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Sisters Of Conspiracy: A Feminist Analysis Of Evangelical, New Age, And Qanon Movements In Contemporary American Politics., Rachael Rollings

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Theses

This thesis explores the link between New Age ideology, Evangelical Christianity, Qanon and the weaponization of women's body autonomy. It delves into how these factors have brought women into the Qanon conspiracy, leading them to engage in COVID denial, anti-vax movements, spreading medical misinformation, Qanon propaganda, and right-wing beliefs. Employing qualitative data analysis, cyberethnography, and feminist analysis, the research identifies online behavior, shared values, and beliefs in wellness, spiritual, and alt-right spaces through specific hashtags. This thesis focuses on a small set of social media hashtags on Facebook and Instagram between 2016 to 2020, revealing connections and shared agendas between …

Mixed Race Masculinity In 2020 And Beyond, Christina M. Wan

Sociology Dissertations

Studies that center mixed-race identity and the experiences of mixed-race people do not often focus exclusively on mixed-race men. Simply put, more scholarship examines mixed race femininity than mixed race masculinity (strmic-pawl 2023). This project highlights the experiences of 17 mixed-race men, focusing on answers to the research question: “How are mixed-race men navigating multiple racial identities?” This qualitative dissertation is a journey into the lived experiences of mixed-race men at the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, culture, and more. Drawing on Gloria Anzaldúa’s ([1987]2012) conceptualization of the borderlands, this project tells the stories of those who are situated at …

Gendered Division Of Labor Among The Late Woodland Iroquois: Lithic Scrapers And Hide Production At The Simmons Site, New York, Brittany G. Hart

Anthropology Theses

Among the Iroquois, hide processing is a highly gendered practice dominated by women. Due to the egalitarian structure of Iroquois villages, work is often distributed equally among individuals based on Iroquois gender roles. The village and surrounding areas are divided into spatial domains comprised of gendered controlled activities such as hide processing. Examining these domains through a task differentiation approach makes it possible to associate artifacts within the archaeological record with gendered labor division. Drawing on ethnohistoric and ethnographic data, this thesis analyzes gendered labor division at the Simmons Site, a Late Woodland Period (AD 900-1650) village in Elma, New …

Shapeshifter, Kate Kosek

Art and Design Theses

Where is the line between art and craft? “You can be anything you want to be,” they say, “You can have it all!” Shapeshifter is a playful manipulation of form and language pertaining to my perspective as a woman who creates textile sculptures that question the gendered hierarchies within art and craft. Humor and intuition allow me to reclaim power through cute, colorful, and decorative artworks that satirize the dominant narratives surrounding women’s work and leisure. Shapeshifter plays with the stereotypes of gender, labor, and aesthetics within art history to imagine a world where objects like pyramids and scrunchies are …

Associations Between Gender, Alcohol Marketing Exposure, And Hazardous Drinking Among Young Adults In Uganda And The United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis, Kelly E. Murray

Public Health Theses

Background: Although the “gender gap” in alcohol consumption is narrowing, research continues to find that men drink at higher rates and more heavily than women. Men also report higher levels of alcohol marketing exposure, which is associated with earlier drinking initiation. Additionally, there is evidence that youth who are more exposed to alcohol advertisements are at higher risk of drinking and harmful drinking behaviors. However, much of this research has focused on high-income and Western nations, and far less research has been conducted to address these issues in low-resource settings, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa, where the marketing of alcohol is …

Power, Domesticity, And Insanity: Gender Roles In Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Lady Audley's Secret, Danielle Hestand

English Theses

Scholarship on Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret typically focuses on Lady Audley. This thesis adds to the scholarship by analyzing the main characters Robert, George, Alicia, and Clara through a feminist lens in order to confound contemporary notions about gender roles. I argue that Braddon gives Robert and George traits often associated with women in the Victorian period, such as intense emotions, to overturn assumptions that men should not have feminine traits. I then claim that Braddon bestows on Alicia and Clara some characteristics associated with men to suggest that women should also not have to obey all gender …

'We Want Women?': An Examination Of Female Political Leadership During National Public Health Crises, Kelsi Rae Quick

Political Science Theses

While crises of terrorism have often prompted preference for male leadership, COVID-19 poses an ideal situation for examining the impact of gender stereotypes on executive approval in a new type of crisis tied to public health, seen as more of a ‘woman’s domain.’ Employing a survey experiment to examine public perception of male and female political leadership during different types of hypothetical national crises (terrorism v. highly contagious virus), this study ultimately finds that there is not a significant difference in average approval ratings between male and female executives in the virus crisis context, and a small difference with females …

Doing Pregnancy Without Doing "Womanly" : Non-Conventionally-Feminine Gender Expression And The Provision Of Pregnancy-Related Medical & Midwifery Services, Zoe Rf Freggens

