Girls' Hairstories: Resilience and Sparkle in Contemporary Screen Cultures

Why have dynamic and shifting hairstyles, from Katniss Everdeen’s Power Plait to JoJo Siwa’s outsize bows, become such a significant part of how girlhood is articulated in contemporary visual cultures? What do they tell us about how girlhood combines the qualities of resilience and sparkle needed to survive and thrive in turbulent post—recessionary times?

Drawing together analysis of popular film franchises, Disney animation, ground—breaking TV shows, music videos, girl celebrity personas an...