THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Departmental Colloquium
Title: Best Laid Plans: Women Coming of Age in Uncertain Times
Abstract: Given the range of possibilities open to women today, what futures do
adolescent girls dream of and pursue? Drawing on qualitative interview data from a five-year study, Best Laid Plans examines the lives of poor, working-class, and middle-class Black and White young women as they navigate the transition to adulthood, following them from high school, when they make plans for the future, into young adulthood, when many of their plans fall apart. Hardie shows how social capital, either possessed or lacked, is not simply a resource for planning for the future but a structure whose form and function varies by social class and race. As these inequalities persist into adulthood, high aspirations, social capital, and careful planning bolster some young women while hindering others. Best Laid Plans makes the case for why we need to move beyond the individual appeal to “dream bigger” and “plan better” and toward systematic changes that will put young people’s aspirations within reach.