Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Silent Cycles: Unveiling 19th-Century Perspectives On Menstruation, Women's Agency, And Societal Transformations, Anna Bennethum

Campus Research Day

In the 19th century, menstruation was a topic often vieled in silence and misinformation. Nonetheless, it is pivotal in discussions on women's agency and societal shifts. This paper explores 19th-century medical perceptions, the dissemination of reproductive knowledge through women's publications, and a case study of Adventist health publications. Through primary source analysis, this paper reveals how access to medical knowledge empowered women, especially in pursuing higher education. Additionally, examination of Adventist health publications showcases alternative remedies to menstrual disorders, granting women control over their reproductive health. This study illuminates the intersection of menstruation, women's agency, and societal change, emphasizing the …

Genderless And Sexualized: Caribbean Enslaved Women In The 18th Century, Amy Van Arsdell

Campus Research Day

This study focuses on the uniquely-gendered experiences of enslaved women in the Caribbean in the 18^th century. First, I examine the racialized views of femininity and how enslaved women were denied the privileges of white femininity and forced to do the same work as men, yet were still valued less than their male counterparts because of their gender. The study goes on to highlight the sexual oppression enslaved women experienced, and its adverse effects on their health. The study concludes that despite the intersectional racism and sexism they faced, enslaved women were able to use their gender to resist …

Mrs. Dalloway (1925) Vs. The Hours (2002): How Does The Patriarchy Infringe On The Autonomy Of Marginalized Characters?, Mary E. Belton

2023 Symposium

Fans of Virginia Woolf know that her literature, such as A Room of One’s Own and Mrs. Dalloway, cover feminist themes. In adaptations of Virginia Woolf’s work, the same feminist themes are present. For example, Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, based on three women whose lives are connected through Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, carries similar feminist themes. In the 2002 adaptation of The Hours, directed by Stephen Daldry, the relationships between men and women in the film illustrate how the patriarchy operates socially.

To those who don’t know Virginia Woolf’s work well or are unaware of how …

Marina Abramović: Conveying Pain Through Performance, Danielle Filiowich

Student Academic Conference

A speech about Marina Abramović, some of her most well known pieces, and how that by being a woman performance artist, she injects a deeper meaning within her work.

Masculinity, Empire, And The Boyhood Companion In Mary Shelley’S Frankenstein And Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Ruth Rempart

Campus Research Day

In 19th-century Britain, rigid social hierarchies and gender roles play a largely unseen role in the rise of the empire. In a society that relies upon the myths of heroic or self-sustaining masculinity to maintain the public sphere, how a “nontraditional” gentleman decides to affirm their masculinity can have a significant impact on the country’s cultural consciousness. As seen in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, young men tend to reassert their gender identities by pursuing careers that further British imperialist agendas. This paper examines the intersection between gender studies and postcolonial theory in 19^th-century …

Women And Gender Studies And The Potentiality Of Feminist Leadership, Clara Perka

Thinking Matters Symposium

Graduates of Women and Gender Studies (WGS) programs gain skills that aid in the development of a feminist leadership, a leadership practice that is committed to challenging oppressive structures and institutions and empowering others to reach their full potential. Through semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study explored the experiences of five graduates of WGS undergraduate programs in the Northeast region of the United States whose post-graduation work across a variety of professional fields has offered them opportunities to practice feminist leadership. While research on both WGS and Leadership is abundant, this research addresses the gap in the literature on feminist leadership …

Dignity Norfolk: How One Tidewater Group Enabled Gay And Lesbian Catholics To Form Long Lasting Friendships And Chosen Families, Chelsea Lembert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In the past decade, research has been conducted to look into the history of the Queer Community of the Tidewater Region. Students and community volunteers have conducted interviews and gathered documents connected to the queer community to grow the study and breadth of available information for future researchers. However, more in-depth knowledge of community connections and familial ties within the queer community in the Tidewater Region was needed. Through research into Our Own Newspaper, local historical background information, and in-person interviews, I pieced together first-hand accounts of life through the eyes of a gay man or lesbian woman living in …

