title: Girls' identity formation in the changing social structure of Sri Lanka.
abstract: Adolescent girls (N = 118) from diverse social backgrounds in Sri Lanka described their views of womanhood. Qualities of the ideal woman considered most important were kindness and honesty, liking children, intelligence, and having a good job. Although the traditional role of the Sri Lankan woman is that of homemaker, most girls in the study (55%) drew the ideal woman working outside the home, often as a teacher or a doctor. Nevertheless, adolescent girls emphasized traditional qualities of the woman at both work and home as self-sacrificing and serving others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, Saint Louis University, MO.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gibbon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002321:Career Choice; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D012922:Social Change; D012931:Social Environment; D013188:Sri Lanka; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000523:psychology