Digital Commons Network^™

Transforming The Feminist Movement – How Female Celebrities Influence The Economic Power And Consumer Behaviors Of Women, Erin Lewantowicz

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the evolving relationship between feminism, economic power, and celebrity culture in the 21^st century. Through an examination of three key industries—entertainment, athletics, and influencers—this study highlights how female celebrities like Taylor Swift, Caitlin Clark, and Alix Earle act as catalysts for significant shifts in women’s economic and consumer power. Taylor Swift’s impact on the entertainment industry, Caitlin Clark’s role in redefining women’s sports, and Alix Earle’s influence on the social media marketing landscape illustrate the growing authority of women as consumers and change-makers. Utilizing social media, brand partnerships, and unprecedented fan engagement, these women transcend traditional …

Does Name, Image, And Likeness Increase Gender Inequality In College Athletics?, Aimee Christenson

Political Science Theses and Capstones

In June of 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association adopted its first interim policy regarding Name, Image, and Likeness. From here, college athletes have been able to benefit from opportunities regarding their brand as an athlete. While this development has been historic in its expansion of rights to athletes, it highlights the inequities between male and female athletes. Title IX requires equal opportunity for male and female students. This research raises questions about whether NIL is increasing the disparity between male and female athletes. To answer this question, I looked at NIL data collected by Kyle Ems on the NIL …

Res Historica, Volume 4, Lynneth Miller Renberg Phd, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta

Res Historica

The 2025 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lynneth Miller Renberg, Samuel Sanders, and Julia Ackerman. The cover art for this volume is an open access image.

Controlling The Narrative: How The United Daughters Of The Confederacy Shaped Collective Memory Through Romance Novels, Karie L. Cobb

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While existing scholarship on the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) reveals the immense influence the organization wielded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, I assert that their legacy has had a broader and more insidious reach than previously believed. Through close analysis of two foundational romance novelists’ works published during the rapid escalation of the genre’s popularity, I contend that the rhetoric of the UDC shaped generations of Southerners as demonstrated through repetitions and parallels of the Lost Cause ideology found in UDC publications and sponsored materials within romance novels written by white Southern women who came of age …

Transgender And Gender Diverse Young Adults’ Navigation Of Sexuality: What Mental Health Providers Need To Know, Sage A. Volk

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Though literature has documented that TGD individuals may face unique challenges when attempting to develop healthy romantic and sexual relationships (Hill-Meyer & Scarborough, 2014), research has also identified that intimate partners can serve as an immeasurable source of support and resilience for their TGD partners (Coppola et al., 2021; Galupo et al., 2019). While there is strong evidence to support the importance of TGD individuals developing healthy intimate relationships, there is little guidance in the literature for mental health providers wanting to discuss these domains with TGD clients in psychotherapy (Spencer and Vencill, 2017).

The present study addresses this gap …

Transgender And Gender Diverse Youth Navigating Relationships And Sexuality: Recommendations For Affirming Clinical Practice, Hannah Marie Coffey

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Healthy relationship development is critical for adolescents’ social-emotional wellbeing, and shifting social expectations and identity development in adolescence can be challenging (Kenny et al., 2013; Roach, 2018). This can be particularly complex for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth given the occurrence of identity development alongside navigating safety, access to affirming spaces, and limited availability of queer-inclusive education (Levitt and Ippolito, 2014; Xing et al., 2015). The positive psychosocial impacts of comprehensive sex education and the relevance of discussing relationships in therapy with adolescents situate mental health providers well to address some of the gaps in knowledge and access to …

Cultivating Community And Commerce: A Summary Of The Statewide Social And Economic Impacts Of Utah Farmers Markets, Jaclyn Pace, Bryn Watkins, Roslynn Mccann, Steven Price

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Data collected from six markets throughout the market seasons between 2023 and 2024 highlights the transformative impact of Utah’s farmers’ markets on the state’s economy, health, and sense of community. According to market patrons, Utah’s farmers' markets are vital economic and social hubs supporting local agriculture, small businesses, and community well-being.

