombarded with accounts of girls' skyrocketing academic success. The twenty-first century smart girl is defined by her ability to glide through high school collecting As, racking up awards, and paving her own way to a bright future. Single-minded "alpha girls," over-scheduled "perfect girls," even-tempered "gamma girls," and do-it-all "supergirls" can be found in books, magazine articles, and newspaper headlines, giving the impression that there is an endless parade of young women who epitomize ubiquitous, seemingly effortless success. Such descriptions offer an enduring image of bright, disciplined, hardworking girls who excel in school and are poised to not just take on the world but take it over. Examples include: "The New Girl Power: Why We're Living in a Young Woman's World"; "Why Are Girls Higher Achievers?"; "Compelling statistics show boys rank behind girls by nearly every measure of scholastic achievement"; "At Colleges, Women Are Leaving Men in the Dust." This narrative has also frequently played out in popular culture. From Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series to Gabriella from the High School Musical franchise and from Dora of Dora the Explorer to Alex Dunphy of Modern Family, girls have indeed become the face of academic stardom. Beyoncé even chants it in her pop hit, Run the World (Girls): "I'm reppin' for the girls who takin' over the world, / Help me raise a glass to the college grads!"

This girl, we are repeatedly told, is the face of the future. But after reading numerous descriptions of girls' unstoppable, inevitable success, we began to wonder about the story that was not being told. While not all girls are academically successful, the ones who are face differing contexts that radically shape their experiences. Why are accounts of girls' high achievement in school reduced to a standardized story that makes it appear as though being smart is stress-free and unsurprising? Where are the stories of struggle, tension, and negotiation? Where are the stories of sexism in classrooms and social worlds that still create stumbling blocks for girls? Where are the stories about what happens to girls after high school and college, when they face gender inequality in the workplace? And where...