Sociology Dissertations

There is a long and pervasive history of conflating “womanhood” and “motherhood” in the United States (U.S.). Expectations (and privileging) of particular gender identities and expressions and “what it means to be a woman” leads to a narrow depiction of how pregnancy (and those who do and don’t go through it) should look. What happens when those identities and expressions diverge from the generally expected standards? Anecdotal evidence and prior research on pregnant lesbians suggest the potential for backlash and poor medical experiences. There has been little attention to pregnant sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) and their medical and/or midwifery …

Mental Health, Health Coverage, And Perceived Barriers To Care Among Lgbtq+ Southerners, Andre Vasi

Public Health Theses

Background: Research has found that those who are LGBTQ+ face disproportionate mental health outcomes with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals having even greater mental health disparities than the general population and cisgender LGB+ individuals alike. Cross-sectional and surveillance studies have also found that LGBTQ+ and TGD individuals disproportionately have health access-related disparities in terms of healthcare coverage and perceived barriers to care than the general population. There is indication that LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. South have greater and unique health needs due to a widening health coverage gap relative to other regions of the U.S. Aim: Using …

Built On Blood: Understanding Menstrual Attitudes In Sex Work, Athanasia Platis

Sociology Theses

There exists a stigma at the intersection of sex work and menstruation, as well as an intersection of stigma with menstruation and other social identities. The purpose of this research is to examine these intersections of stigmas, as well as examine the possible shift in menstrual understandings and attitudes. This is an exploratory study conducts of this intersection. Based on a survey of 261 individuals, primarily white women from the Southern United States, I argue that there exists a special stigma at the intersection of sex work and menstruation because of stigma management as a result of deviant identities. I …

Is Power Enough? Understanding The Impact Of Gender Identity, Gender Make-Up, And The Role Of Sexual Power In The Performance Of Sexual Pleasure, Penny Harvey

Sociology Dissertations

Though scholars have determined that there are apparent gender differences in who is more likely to experience sexual pleasure and thus who is likely to perform it, we have not determined why. Previous research has entirely focused on cis individuals and the category of gender identity alone. Therefore, I seek to understand how the performed pleasure experiences of trans and gender non-conforming folx compares to that of cis men and cis women. I also examine occurrences of sexual pleasure performance for folx gender-make up, addressing the influence of masculinities and femininities in the performance of sexual pleasure. In doing this, …

"Unnatural Cruel Beasts In Women's Shapes": The Female Body In Early Modern England, Heather L. Welch, Heather Welch

History Dissertations

Seventeenth-century England witnessed a surge in the population and the movement of bodies in and out of the city of London, resulting in anxiety and distrust. This masculine social anxiety fixated on the female body as an unknowable space uncontrolled by patriarchal authority, despite efforts through legislation. Violent women in early modern England were used as public spectacle after being subjected to surveillance for their failure to perform to their gendered expectations, both revealing the male anxieties prevalent in society and allowing the maintenance of patriarchy. An examination of violent women through legislation, printed material, and court records reveals the …

The Heart Of Politics: A Typology Of Gender Stereotypes In Campaign Advertisements And Analysis Of Emotional Reactions Among Voters, Kristina La Plant

Political Science Dissertations

As female representation continues to grow in Congress, some have questioned whether gender stereotypes still matter in American politics. In this dissertation, I examine gender differences in communication rhetoric in campaign advertisements and how exposure to these messages influence emotions, reliance on cognitive heuristics, and vote choice. I perform a content analysis on a random sample of 1,400 candidate-sponsored congressional advertisements from 2010-2016 and identify eight distinct stereotype-content messaging themes which I call Affective Competence Strategies. I find evidence that female candidates more frequently emphasize merit-based messaging over values-based messaging, suggesting that female candidates rely on specific communication strategies to …

Essays On Entrepreneurship And Public Policy, Alicia Plemmons

Economics Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three chapters empirically analyzing how public policy affects firm behavior, with a particular emphasis on small, entrepreneurial firms.

The first chapter analyzes how occupational licensing affects firm entry and employment decisions. Occupational licensing is a government permission to work within a specific job classification. The costs to firms of paying to license employees can be a substantial consideration when firms are making location and hiring decisions. Using individual firm-level data I analyze how these costs affect firms by determining how differences in costs across state borders affect the likelihood of firms entering on a particular side …

Feminist Music In Brazil And Its Effects On Women's Identity: Feminism, Sexuality, And Blackness, Alexis Lynn Powers

Anthropology Theses

In this study, I examine how feminism is constructed in Brazil by focusing on Brazilian musicians and consumers of their music. I also explore how Brazilian musicians use music to combat normative ideas in the country. Through analysis of popular Brazilian music (lyrics and music videos), and through ethnographic methods, I demonstrate that there is a conflict occurring within Brazil regarding embracing feminism, female sexuality, and blackness, as well as a fight for equal rights and citizenship.

