Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Comparative Study Of Self-Esteem: College-Aged Women Vs. Women At Midlife, Audrey Fritton

Social Work Theses

A woman’s self-esteem, defined as “a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself,” can have a profound impact on her overall life choices and outlook. Low self-esteem is associated with numerous consequences such as eating disorders, alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, and social withdrawal. This study investigated the self-esteem level of college-aged women as compared to that of women at midlife and also identified the external factors that impacted this perception of self-esteem. It was hypothesized that the intense focus on women’s rights and political activism of the 1960’s and 1970’s would have promoted greater self-esteem in young women of …