Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

‘Too Shy To Talk About This Topic’: The Impacts Of Gender Conceptions On The Embodied Sexual Experiences And Perceptions Of Urban Vietnamese Students In Ho Chi Minh City, Lily Kafka

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to articulate how ‘traditional’ gender roles are resisted, conformed to, and changed among youth within the context of Vietnam’s emerging market economy and consumer culture. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of how gender conceptions have progressed throughout Vietnamese history was a significant portion of my research. The data collection consisted of qualitative data through online surveys and in-depth interviews to understand the impacts of Vietnamese gender conceptions on the embodied sexual experiences and perceptions of university students in Ho Chi Minh City. My findings suggest that contemporary Vietnamese youth, specifically students residing in Ho Chi Minh City, are …

A Photo Documentary: Exploring Queer Identities In Kwazulu-Natal, Nicholas Graves

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Media can be a powerful tool in examining the structures of power that both hinder and advance LGBTQIA+ representation and subsequently, lived experiences. Therefore, being able to understand the varying feelings that everyday South Africans feel towards queer people, will be measured through the media that people consume. For the vast majority of South Africans, this would look like movies, TV soap operas, and discussions that take place on the radio. Understanding the role media plays within the country is vital to understanding the overall progress that has been made.

The media’s ability to reflect lived experiences within gay and …

Rural Microfinance And Business Ownership Outcomes A Case Of Tanzania Educational And Micro Business Opportunity (Tembo) Loan And Non-Loan Recipients In Longido District, Tanzania, Owen Conlin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The study takes place in a rural area of Tanzania with gender barriers that are extremely difficult to overcome on a cultural level. This research examines outcomes for women in Longido District, Tanzania along the lines of MFI participation, education levels, financial variables, and empowerment variables. This study intends to elaborate this theory by examining the role that education plays in the success of Microfinance Institutions (MFI’s). It was found that MFI participation is correlated with increased financial and overall independence. Higher levels of education are found to be correlated with increased income, financial independence, personal empowerment, and overall independence. …

The Effects Of Gender-Based Violence On Maternal And Neonatal Health Among Women Of Reproductive Age Seeking Services At The Gender-Based Violence Recovery Center At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching And Referral Hospital, Mana Tezuka

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to provide recent data analysis on the patients that come in to seek services at the Gender-Based Violence Recovery Center at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. The demographic features that will be analyzed include age, gender, pregnancy status, and follow-up trends. There will be an in-depth case study that will look at the perspective of a patient that experienced forms of gender-based violence during and after her pregnancy and the perspective of the counsellor assigned to this patient’s case. There will also be an analysis on an interview conducted with the nurse-in-charge …

“Sobrevivientes” O “Trabajadoras”: La Representación De Mujeres Migrantes Y Racializadas En El Debate Actual Acerca Del Trabajo Sexual Y La Prostitución En Argentina, Jaya Duckworth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A pesar de los avances feministas revolucionarios en las últimas dos décadas en Argentina, el movimiento feminista se ha vuelto más polarizado sobre el tema de la prostitución y el trabajo sexual. El abolicionismo, que es el lado hegemónico en este debate, suele invisibilizar las mujeres migrantes y racializadas que se identifican a sí mismas como trabajadoras sexuales, a pesar de que ellas ocupan un gran papel en el mercado sexual. Este proyecto se propone analizar las retóricas de los dos grandes lados en este debate, con un enfoque en los temas de migración y raza. En primer lugar, este …

Sustainability And Connection To Place: Land Stewardship Through Local Icelandic Women-Run Businesses, Hazel Deharpporte

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Iceland is one of the leading countries in gender equality, but women are still underrepresented in the field of entrepreneurship. Women have unique approaches to land stewardship, and there is evidence that they are more likely than men to act sustainably. The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between sustainability and connection to place in women-run, local businesses. I interviewed six women who run a wide range of businesses in the towns of Ísafjörður and Djúpivogur. From these interviews, I found that while the women did not necessarily think that running a business was more difficult as …

Market Feminism In Morocco, Claire Madsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite widespread views of “Moroccan Exceptionalism,” Morocco continues to rank poorly on international evaluations of gender equality. This project seeks to understand the extent of the influence neoliberal economic forces in Morocco have had on the feminist landscape. Analysis of Moroccan political history, Foucauldian theories of power relations, and relevant literature on state feminism set the groundwork for the evaluation of the extent state feminism in Morocco can be understood as market-based, in accordance with the definition from From State Feminism to Market Feminsim (2012) by Kantola and Squires. Through interviews of three experts, three meetings with women’s empowerment NGOs, …