Deeds Against Nature: Gender And Disorder In Print, 1590-1700, Leslie Grimes

History Theses

This thesis examines the depiction of gender and disorder in popular print. The source material for this study is comprised of broadsides, pamphlets, and ballads published in England during the seventeenth century. Using these sources as evidence, this article explores the authorial intent which influenced the publication of crime narratives, as well as the ways in which these narratives are indicative of changes in the perception of gender and order in society. The main contention of this thesis is that challenges to the monarchy’s authority in print before and after the English Civil War enabled the writers of popular print …

Black On Both Sides: An Examination Of Race And Class In The Ghetto Mecca, Jonathan P. Grant

Sociology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

From Spike Lee’s School Daze to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, mainstream entertainment has portrayed Atlanta as a “black mecca,” largely due to its consortium of black colleges, expansion of minority-owned businesses and growing black middle class. This title is called into question with research showing that Atlanta maintains high levels of poverty and income inequality. While a disproportionate number of blacks in Atlanta and the United States live below the poverty line, 75 percent of blacks in the U.S. report income above the poverty line. However, most research on African Americans emphasizes disadvantaged communities and many stories …

Dont Feel Touch, Vanessa Jagodinsky

Art and Design Theses

DONT FEEL TOUCH is an art exhibition and thesis that combines sculpture and performance within a single space. The show’s installation consists of three-dimensional art objects, painted panels, and soft sculptures. Each piece emerges from a series of experiential traumas that span from childhood to adulthood. Embodying the behavioral and emotional distress that suspends my journey to autonomy, the forms work together to act as a sculptural foundation for a live performance. The goal of my thesis work is to understand the psychosocial impact of early childhood trauma through instinctual making and performance.

Adolescent Economic Empowerment In A Kenyan Urban Rural Context, Amanda Lane Moll

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

This research study examined the ways in which adolescent economic empowerment is constructed amongst adolescents, their households, and teachers in urban and rural Kenyan contexts. Adolescents and youth make up the world’s largest population, yet they are systematically un- and under-employed. The relationship between educational opportunities and wage-earning and economic opportunities is strong, yet often disconnected. Adolescent economic empowerment is defined as the building of skills, capabilities, and capital so young people can make their own choices in life through access to and control over resources and opportunities, in relation to the people, norms, and structures that shape their lives. …

A Narrative Study: Understanding The Intersections Of Race, Class, Gender, And Sexuality In The Pathways To Crime And Incarceration In African American Women’S Lives, Rachelle A. Stewart

Africana Studies Theses

This thesis explores the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality in African American women’s lives and the way public policy intervenes in their pathways to crime and incarceration, by way of personal life histories. By exploring their personal life narratives allows for finding a voice that can express a self-defined black woman’s standpoint. Black women’s narratives offer a unique insight into interlocking patterns of oppression that contribute to their incarceration, and how discrimination based on race, gender, and sexuality extends into prison. Through the collection of five in-depth interviews, I examined how certain themes and how the intersection of …

Experiences Of Black Women In College Science Learning Spaces: A Critical Race Theory Perspective, Melissa P. Schoene

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

Multiple studies speak directly to the unique challenges women of color face in college learning spaces due to their intersectionality which include gender and racial discrimination, deficit-based thinking about their abilities, and negative stereotyping. In these studies, Black women are typically not disaggregated from other women of color so the results reflect the experiences of all women who do not identify as White, which includes Asian, American Indian, and Latina women. Intersectionality theories and Black Feminist Thought illustrate the ways Black women in the U.S. have created a collective, specialized knowledge based on their unique backgrounds, cultural traditions, perspectives and …

Sexual Education Among Indigenous Ngöbe Costa Ricans: A Tale Of Two Schools, Maria G. Alvarado

Anthropology Theses

This research is an ethnographic study of school-based sexual education programs in two rural schools of Costa Rica. The two schools are 5 miles apart; one is inside a Ngöbe indigenous territory and the other is outside. Through participant observation, interviews, surveys, and free-listing exercises I was able to identify broken messages and miscommunication in the implementation of the programs. How the program was initially conceived, what teachers implement, and what students understand as the ‘take-home’ message, are three different things. Additionally, I propose that sex and sexuality has multiple ties with all other aspects of life, such as economic …

Satisfaction Guaranteed In Spouse Selection: The Dynamics Of Gender And Intergenerational Relations In A Chinese Dating Reality Show, Yue Yin

