Women In Music: Experiences Of Women Oboists In Us Symphony Orchestras,
2026
West Virginia University
Women In Music: Experiences Of Women Oboists In Us Symphony Orchestras, Brianna Corgel
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
The evolution of women in American music has been a gradual and ongoing process. Historically, women were largely excluded from public musical life and did not achieve widespread acceptance as professional musicians until the 20th century, largely due to prevailing cultural and societal expectations. In the 19th century, women typically performed in domestic settings for small gatherings of family and friends. Female instrumentalists were generally limited to the piano and a few string instruments, while wind instruments—such as the oboe—were discouraged because they were considered unladylike or visually unappealing when played. The 20th century saw the emergence …
The Ocean Is Not A Machine: A Feminist Media Analysis Of Oceanographic Models, Simulations, And Futures,
2026
Smith College
The Ocean Is Not A Machine: A Feminist Media Analysis Of Oceanographic Models, Simulations, And Futures, Clarissa Chevalier
Study of Women, Gender, & Sexuality: Faculty Publications
This article examines how scientific and artistic representations and technologies shape ocean futures. Dominant Western oceanography frequently engages mechanistic metaphors that conceptualize the ocean as a machine, pump, or carbon sponge. This way of visualizing the ocean, guided by the logics of control and quantification, shapes contemporary remote sensing, modeling, and prediction technologies. Alternative approaches to oceanographic representation, including Indigenous, anticolonial, Black feminist, and artistic approaches, offer critical counterweights to destabilize the authority granted to mechanistic oceanographic representations. Ocean simulations and scale models are infrastructures through which ocean futures are rendered and presented in multidimensional space. Through a comparative media …
Supporting Mothers Within The Criminal Legal System: Programs In Akron And Perceptions Of “Good Motherhood”,
2026
The University of Akron
Supporting Mothers Within The Criminal Legal System: Programs In Akron And Perceptions Of “Good Motherhood”, Brynn R. Lewis
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This paper examines the programs and support systems available in Akron, Ohio, for mothers involved in the criminal legal system, including defendants, survivors, and other justice-involved individuals. Using qualitative interviews (n = 6) with professionals across courts, legal defense, community corrections, and advocacy organizations, this study examines how local institutions provide resources and support to mothers. Findings indicate that while programs aim to promote stability and rehabilitation, mothers face persistent barriers such as limited access to transportation, childcare, and communication, as well as heightened stigma tied to societal expectations of caregiving. These findings reveal that institutional support both reflects and …
Slay Her: The Rhetoric Of Violation In Buffy The Vampire Slayer,
2026
University of Central Florida
Slay Her: The Rhetoric Of Violation In Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Lea N. Wright
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This research draws on feminist theory and monster theory to perform a close rhetorical analysis of incidents in the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy) where female characters are violated physically, psychologically, and/or sexually. Buffy is one of the most-analyzed television shows of all time, with a particular emphasis on the show’s engagement with feminism; however, the issue of violation has received little scholarly investigation despite multiple instances of it within the show. Through examining the rhetorical elements (such as dialogue, camerawork, body language, and character response) that surround incidents of violation, this research reveals that Buffy …
Teacher Education For Religious Diversity In British Columbia: Policy Recommendations For Sikh And Chinese Mahayana Buddhist Inclusion,
2026
Wilfrid Laurier University
Teacher Education For Religious Diversity In British Columbia: Policy Recommendations For Sikh And Chinese Mahayana Buddhist Inclusion, Ashton Kemper
Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts
No abstract provided.
Editors' Note,
2026
Wilfrid Laurier University
Editors' Note, Jenna Abdel-Kader, Hannah Desjardine
Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts
No abstract provided.
What To Do With An Improper Woman: Gender Roles And Their Repercussions In Great Expectations,
2026
Wilfrid Laurier University
What To Do With An Improper Woman: Gender Roles And Their Repercussions In Great Expectations, Abby Shaver
Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts
No abstract provided.
Embarrassment As A Signal: Feminist Affects And The Commodification Of Love,
2026
Wilfrid Laurier University
Embarrassment As A Signal: Feminist Affects And The Commodification Of Love, Bianca L. Schmitt
Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts
No abstract provided.