Gender Roles And The Social Agent: Framing The Women’S Movement(S) In Postcolonial Morocco, Lily Ross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my Independent Study, I conducted a four-week research project on what I will refer to as the “Women’s Movement” in Morocco. My initial goal was to understand the framing and aims of this movement. To do so, I sought to explore the different forces impacting the movement – such as local cultural contexts, religion, globalization and colonization – and to analyze the impact of these forces on how different women conceptualize their goals surrounding gender. I studied a variety of scholarship on the Moroccan Women’s Movement, focusing on a critical analysis of the state, international interests and non-profit organizations. …

Hacia Un Contra-Archivo Radical Y Queer: El Archivo De La Memoria Trans Y La [Re]Construcción De La Memoria Colectiva Sobre La Violencia Institucional En Argentina, Valeria Bula

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación analizará algunos procesos vinculados a la producción de la memoria travesti y trans* en Argentina a partir de la experiencia del Archivo de la Memoria Trans (AMT). Reconociendo el espacio de la memoria en Argentina como un espacio de lucha política, compuesto por diferentes interpretaciones y narrativas, el relato ofrecido por el AMT se estudiará como la adición de una nueva dimensión de complejidad al campo de la memoria en torno al terrorismo de Estado, específicamente en relación con la identidad de las víctimas. En este trabajo, propongo un análisis de la manera en que el AMT se …

How Survivors Of Domestic Violence Seek Legal And Social Support Against Their Abusers In Ahmednagar District Of Maharashtra State In India: An Exploratory Study, Jonathan Israel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This exploratory study sought to gather detailed information about women’s experiences surviving and rehabilitating from domestic violence. This information was used to identify factors that encourage survivors to stay in their relationships and factors that enable them to seek legal and social support against their abusive partners. Qualitative data was gathered through a series of in-depth interviews and panel discussions with survivors of domestic violence in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra (India). This data was analyzed with guidance from Indian feminist theory, local professionals, and contributing research mentors. Further examination of national survey data, past research on domestic violence in Indian contexts, and …

How Survivors Of Domestic Violence Seek Legal And Social Support Against Their Abusers In Ahmednagar District Of Maharashtra State In India: An Exploratory Study, Jonathan Israel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This exploratory study sought to gather detailed information about women’s experiences surviving and rehabilitating from domestic violence. This information was used to identify factors that encourage survivors to stay in their relationships and factors that enable them to seek legal and social support against their abusive partners. Qualitative data was gathered through a series of in-depth interviews and panel discussions with survivors of domestic violence in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra (India). This data was analyzed with guidance from Indian feminist theory, local professionals, and contributing research mentors. Further examination of national survey data, past research on domestic violence in Indian contexts, and …

Supporting Lgbtq International Students Through Resource Visibility: Examining Washington State Community Colleges, Abigail Fredrickson

Capstone Collection

College is a time when many students begin exploring their sexual orientation and gender identity. Washington State, and Seattle in particular rank high in support for the LGBTQ community, according to the Municipality Equality Index put out by the Human Rights Commission. The schools that are represented in this study serve approximately 2,000 international students annually.

LGBTQ international students are a demographic that inhabits two minority groups – international students and LGBTQ students, and there is a lack of ongoing support and access to resources to aid these students in their personal growth during their time in community college. This …

Feminism At The Borders: The Navigation Of Gender Issues By Mexican-American Women Along The U.S.-Mexico Border, Carolina Fuentes

Capstone Collection

Feminist movements have taken on various iterations since they first began, particularly as the movements expanded beyond predominantly Western and white spaces. This research study explores how gender equality is perceived and navigated along the U.S.-Mexico border area, taking into account the various Latin American and U.S. feminist developments that have shaped the current landscape of the border. 11 Mexican and Mexican-American women living in U.S.-Mexico border states were interviewed to gain an understanding of their definitions, perceptions, and opinions on feminism and gender-related issues given their bicultural contexts. These conversations revealed that ideas of rights and equality were central …

Defensa Y Oposición Al Aborto Legal: Una Exploración De Las Estrategias Y Las Agendas Dentro De Los Movimientos A Favor Y En Contra De Los Derechos Reproductivos En Buenos Aires, Argentina / Defense And Opposition Of Legal Abortion: An Exploration Of The Strategies And Agendas Within Pro- And Anti- Reproductive Rights Movements In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hannah Levenstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La Ley para legalizar el aborto en la Argentina fue sancionada en diciembre de 2020. Esta expansión de los derechos reproductivos fue un resultado de años de lucha y debate entre dos activismos opuestos, un movimiento a favor y otro en contra de la legalización del aborto. Este proyecto es una investigación exploratoria de las estrategias usadas por los dos activismos, cómo han cambiado antes y después de la legalización del aborto, y cuáles son los próximos pasos cada uno de estos grupos. Analizando cinco entrevistas con militantes de los activismos pro-aborto y anti-aborto, complementado con una investigación bibliográfica en …

