Level of voice among female and male high school students: Relational context, support, and gender orientation.

Abstract

Adolescence brings with it displays of false self-behavior, including the suppression of opinions. C. Gilligan (1993) argued that lack of "voice" is problematic for girls when they enter adolescence. In the present study, the authors examined level of self-reported voice with parents, teachers, male classmates, female classmates, and close friends among both female and male high school students. Findings revealed no gender differences nor evidence that voice declines in female adolescents. For both genders, perceived support for voice was predictive of level of voice. Moreover, feminine girls reported lower levels of voice than did androgynous girls in public (but not private) relational contexts. Lower levels of voice were associated with more negative evaluations of self-worth. Discussion focused on the need to understand the causes of individual differences in voice within each gender, cautioning against generalizations about either gender as a group.

Temporal Stability and Authenticity of Self-Representations in Adulthood

“…These associations are consistent with findings reported by Harter, Waters, Whitesell, and Kastelic (1998) and Sheldon et al (1997) and provide independent support for the notion that authentic and self-determined behavior constitutes an important part of a healthy personality (Allport, 1955;Rogers, 1959;Ryan & Deci, 2000). In accordance with Deci and Ryan's (1995) theorizing, the findings of the current study place the concept of authenticity in a nomological network of constructs that are direct or indirect indicators of an actualized and fully functioning person (Rogers, 1959).…”

Gender identity and adjustment: Understanding the impact of individual and normative differences in sex typing

“…Importantly, loss of voice is associated with lower levels of self-worth. Thus, these differences between girls and boys regarding their level of voice suggest that the impact of sex typing on adjustment may differ by gender during different developmental periods and across different contexts (Harter, Waters, Whitesell, & Kastelic, 1998).…”

Gender Conceptualizations in Female High School Seniors: Relationships with Global Self-Worth and Multiple Measures of Body Image

“…Such an individual response to societal expectations for the female role is reflected in sociocultural climates where the opinions of women are not valued, solicited or encouraged. In an early study exploring level of voice in adolescent girls and boys who were enrolled in a largely Caucasian American high school, Harter and her associates (Harter 1988(Harter , 1998 did find a link between gender role orientation and level of voice in girls. Specifically, high school-aged girls who were categorized as being highly feminine-typed (i.e., high scores on feminine gender role identification and low scores on the corresponding masculine identification scale) exhibited lower levels of voice in public contexts (e.g., with teachers and male classmates) than they did in private contexts (e.g., with parents and close friends).…”