“Mother Earth” Faces Sexism” (The Relationship Between Gender, Sexism, And Politics To Climate Change Recognition),
2026
University of Central Florida
“Mother Earth” Faces Sexism” (The Relationship Between Gender, Sexism, And Politics To Climate Change Recognition), Sierra E. Nichols
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Climate change is a prominent scientific and political issue today. Research has shown women to be uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and subject towards political opinions that can be rooted in sexism. This study aims to draw a correlation between these factors. It provides an overview of the topic of climate change and women’s linkages with the environment through the topic of ecofeminism. It analyzes the topic of sexism and analyzes research surrounding different types of sexism: hostile, benevolent, and modern sexism. It discusses how studies that have categorized climate change as a gendered issue, climate change …
“Is This Really Funny?” Humor, Rape Myths, And Social Semiotics In Nigerian Comedy Skits,
2026
Illinois State University
“Is This Really Funny?” Humor, Rape Myths, And Social Semiotics In Nigerian Comedy Skits, Grace Oluwatofunmi Adeyemo
Theses and Dissertations
This study examines how rape myth narratives are normalized through humor in Nigerian comedy skits. While existing research has identified rape-supportive beliefs in digital entertainment, it has paid less attention to the processes through which these meanings become socially acceptable. Guided by social semiotics, the study analyzes how semiotic resources use humor to normalize rape myth narratives in Nigerian comedy skits. Using a qualitative design, twelve purposively selected Nigerian comedy skits on YouTube were analyzed. The findings reveal that refusal is constructed as temporary, persistence is portrayed as effort, men's refusal is framed as abnormal, and consent is shaped by …
"If I Knew Then What I Know Now": Analyzing Online Narratives Of Regretful Parents,
2026
West Virginia University
"If I Knew Then What I Know Now": Analyzing Online Narratives Of Regretful Parents, Marina Binti Mohd Hamdan
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
This exploratory study seeks to understand the extent to which parenthood affects individual self-actualization by identifying the trade-offs, compromises, and sacrifices that parents make within the context of family life. Using a thematic analysis of 221 archived posts from the Reddit community r/regretfulparents, this study examines how social pressures surrounding parenthood may be related to experiences of parental regret. Specifically, it identifies two domains: pressures to be parents, including social norms, familial coercion, and interpersonal conflict, and pressures of parenting, including issues of labor, number of children, and challenging children. Across these domains, this study explores how tensions between personal …
The Divine Feminine Reframed: Dogma And Doctrine, Icon And Flesh, And The Sacred Embodiment Of Reclamation,
2026
Hollins University
The Divine Feminine Reframed: Dogma And Doctrine, Icon And Flesh, And The Sacred Embodiment Of Reclamation, Natasha Keckley
Dance (MFA) Theses
This thesis interrogates Marian iconography and its role in constructing a moral binary that marks female bodies as either sanctified or sinful. Drawing on feminist and postcolonial theory, iconographic analysis, and historical case studies, the research analyzes how Christian symbology established the Marian Mold: a theological aesthetic apparatus that exalts feminine sanctity through ideals of virginity, obedience, and maternal receptivity while constraining feminine expression. This paradigm, propagated through the British Empire’s colonial regimes, shaped the regulation and reinterpretation of embodied traditions. The thesis investigates these dynamics through two case studies: the Devadasi tradition and Bharatanatyam’s reformulation in South India, and …
Will You Let Me In?,
2026
Virginia Commonwealth University
Will You Let Me In?, Irene Piazza
Theses and Dissertations
Imposed borders are everywhere: The borders created by stanchions during bureaucratic lines, the borders of a country, the borders of a page. Humans are forced to follow them. Borders are imposed structures that dictate a way to move, a way to write, a way to be confined. But what happens when those borders aren’t followed? What happens when someone decides to walk through the stanchion belt by crouching under it or sliding its buckle open? What happens if a person decides to walk outside of the paved pathway? What happens if someone crosses a border or writes beyond the page …
Spell Of Forty Small Failings,
2026
Virginia Commonwealth University
Spell Of Forty Small Failings, Erin B. Ehren
Theses and Dissertations
Spell of Forty Small Failings is a collection of images and writings that draws from an unruly range of literary forms, academic disciplines, and religious cannons in order to address the Divine—all that which exists on account of the phenomena of what it is to see and be seen: to hear and be heard: to touch and be touched: to know and be known, and through that knowing proceed beyond mediation. I wrote this thesis for me in the hopes that all along I was writing for you.