The Ebony Edge: A Qualitative Exploration Of Math Success Among Black College Women, April Ruiz

Dissertations

Historically, women have been underrepresented as leaders in STEM. However, according to the National Science Foundation (2022), women accounted for a little more than half of the college-educated workforce and underrepresented minority women increased in broad science and engineering occupational categories. This promising upturn underscores the importance—if progress is to continue—of better understanding why some African American women succeed in and persist with their study of college mathematics.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Black college women attending a predominantly White institution in the Midwest, to better understand what reasons Black college women ascribe to their success in …

Los Muxes De Juchitán: Resistance, Identity, And Expressions Of Gender In The Zapotec Culture, Leah Mack

Audre Lorde Prize

This work is a cultural analysis of the Indigenous Zapotec third-gender community in Juchitán, México called the muxes. It examines the historical context that explains how the muxes have survived the process of Spanish colonization: a history of resistance and pride in their Indigenous identities. This essay also explains the European norms of the gender binary and how the norms in Juchitán are different and unique. Then, it analyzes a few cultural spaces that are important to the Zapotec Indigenous identity and the gender identity of the muxes, such as the market and the festive celebrations known as Las Velas. …

The Masculine Way, Jessica Asuquo

be Still

This painting was conceptualized after a particularly impactful patient visit. During the visit, the patient described a traumatic event in greater detail, stating that the doctor and I were the first people he had ever spoken to about the event.

I felt both honored and disheartened by this statement. I was honored that this man trusted us with this knowledge. Still, I was immensely sad that he dealt with the trauma of this event alone for decades. I believe he released some of the grief, pain, anger, fear, and hurt when he shared his burden with us, and I will …

Understanding Undergraduate Aspirations For Law Enforcement Careers And Motivation In The Classroom, Gabriella N. Burt

Honors Thesis

This study investigates the factors shaping undergraduate student interest in law enforcement careers. By surveying students from various Midwestern universities, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between social influences, gender, and curricular exposure in shaping law enforcement career aspirations. Specifically, it examines how motivations for pursuing a public service career, external influences, and background characteristics shape career interest overall. The study also examines how these factors shape career interest between men and women and overall motivation to engage with specific law enforcement course topics. Findings inform policy and curriculum design.

Investigating Gender Differences In Intimate Partner Violence Using Gendered General Strain Theory, Stephanie Victoria Dragon

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern impacting communities and criminal justice systems. Nationwide IPV prevention and reduction policies were emphasized in the media during the aftermath of COVID-19 specifically regarding the identification of IPV offending behaviors through law enforcement screening tools. Research on IPV offending has clearly established a link in offenders exerting methods of power and control to harm an intimate partner through verbal abuse, coercion, sexual violence, and physical violence. Further, research also identified significant disproportional experiences of lethality in female victims at the hands of an intimate partner. However, criminological theories outside of control-based …

An Equitable End: Meeting The Needs Of Queer Families Within Deathcare, Nyssa Peck

University Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to explore end-of-life care experiences of queer families, focusing on interactions with palliative and hospice caregivers. Currently, end-of-life (EOL) practitioners in institutional and medical care settings are often poorly equipped to interact with queer families due to inadequate cultural training models, personal biases, and ignorance regarding the queer identities of their clients. This manifests in substantial inequities within deathcare systems regarding the accommodation of the unique needs of queer familial structures. Drawing upon multidisciplinary scholarship, I sought to examine these needs, which diverge from that of heterosexual families due to queer families’ absence of legal protections and …

Empowerher:A Digital Mosaic Celebrating Six Black Feminist Icons, Jessica M. Mcguire

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract

EmpowerHer: A Digital Mosaic of Six Black Feminist Icons is a research project that explores the lives and work of Angela Davis, Patricia Hill-Collins, bell hooks, Sojourner Truth, Audre Lorde, and Anna Julia Cooper. This digital project expands our knowledge of feminist theory beyond the women's words to encompass information about their education, work, motivations, and areas of focus. It also expounds on why they are important and highlights their accomplishments. This project was completed by researching these women’s lives, primarily with the use of biographies, journal articles, and online resources. In addition to the narrative provided for each …

Progressing Gender Equity In Senior Leadership: A Systematic Literature Review, Michelle Gander, Fleur Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study aim to review and compile the latest research in women’s leadership internationally and across multiple sectors and industries to understand how to fast-track gender equality. As an outcome of this review, this paper presents an actionable universal framework for organisations to use to bolster their gender equity efforts. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review methodology resulted in 36 articles dedicated to research on women in senior leadership interventions across countries and organisational types. Thematic analysis identified a series of enablers and barriers that influence women’s progression into senior roles. Findings: Research since 2020 has shown a significant shift …

Gender, Parenthood, And Crime: What People Expect When You’Re Expecting, Madelyn Blaser