Healing From Genocidal Rape: An Exploration Of The Trauma Healing Process Among Sevota Members, Delaney Bluhm

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Through a case study of SEVOTA, this paper examines trauma-healing practices among genocidal rape victims. Its primary research objectives are to identify the resources available to victims immediately post-genocide through the present, critically examine how these resources have helped victims heal, and observe any existing or impending challenges to healing from rape-related trauma in Rwanda. It concludes that building a community and providing resources to help with certain situations (such as funding for medical treatments or children’s school fees) are effective methods of trauma-healing among genocidal rape victims in Rwanda.

La Política Cultural Del Aborto: Las Percepciones Y El Manejo Del Aborto En Arica, Chile, Eva Strelitz-Block

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Chile has a long history of restricting access to legal abortion. Until 2017, when the government passed the law N° 21.030 decriminalizing abortion on three grounds, abortion was completely illegal. However, despite this movement towards decriminalization, legal abortion access is still very limited and highly restricted. In this criminalized, highly stigmatized environment, self-managed abortion has emerged as a way to transform the landscape of abortion. This qualitative, exploratory study seeks to explore perceptions of abortion and practices of abortion management both within and outside of the official healthcare system among women and people with the capacity to become pregnant and …

“Yo También Puedo” - Una Investigación De Pensamientos Y Opiniones Sobre Redes De Apoyo Y Historia De Violencia Intrafamiliar Contra Mujeres Mapuches Rurales, Shira A. Lyss-Loren

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an exploration of the rural Mapuche women’s opinions and history of intrafamilial violence. Through small group personal interviews this study seeks to consider the multiple lived experiences and opinions of rural Mapuche women as it relates to intrafamilial violence against women and the social and government support systems available to both prevent it and support victims. Intention of this investigation was not to seek out personal stories of violence, instead focusing on community-wide held perceptions, opinions, and beliefs about where violence in their community comes from, how its perpetrated, and how it is responded to or prevented. …

Domesticated: Migrant Domestic Workers In Jordan And Their Place In Jordan’S Law And Homes, Jeromel Dela Rosa Lara

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to bring attention to the labor conditions for migrant women domestic workers and what agency they have in the workplace (the home of their employers) and the law in Jordan. Jordan is considered as having a model labor law for migrant workers in the region. Officials from the Ministry of Labor have claimed that this makes the Kafala System––a system of labor that puts migrant workers under the care, standards, and control of the employer––non-existent in the country. This study will look further on the extent that this is reflected to the experiences of …

(Witch) Crafting Identity: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of The Dutch National Identity Through Women In Haunted History, Hallie Kamosky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This autoethnographic study analyzes the presentation of women in haunted history in order to dissect the construction of the Dutch national identity. Through a personal narrative experience, the art, museums, tourist enterprises, and physical locations that constitute the city of Amsterdam are put in conversation with one another in order to draw out the inconsistencies and hypocrisies in the Dutch narratives of progress. Firstly, the Spin Huis and the ghost story connected to it are juxtaposed to the City of Amsterdam’s narrative in order to draw out themes of sexual exceptionalism at the expense of foreign bodies. Next, the Amsterdam …

Counternarratives Of Color: Race In Queer Archiving, Sanjula Rajat

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research aims to better understand how race figures into the policies, processes, and materials at IHLIA LGBT Heritage, Europe’s largest LGBT-focused archive. By situating IHLIA within the broader history of alternative archives and Dutch homonationalism, the different ways in which race is an important consideration for the archive is examined. Particular attention is paid to the history, organization and location of the archive as well as the publicly funded nature of IHLIA to better understand the possibilities and limitations posed by the notion of an LGBT archive as opposed to a queer(ed) archive.