Chapter 2: Rhombus Textile Motifs And Patterns And Their Significance In Mesoamerica,
2026
Missouri State University
Chapter 2: Rhombus Textile Motifs And Patterns And Their Significance In Mesoamerica, Billie J. A. Follensbee, Lois Martin
Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes
Presents the rhombus textile motifs and patterns in Mesoamerica and their significance.
Chapter 6: Snakeskin And Corn Markings: The Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern In The U.S. Southwest,
2026
Independent researcher
Chapter 6: Snakeskin And Corn Markings: The Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern In The U.S. Southwest, Laurie D. Webster, Kelley A. Hays-Gilpin
Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes
Discusses Southwestern tie-dye and its Mesoamerican and Andean connections.
About Witch Hunt: Feminist And Political Agency In Contemporary Art,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
About Witch Hunt: Feminist And Political Agency In Contemporary Art, Rana Sumerler
MA Theses
The Witch Hunt exhibition conjures a powerful dialogue between history, identity, and empowerment, bringing together sixteen international artists to channel the spirit of the witch. This show traces a vast genealogy of women—from the 15th century witch hunts to Californian artistic legacies of the 1970s, to the exhibitions opening in 2021, and into present day. The participating artists emerge as symbols of resistance through their creations which transform domesticity, sexuality, and labor into sites of inquiry all while grappling with the intersectional concerns of womanhood. In a moment marked by political upheaval, the exhibition is particularly resonant in its exploration …
The Only Duck I’Ve Ever Loved Is Daffy In Drag: A Textual Analysis Of Gender Norm Reinforcement In The Looney Tunes Show,
2026
Northern Illinois University
The Only Duck I’Ve Ever Loved Is Daffy In Drag: A Textual Analysis Of Gender Norm Reinforcement In The Looney Tunes Show, Sara Bahaji
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
In 2011, Warner Brother’s latest attempt to make Looney Tunes appeal to modern audiences was released, The Looney Tunes Show. This was a departure from classic Looney Tunes, from its slice-of-life sitcom setting to the changes in the characters. But one of the ways it stood out in not just classic Looney Tunes but contemporary cartoons, was its treatment of Daffy Duck. This thesis is a textual analysis of the show’s presentation of Daffy Duck’s gender. Different frameworks were used to build the analytic tools: signifying theory, as presented by Savoy (1995), gender accountability from West & Zimmerman (1987) and …
The Final Boys' Club: Conceptualizing A Final Boy Of 1980s Horror,
2026
Eastern Illinois University
The Final Boys' Club: Conceptualizing A Final Boy Of 1980s Horror, Ej Newton
Masters Theses
Carol J Clover’s (2015) Final Girl, the female slasher protagonist who survives to the end of the movie, has become a staple of horror scholarship, providing insight into the function of gender within the genre as well as our cultural beliefs surrounding femininity. Given the attention paid to horror’s leading ladies, however, another fascinating figure has gone unexplored: the Final Boy. This project analyzes nine horror films from the 1980s with young male protagonists in order to conceptualize and critique this previously unidentified trope. Utilizing McKerrow’s (1989) critical rhetoric as a guide, this research not only provides a thorough definition …
Resistance And Innovation: The Cultural Work Of Popular Romance Novels,
2026
Dartmouth College
Resistance And Innovation: The Cultural Work Of Popular Romance Novels, Chelsee M. Niebergall
Dartmouth College Master’s Theses
Popular romance fiction is the highest-grossing genre in contemporary publishing, yet it remains one of the least examined in academic scholarship. As this thesis argues, while texts of this genre have been marginalized and stigmatized for their perceived lack of literary sophistication, they prove to be some of the most radical in terms of cultural impact. Their dismissal is not incidental but symptomatic of the very systems of oppression the romance novels work to disrupt. This thesis will examine these radical texts and uncover the cultural work they perform on their readers by using an analytical framework newly developed here, …