Honors Thesis

Decades of research have underscored the importance of personal demographics on criminal sentencing outcomes. Race and gender have gained increasing attention within this area, while parental status, particularly expectant parenthood, has largely been neglected. The current study seeks to examine the influence that an offender’s gender and parental status have on how they are viewed by the public. Using a vignette-style survey of American adults, this paper examines how gender and parental status influences public perception of an offender’s character. The survey also highlights the impacts that gender and parental status have on perceptions of a fair correctional outcome. Results …

Re-Member The Time: Informed Engagement Through Embodied Memory Among Queer Black Greek Letter Organization Members, Shawna Patterson-Stephens, Antron Mahoney, Charles Stephens

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This study examines the reflexivity of queer BGLO members after graduation and how they made meaning of their involvement when considering encounters with past critical incidents. The authors observed how queer-identified members of Black Greek-lettered organizations navigated opportunities for campus engagement in spaces prone to present heteronormative attitudes. The authors explored how queer-identified members of Black Greek-lettered organizations navigated the processes of identity development and meaning making in spaces prone to presenting heteronormative attitudes. This work is salient because it illustrates the development of subcultures within Black counterspaces in the postsecondary sector. These analyses explicate Black queer folx’s capacity to …

22. Airness [Poster, April 17-25, 2025], University Of Northern Iowa

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Advertisement poster for upcoming UNI production Airness. Airness is a production focused on an underdog story of rock and roll through the art of air guitar, pushing the boundaries of gender and gender expression.

Is There A Sexual Stereotype Linking Casual Sex With Low Self-Esteem?, Susan K. Sprecher, Julie Verette-Lindenbaum, Diane Felmlee, Fiona Therese Fleming, Yasmin Odeh

Faculty Publications – Sociology and Anthropology

An experimental vignette study was conducted to examine the pervasiveness of sexual stereotypes that women (although not men) who engage in casual sex are perceived to have lower self-esteem–and are considered to be less desirable for a relationship–than those who do not engage in casual sex. In a 2 × 2 experimental design, we embedded information about the recent relationship history (two casual sexual relationships vs. two committed sexual relationships) in a hypothetical online dating profile, and also manipulated the profile author’s gender. The participants (N = 318, obtained from two college settings and through Prolific) forecasted that an …

A Mother’S Work At Motherswork, Sharon Wong

Asian Management Insights

Sharon Wong turned a desire for fashionable maternity wear into a journey with women into motherhood. Premium mother and baby products retailer Motherswork started off as a maternity fashion label that founder Sharon Wong created to dress herself professionally while pregnant with her first child. Twenty-five years on, the company hires over 160 employees in stores across China, Vietnam, and its home market of Singapore. Following Motherswork’s acquisition by parent-tech company The Parentinc, the mother of three looks back at how the business which she dubs “a hobby” became synonymous with premium mother and baby products, and how “having it …

On Gender, Gender Incongruence, And Gender-Affirming Care, Tony N. Jelsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

As the number of transgender individuals continues to rise, there is an urgent need to understand the nature of gender and the evidence supporting gender-affirming care. This article proposes the hypothesis that one’s gender is a perception, influenced by biological and social factors. Early-onset gender incongruence seems to be influenced but not wholly determined by the prenatal hormonal environment, while late-onset gender incongruence is associated with comorbidities, suggesting that one’s sense of gender can be impacted by a variety of psychological and social conditions that affect the mind-body connection. Puberty blockers have been used on children to buy time for …

Book Review When Rape Goes Viral: Youth And Sexual Assault In The Digital Age By Anna Gjika, Mary Frederick

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Feminists For Sex-Based Rights: Trump Or Harris In The 2024 Election?, Kara Dansky

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Some US feminists who support sex-based rights for women and girls voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election; others voted for Kamala Harris. For an American feminist to vote for a female Democrat for president is not surprising. Still, because the Democrats embraced “gender identity” at the expense of women and girls as a sex class, some feminists chose to vote for Donald Trump. This article explores some reasons for voting one way or the other (or not at all).