Loving You In The Desert: Short Stories, Sam Kass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Tejer Una Red De Apoyo: Tejemujeres: Una Cooperativa De Artesanas En Gualaceo, Ecuador, Emma Floyd

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta monografía trata sobre la historia de superación de la Cooperativa Tejemujeres en Gualaceo. La Organización Tejemujeres ha dado apoyo social y financiero a las mujeres que habitan en la zona rural de esta región de Ecuador a través del arte de tejer. Hablaré sobre cómo la costumbre de tejer en los Andes del Ecuador permite la preservación de la tradición, la ganancia de ingresos para las mujeres y la creación de un sistema de apoyo entre ellas. Comenzando con una introducción a la historia del arte de tejer y la propia historia de Tejemujeres, explicaré las complejidades de esta …

Gen-Z, Gender, & Governmental Grievances: A Post-Transition Political Philosophy For The Newest Generation Of Women In A ‘Failed’ State., Olivia Harvey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over a decade since the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, a new generation has come into adulthood, grappling with anxieties about their future in the midst of continuous national instability. This paper aims to bridge their sentiments of disillusionment and disengagement towards politics together with general conceptions of life by ‘Generation-Z’ women (between the ages of 18 and 30). The findings follow conceptions of history, freedoms, rights and personal life, particularly as they are affected by gender in Tunisian society. Specifically, this study is interested in how these aspects have changed from before to after the political changes of the past …

La Capital Marica De Chile: Un Mapa Queer/Kuir/Marica De Valparaíso Y Una Investigación Sobre La Construcción Publica De Una Comunidad Visible En Valparaíso, Steven Powell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Valparaíso, Chile, there is a teeming queer presence in the streets and public spaces. Expressions of queerness can be seen in Plaza Anabel Pinto in the way in which people dress or style their hair, can be heard from the small plaza in front of the Severin Library with the voguing/kiki music blasting at nights, and is grafittied on the walls all around the city. This presence and visibility is met with violence and accompanied by precarious life situations. It was my goal through this investigation to explore this relationship between violence and visibility as it is contradicted and …

Evaluating The Validity Of Restrictions On Blood Donation Eligibility For Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) In The United States, France, And Switzerland, Swathi Gorantla

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For the first time in a decade, the number of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses is higher for heterosexual people compared to gay and bisexual men (Florêncio, 2022). Additionally, in the United States, the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis due to the nationwide shortage of donated blood. During this crisis, charged with the new information on HIV diagnosis rates, many advocates for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community question why discriminatory policy surrounding gay and bisexual men donating still exist around the world. These policies are changing worldwide – several European countries have …

The Current Status Of Women In Morocco And How It Can Be Improved, Amanda Maia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My paper will explore the conditions of gender minorities in Morocco through representation, NGOs, social structures, and resources therein to support the progress of acquiring more rights for these demographics. With an emphasis on the status of women in Morocco. My main questions as it stands are: What are the living conditions for women in Morocco and how can they be improved? What progress has been and still can be made to improve the quality of life and foster joy for these demographics in Morocco? Since the 1990s, there has been significant progress in Morocco to improve Family Law and …

Analyzing Alternative Spaces: Queer Social Networks And Notions Of Belonging In Morocco, Adam Griffin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because of the presence of both legal and cultural discrimination in Morocco, the Moroccan queer community operates largely in secret and is unable to occupy public space. Additionally, the patriarchal structure of Moroccan society creates a culture of toxic masculinity that limits queer expression. This paper examines how queer Moroccans operate in the face of this discrimination. It also explores the extent to which alternative spaces, or spaces that subvert the norms and practices of mainstream society, contribute to the creation of LGBTQ+ social networks. Alternative spaces can be physical spaces—such as bars, cafes, and live music venues—or virtual spaces—such …

Jabaaru Immigré Ak Goor Jaarin: Migration, Marriage, And Emigrants’ Wives In Senegal, Sophia Patterson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research studies the community of women in Senegal whose husbands migrate to other countries for work. I examine how migration has impacted their marriages and their understanding of their roles as wives. I aim to answer the following question: How does migration affect women’s relationships with their husbands, their roles and responsibilities as wives, and their standing in society? To answer this question, I interviewed six women whose husbands work abroad. Before interviewing these women, I will arrange an initial conversation so we can get to know one another. This pre-interview also will allow me to determine other potential …

Factors Driving Changing Community Acceptance Of Gays And Lesbians In Cato Manor, Kwazulu-Natal, Isabella Van Der Weide

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Acceptance of LGBTQ people is an important and encouraging area of social progress. As attitudes change in South Africa and across the world, it is important to understand the drivers of change and how that change is experienced within communities. Using both semi-structured interviews (n=19) and collection of survey data (n=30), this study interrogated the factors that formed and changed views on gay and lesbian people among respondents from a community in Cato Manor, a peri-urban area near Durban, South Africa. About half of all participants reported an opinion change. Interview participants who experienced opinion change most commonly reported the …