A Feminist History Of The Roland Mc-505, Cameron Davis

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

A Feminist History of the Roland MC-505

Abstract

Roland’s MC 505 is a small portable music production instrument also known as agroovebox that functions as a programmable sixty-four note polyphonic synthesizer and drummachine with twenty-six interchangeable drum kits to use in various combinations. (1) The groovebox is equipped for both audio recording and live performance, both of which are analyzed in this research. The machine has many innovative elements that have carried over into modern music technology as well as some limitations that have since been left behind. This study acts as a historical evaluation of the growth and improvements …

Two Sides To Every Coin: Analyzing The Historical Perspectives Of Gender Nonconforming Individuals In America, Sydney Meier

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

For some, the idea of any gender other than male/man or female/woman is incomprehensible. For others, gender is seen as a spectrum where individuals flow between man, woman, or somewhere in between. Most live in the gray area where it is recognized that two sexes and two genders exist with a little leeway for variances. The gender binary is a pervasive social construct that limits society due to the refusal of some to accept nonconforming individuals into the feminist umbrella of inclusivity. In this paper, I argue that rather than a binary, gender should be accepted as a spectrum due …

Promoting Peace Through Gender Equality: A Study On Cultural Alternatives To Counter Stereotypical Patterns Of Gender Inequality, Anshu Subedi Ms

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

The proposal provides a basic outline of cultural alternatives for peace for stereotypical patterns of gender inequality.

The Manifestation Of Inner-Gender Oppression In Margaret Atwood’S The Handmaid’S Tale As Results From Intentional Patriarchal Power Structures, Aliyah Browning

Capstone Showcase

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has long been studied for its cautionary warnings about sexist ideologies that exist between men and women; seldom has it been so closely analyzed for instances of inner gender oppression. Inner-gender oppression, which this thesis seeks to define and highlight through the novel’s context, offers artificial forms of power to those in oppressed classes, enough to attract women themselves to participate in the indoctrination and policing of their own sex. This essay highlights the ways in which Atwood’s dystopian society parallels sexist beliefs held by societies past and present.

098— The Misrepresentation Of Native American Women In The Media And Their Social Activism Against Violence And Mistreatment, Emma Meeks, Allison Pajda, Bridget Marshall

GREAT Day Posters

This poster takes a look at the myths and stereotypes surrounding Native American women in media and throughout history. In this poster, we examine the work that Native American women have done in social movements such as #TakingBackTigerLilly and #NotYourMascot, that are working towards dispelling the stereotypes and false impressions surrounding them. This poster also examines the violence that native women are exposed to and their social activism through movements. These movements are meant to show people the truth about the violent acts that affect native women and their communities.

201— American Influence On Japanese Birth Control, Rachel Brooks, Kassidy Schad, Katherine Collins, Katie De Onis

GREAT Day Posters

The birth control pill was legalized in the United States in 1965, and 34 years later, in 1999, the birth control pill was legalized in Japan. For decades, Japan clung to pronatalist ideas for moral and economic reasons; preventing births and abortions were not socially acceptable actions. Furthermore, a decreased birth rate was considered an economic threat, as a smaller workforce would seemingly result in decreased productivity. Despite the negative preconceptions about the effects of birth control being long-held in Japanese society, activists, such as Margaret Sanger and Shidzue Ishimoto, disputed them by opposing the government's censorship policies. Activists sought …

Welcome To Gendered Dada, Morgan Drawdy

Georgia College Student Research Events

This paper explores the works of art throughout the Dada art period from three specific artists; Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, and Baroness Else Von Freytag-Loringhoven. It delves deep into the making of the pieces and the influences behind them. The pieces are analyzed through the lens of gender and gender bias that is caused by the changing of societal roles during World War One. Those roles touching on topics such as women entering the work force and the evolution and devolution of the typical masculine role throughout history. The paper is brought together to explore how these societal changes influenced …

“We’Re Here, We’Re Queer, We Will Not Live In Fear!”: A Content Analysis Exploring Gender Disparity In The Public Reappropriation Of Lgbtq+ Slurs, Nicolas Hall

Capstone Showcase

As minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community have faced many hardships throughout history, such as the use of language as a weapon against them. However, this research explores the public display of linguistic reappropriation of LGBTQ+ derogatory language and terms within the community. Throughout history, the use of slurs (e.g. faggot and dyke) and their social definitions have shifted from having no connection to the community to directly affected these individuals. These terms have been used to demonize members of the LGBTQ+ community for decades. Despite this reality, there are some scholars who suggest that these terms are being reappropriated, …