Breaking Up Male-Dominated Collusive Arrangements: Women's Representation In Bureaucracy And Corruption, Beomgeun Cho, Heeun Kim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We investigate the impact of women's representation in bureaucracy on corruption. In this study, we demonstrate how women bureaucrats' experiences in male-dominated workplaces contribute to curbing corruption. To do this, we investigate three dimensions of women's representation (average share, average rank, and hierarchical dispersion) in South Korean regional governments. Empirical evidence shows that the higher women bureaucrats are ranked, the more bureaucrats are disciplined against misbehaviors and the lower the corruption risks are in public procurement. The findings imply that having women bureaucrats at higher ranks reduces corruption risks because they disrupt male-dominated collusive arrangements and abide by ethical standards …

Gender Biases Within Artificial Intelligence And Chatgpt: Evidence, Sources Of Biases, And Solutions, Qi Hui Jerlyn Ho, Andree Hartanto, Andrew Koh, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various sectors has introduced significant benefits, but also raised concerns over biases, particularly in relation to gender. Despite AI's potential to enhance sectors like healthcare, education, and business, it often mirrors reality and its societal prejudices and can manifest itself through unequal treatment in hiring decisions, academic recommendations, or healthcare diagnostics, systematically disadvantaging women. This paper explores how AI systems and chatbots, notably ChatGPT, can perpetuate gender biases due to inherent flaws in training data, algorithms, and user feedback loops. This problem stems from several sources, including biased training datasets, algorithmic design …

"Our Vision Is That Black Mothers And Birthing People, Fathers, And Partners Are Safe, Honored, And Respected Throughout Pregnancy And Parenthood": Black Birth Workers' Agenda For Black Maternal Health In Oregon, Sarah Marguerite Applin

University Honors Theses

Black women and Birthing People (BWBP) face disproportionate rates of mortality within the United States healthcare system. BWBP are three times more likely to suffer a pregnancy-related death than White women. Therefore, addressing and consulting with BWBP about the birthing experience that BWBP sustains when they are bearing children is imperative. The inclusion and application of this key knowledge and understanding should be emphasized and at the root of further development toward reproductive justice. This participatory story was led by Dr. Roberta Hunte. Interviews and focus groups with Black birth workers, birthing people, and public health professionals were conducted in …

Inhibition Of Il-6 Trans-Signaling Promotes Post-Stroke Functional Recovery In A Sex And Dose-Dependent Manner, Cassandra Hall, Dustin T Nguyen, Kate Mendoza, Chunfeng Tan, Anjali Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Elevated circulating IL-6 levels are associated with poorer outcomes after stroke, and increased serum IL-6 levels are linked to a higher risk of stroke. IL-6 binds to soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL-6R) and subsequently to ubiquitously expressed gp130, initiating proinflammatory trans-signaling. This study tested the hypothesis that inhibiting IL-6 trans-signaling by administering soluble (s) gp130 improves long-term functional outcomes in young mice after stroke.

Methods: Recombinant mouse gp130Fc chimera (sgp130) was administered one hour after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by twice-weekly administration for 2 weeks in mice (8-15 weeks old). Behavioral assessments were done on days 7 and …

The Effect Of China’S Universal Two-Child Policy On Female Employment: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Labor Market Outcomes, Sijia Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the effects of China's Universal Two-Child Policy, enacted in 2016, on women's employment outcomes. The implementation of this policy has highlighted the challenges women face in the labor market, revealing a significant disparity between the policy's effects and expectations, as evidenced by the simultaneous occurrence of low fertility intentions and employment difficulties. This research employs a mixed methodology to systematically evaluate the policy's effects on the quality and stability of women's employment while also investigating the underlying mechanisms of this impact. The research indicates that the Universal Two-Child Policy adversely affects women's employment performance in multiple dimensions. …

Queering ‘Common Sense’: Using Critical Discourse Analysis Of Lgbtq+ Book Bans In Florida Public Schools To Unmask Heteronormativity, Talia Zito, Nicole E. Morse

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Historically, censorship of LGBTQ+ content in education has been rooted in socio-political efforts to marginalize non-heteronormative identities. However, even those who oppose censorship tend to frame their arguments around concepts like “age-appropriateness” and “protecting children.” Our Critical Discourse Analysis examines formal challenges to And Tango Makes Three in one Florida school district in 2022 to show how these concepts are deployed on both sides of the debate. The book, depicting a same-sex penguin couple raising a chick, faced objections under Florida’s HB 1557, a law designed to restrict discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Ultimately, the picture …

How Do Gender And Marital Status Impact High-Risk Polysubstance Use?, Kira England, Alexander Chapman

Population Health Research Brief Series

Drug overdose deaths in the United States increasingly include the use of multiple drugs, known as polysubstance use. These include opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, tranquilizers, and sedatives. Polysubstance use is considered high risk because it can cause dangerous synergistic effects and result in the ingestion of higher amounts of drugs. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health on U.S. adults from 2002 through 2019 to examine gender and marital status differences in high-risk polysubstance use among U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The authors find that polysubstance use is …