Full Program »

2.2.2 What’s a girl to do? Popular culture and the aspirations of rural gifted girls.

The relationship between gifted adolescent girls in rural settings and popular culture is understudied in Australian and global contexts. The impact of the images, texts, and role models constantly presented in popular culture on their aspirations and the messages they receive about career choices, goals, and personal futures are important to understand in a world where girls continue to be positioned in traditional roles. The model described in this presentation highlights the necessity of providing gifted adolescent rural girls with skills, role models, and real life experiences to broaden their world view and construct their vision of a talented woman.

Author(s):

Denise Wood
dwood@csu.edu.au
Charles Sturt University
Australia

Dr Denise Wood has had an extensive teaching career in rural NSW, Australia across early childhood, primary and tertiary education. Her initial study in the area of gifted education began a deep interest in the field that has become a key focus of her work across the education sectors. In 2015, Denise completed her thesis explored that the impact of popular culture on the talent development of rural gifted adolescent girls. She is continuing to explore further perspectives on the lived experiences of gifted adolescent girls, and in rural and regional gifted education.