The Evolution Of Revenge: Genre, Feminist Theory And Jennifer’S Body, Sophia Birks

Capstone Showcase

The representation and proliferation of violence against women in media, when applying genre theory, reflects the social climate of rape culture and the social response to sexual violence. Looking at the Rape-Revenge genre through the scope of Feminist Theory, the only way to reintroduce female agency into a trauma led narrative is to reclaim the tropes used to perpetuation female exploitation and a popular culture ambivalent to male on female violence. Within this subversion and deconstruction, a genre benefiting from female trauma finally includes an honest artistic retelling of that female experience. With the intention of the creator in line …

We Live In A Society: Violence And Radicalization In The Internet Manosphere, Emily Price

Capstone Showcase

In a world of incels, pick-up artists, and other Men’s Rights Activists, friction between the so-called Manosphere and contemporary feminist thought has led to documented violence with regards to American mass shootings. Starting with the violent outbursts of disaffected young men, I will work backwards to the point of contact between the man and the Manosphere. This piece seeks not to draw a connection between radical MRAs and violence – the mass shooters draw that connection themselves in their manifestos by outlining their dissatisfaction with society as it is, and particularly with what they perceive as a politically correct and …

Gender And Yale: Where Were The Women?, Emily Stark, Patrice Collins, Claire Bowern

Yale Day of Data

Statistics on history of women scholars in Yale's English Department.

The Equal Rights Amendment: Why All U.S. States Have Not Ratified, Gina Tan, Mirren Galway

CURCE Annual Undergraduate Conference

Currently, enacted legislation for the equality of men and women in the United States does not exist. Despite many advancements, as of 2018, the equality of men and women is not explicitly stated in the U.S. constitution. There is a long history of discrimination against women in the U.S., and for some time now, there have been pushes toward constitutionalizing equality based on Sex. One such push came in 1923, shortly after women were granted the right to vote and The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced. This amendment mandates that the “Equality of rights under the law shall not …

Perspectives On Feminist Approaches To Adult Education In International Education And Development Settings, Brigette A. Herron

Adult Education Research Conference

This empirical paper describes the preliminary results of a qualitative interview study about the feminist pedagogy of women adult educators teaching in international and development settings.

A Sociophonetic Analysis Of Albuquerque Drag Queens, Lindsay Morrone

Shared Knowledge Conference

Although anyone can be assumed to engage in style-shifting to construct a persona (e.g. Podesva 2007b, Eckert 2008), in the case of drag performers it can be argued that style-shifting results not in an alternate persona but in a performative identity. With this hypothesis in mind, this case study uses a style-shifting paradigm to explore the varying social meanings of phonation type and vowel quality in the construction of a drag queen identity. The speech of two gay male Hispanic drag queens (DQs) from Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ) was investigated in various speech situations to identify social meanings indexed by …

An Analysis Of The Pregnancy And Childbirth Experiences Through Cultural And Mathematical Lenses, Maria T. Lopez-Flores

Shared Knowledge Conference

Being pregnant and giving birth is one of the most personal experiences. Nobody else but the pregnant woman can feel what she is feeling. However, her experiences during this process are highly influenced by her sociocultural context. In this, as in many other human activities, mathematics is present with or without realizing it. According to Frankenstein (1997), “mathematics occurs in contexts, integrated with other knowledge of the world” (p. 13). This project explores the mathematical and cultural practices that are embedded in the process of pregnancy and childbirth within two different sociocultural contexts: traditional Mexican partería (midwifery) and western medicine, …

It's Just A Toy, Lauren Strauss

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies

Each and every one of us experiences gender stereotyping, whether we realize it or not. It is such a simple concept and something people don't tend to think about. Although, from a young age, we are exposed to our parents' and societies' views on gender and the toys we should play with, which then stick around for generations. The color pink and dolls are for girls and trucks and the color blue are for boys, right? Well, not necessarily. Toys are also expressed through the idea that women have to be the stay at home mom and take care of …

“There Must Always Be A Thor”: Disruption Of Super Heroic Masculinities In Marvel’S Thor: The Goddess Of Thunder (2014), Kiera M. Gaswint

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies

As the popularity of the superhero film genre continues to grow, more attention is being drawn towards the genre as a way to enter cultural conversations regarding representations in popular culture of gender, sexuality, race, and class, among other things. This popularity of the genre among differing age ranges and demographics calls for an investigation and analysis of the comic book genre, superheroes, and representation. Given the popularity of this genre, I plan to argue that Thor: The Goddess of Thunder (2014) offers a unique reading of gender constructs and masculinity.