Sociology Theses

This study examines a popular TV show about heterosexual dating in contemporary China, entitled Chinese Dating. This television show provides an ongoing social forum on self-articulations of gender identities and intergenerational interactions regarding dating and spouse selection expectations of the participants. Using grounded theory to guide the data analysis, the findings of the gendered differences of spouse-selection criteria in contemporary China denote deep social and cultural expectations for young men and women in a rapidly changing China. The findings of the negotiation process of the two generations indicate the continuing cultural influence of filial piety, which provides a contrasting understanding …

"It's Camp": Summer Camp Culture, The Renegotiation Of Social Norms And Regulation Of Gender And Sexuality, Penny Harvey

Sociology Theses

Summer camps are an important part of U.S culture. 11 million children attend summer camp in the U.S.A each year. Yet, little work has been done to explore the cultural phenomenon of summer camp. At summer camps, there are many implicit and explicit norms regarding sexuality and gender. These norms, in turn, have larger implications for understanding children's development of self, their gender identity, and sexuality. I study summer camp culture at Camp Delaware by interviewing former campers (often referred to as ex-campers) about their experiences. I investigate how summer camp culture both reconstructs and reifies social norms, particularly those …

Essays On Gender And Microfinance, Shagata Mukherjee

Economics Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays exploring the heterogeneity of gender differences in behavior across contrasting societies. Are women naturally wired to behave differently than men or is it the social context in which the gender roles operate that motivate their behavior? I study this question in the contexts of risk, trust, and trustworthiness, moral hazard and repayment behavior in microfinance. I use the approach of conducting controlled field experiments in neighboring matrilineal and patrilineal societies in rural India. The two societies differ in gender roles but are comparable otherwise. Understanding the societal and cultural factors that drive gender differences …

I Am Fearfully And Wonderfully Made: A History Of Transgender Identity And What It Means For Progressive Christianity, Clara Monique Deal Barlow

Religious Studies Theses

This thesis traces the historical evolution of the term transgender in the United States, mainly since the Second World War. The history of varying terms and conceptions regarding non-conforming gender identity may help clarify contemporary debates among Christian Evangelicals regarding the creation stories in Genesis and how gender is depicted there. The advantage of presenting a more complex history of Evangelicalism will be to counterbalance the mistaken view that Evangelicals are unilaterally conservative; in fact there is a long history of progressive Evangelicalism in this country. Without a consensus understanding of transgender identity and how it may or may not …

Gay New Orleans: A History, Ryan Prechter

History Dissertations

The modern gay New Orleans community was born on the neglected streets of the historic French Quarter neighborhood during the 1920s. Despite a century of harassment at the hands of local officials and the police department, this vulnerable community developed strong communal bonds in and around the French Quarter, ultimately transforming it into one of the preeminent gay neighborhoods in the United States. This study examines how a vibrant gay community thrived in the socially conservative South, shifting traditional narratives of twentieth century gay life primarily existing on the East and West Coasts. To survive, gay men and lesbians were …

A Multi-Level Discourse Analysis Of African American, Middle School Girls? Science Identity Development, Katherine Wade

Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations

This research argues that the lack of African American women in science careers is the result of a nuanced and complicated process and can only be adequately addressed through consideration of multiple levels of discourse. Specifically, a better understanding of macro level discourses that are present in and circulated through schools and work to position African American girls in ways that are outside of science learning is necessary. This research used a critical ethnographic approach to explore the science experiences of African American middle school girls. Data were collected on the macro (school wide), meso (classroom and after school program), …

Identity, Knowledge, And Power: Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier And Parade's End, Dianne D. Berger

English Theses

Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier and Parade's End revolve around men and women about whom Ford challenges readers to draw inferences about national and personal identities. Employing Ford's texts, I explore the anxiety associated with changing gender roles in England from the end of the Victorian Era through World War I. In both works, Ford's male characters cling to the gender roles with which they are familiar, but the women seek to define new gender roles or, sadly, choose not to exist in a world where this seems to be an impossibility. I argue that what Judith Butler calls …

Mixed Messages: The Effect Of Social Location, Parental Communication About Sex, And Formal Sexual Education On Protective Sexual Behaviors, Eryn G. Viscarra

Sociology Dissertations

This dissertation tests if a young adult’s social location determines what type of information he or she will receive about sexual health from parents and formal sexual education programs. I also test whether sexual education mediates direct associations between social location and 4 protective sexual health behaviors: condom communication, consistent condom use, delaying sexual debut, and reducing the number of lifetime sexual partners. Using the 2011-2013 wave of the National Survey of Family Growth, I look for differences in sexual education and engaging in protective sexual health behaviors among white, Hispanic, and African American men and women ages 15-24. I …