Whereas characters come and go within their respective universes …

Realness Over Reality: Analyzing Gender Binary Deconstruction In Rupaul’S Drag Race, Jonah Wilson

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies

From its conception in 2009, RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) has grown incredibly in popularity, quality, and potential to serve as a mainstream way of change and acceptance for varying gender performances and identities. Particularly working within frames of commercialism, homonormativity, and queer commodification, RPDR loses a lot of its potential to serve as a radical, decentering challenge to the rest of mainstream television. In regards to rigid western ‘borders’ of gender and the gender binary, RPDR has done a considerable amount to deconstruct sociocultural boundaries that restrict individuals from presenting their gender identities and allowed a stage for transgender and …

Placing Caster Semenya Within And Outside Of Discourse On Sex And Gender In The Space Of International Professional Athletics, Joanna Line

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies

World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Caster Semenya’s body has caused a rupture within the space of international professional athletics, which is structured according to a binary conceptualization of sex and gender. This rupture created a space for international discourse about alternative ways in which sex and gender can be defined, and to reimagine the space of international professional athletics, and other binary-bound non-sport spaces, to be more inclusive. Cultural geographer Denis Cosgrove's concept of landscapes and Stuart Hall’s concept of coding and decoding provide a framework for exploring how Caster Semenya’s body has been read and interpreted like a …

Citizen Co-Learners: A Transgressive March Toward Emancipatory Learning, Christina M. Luiggi, Dylan M. Colvin

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies

Spanning continents and cultural borders, the writings of Paolo Freire, bell hooks, and Henry Giroux encompass post/decolonial and standpoint epistemologies focused on student-centered approaches. We seek to model peer learning and knowledge production bell hooks commands in Teaching to Transgress: “I have been most inspired by those teachers who have had the courage to transgress those boundaries that would confine each pupil to a rote, assembly-line approach to learning” (13).With these words in mind, we participate in a content analysis of literature and storytelling, creating sites of resistance at educational boundaries in order to increase accessibility to knowledge and scaffold …

Diane Di Prima: A Beat Poet?, Shelby K. Miller

Student Scholar Showcase

The Beat Poets were a group of men who wrote counterculture poetry that committed on society. They embraced themes of open sexuality, Buddhism and Eastern religions, and activism. Diane di Prima, called by most literary scholars but not by her contemporaries, was one of those Beat Poets who embraced those themes. Her focus on motherhood and female empowerment is what caused her contemporaries to reject her as an equal. A second focus will the continued rejection of di Prima from the literary canon.

Adding Fuel To The Fire: Sexual Harassment And Male Chauvinism On Tinder, Sarah E. Irby

Student Scholar Showcase

Abstract

Since its inception in 2012, the dating app Tinder has become notorious for its hookup culture. It has also garnered much attention for instances of sexual harassment and inappropriate male behavior toward women, with the rise of Instagram pages that exploit this behavior. With an increasing number of people using this platform to meet potential partners, it is important to understand why people communicate in the ways they do. This paper explores patterns among male interactions with women on Tinder in regard to sexual harassment and male chauvinism. To conduct this study, I examined screenshots of Tinder conversations that …

Not All Art Belongs In The Living Room: The Tale Of Robert Mapplethorpe, Shelby K. Miller

Student Scholar Showcase

Following the death of Robert Mapplethorpe in 1989, a group of scholars put together a retrospective exhibition of his life’s work with the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The subject matter, namely those in Mapplethorpe’s X and Z portfolios that included male nudes and depictions of sadomasochism, caused major controversy across the country. The presentation will cover Helms Amendment of 1990 and the obscenity trial that took place in Cincinnati in 1990 with a specific focus on the lasting impacts that these events have had on the NEA and the art world.