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Envisioning A World Without Rape In Late Fifteenth-Century Dream Narratives, Boyda J. Johnstone

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

Recent scholarship has been preoccupied with questions of rape and consent in late medieval literature, partly influenced by the Me Too movement while we continue to grapple with Geoffrey Chaucer’s allegation of raptus. In such a climate, medieval texts that likewise challenge the normalization of rape in literature and society require renewed attention and critical interest. The three fifteenth-century poems I examine in this article, The Assembly of Ladies, The Floure and the Leafe, and The Isle of Ladies, push Chaucer’s dream vision tradition in a new direction, presenting us with female-centered models of cooperation, care, and governance. …

Selecting Authority: The Compiler And Female Mystical Sources In Speculum Devotorum, Caitlin J. Branumthrash

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

The fifteenth-century Speculum devotorum, or Mirror to Devout People, is best known for incorporating the texts of mystical women into its narrative of the life of Christ, likely because it has an explicitly stated female audience—a nun of Syon. Rather than considering how the female audience may have perceived the female sources in Speculum devotorum, this article investigates the compiler’s views of his female sources based on how he incorporates them into his work. I argue that the compiler treats his female sources as full auctores, but he only includes their works when he addresses what he considers female …

Gender And Voice In Medieval French Literature And Song, Joseph P. Derosier

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Obscene Pedagogies: Transgressive Talk And Sexual Education In Late Medieval Britain, Jenny C. Bledsoe

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Learning Finite Mixture Of Ising Graphical Models, Chong Gu

Dissertations

The Ising model is valuable in examining complex interactions within a system, but its estimation is challenging. In this work, we proposed penalized likelihood procedures to infer conditional dependence structure when observed data come from heterogeneous resources in high-dimensional setting. The proposed method can be efficiently implemented by taking advantage of coordinate-ascent, minorization–maximization principles and EM algorithm. A BIC-type criterion will be utilized for the selection of the tuning parameter in the penalized likelihood approaches. The effectiveness of the proposed method is supported by simulation studies and a real-world example.

Nonparametric Tests For Replicated Latin Squares, Joseph Yang

Dissertations

Two classes of nonparametric procedures for a replicated Latin square design that test for both general and increasing alternatives are developed. The two classes of procedures are similar in the sense that both transform the data so that existing well-known tests for randomized complete block designs can be utilized. On the other hand, the two classes differ in the way that the data is transformed - one class essentially aggregates the data while the other class aligns the data. Within these contexts, the exact distributions and asymptotic distributions are discussed, when applicable. The exact distributions are easily computed using the …

Side-Stepping God: How The Nonreligious Find Success In Alcoholics Anonymous, Caitlin Trombley

Dissertations

This dissertation utilized mixed methods research to examine how nonreligious individuals with substance use disorders navigate recovery within—or in spite of—Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Both the 12-step program itself and Alcoholics Anonymous have long been criticized for being religious and/or spiritual in nature, and some studies have shown that this is particularly challenging for nonreligious individuals seeking recovery. The purpose of this research was to (a) identify differences in recovery resources (recovery capital) between the religious, the nonreligious, those in AA, and those who have adopted alternative forms of recovery; (b) identify barriers that the nonreligious face as they navigate recovery …

Studying Gender In Medieval Europe: Historical Approaches, Jessica E. Zisa

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Leadership Identity Development Among Aspiring Women Leaders In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study Of Formal Mentoring, Malia E. Roberts

Dissertations

Men have held the majority of presidencies, vice-presidencies, deanships, and other top administrative positions on college campuses since 1950 (Parker, 2015). The disproportionately low representation of women holding leadership roles in higher education is even more urgent considering few women ever reach the senior most leadership levels (Hannum et al., 2015). As such, the American Council on Education not only identified the need to increase the presence of women in leadership positions and to cultivate a pipeline of future leaders, but also the need to provide formal leadership training opportunities for women (Howard & Gagliardi, 2018). While various higher education …

Internationalization Strategies In Chinese Higher Education Institutions: Examining A Selection Of Award-Winning Four-Year Universities, Yuqian Zhang

Dissertations

China is building the fastest growing higher education system, in quality as well as in quantity, in the world and emphasizes internationalization in education policy as a guide to building its own capacity and developing native talent. With regained self-confidence and geopolitical ambition, China is also emerging as a new potential higher education leader along its New Silk Road. The purpose of this study was to explore internationalization strategies employed at select, award-winning Chinese four-year universities, specifically those awarded the National Teaching Achievement Award, the highest national award in teaching and education in the country, for their internationalization efforts.

This …

The Skin I’M In: A Critical Content Analysis Of Picture Books Written By Black Authors, Angela Latrece Justice

Dissertations

This study seeks to explore the experiences of Black male protagonists in picture books. The following question guided this study: How do Black authors demonstrate a commitment to social justice? The theoretical framework that guides this study is Critical Race Theory (CRT), which aids in understanding how Black authors use experiential knowledge to represent experiences that challenge dominant ideologies about Black males. The sample consists of 20 pictures books all written by Black authors and published within the United States from 2018 to 2021. The deductive and inductive approaches to critical content analysis is used as it is effective for …

"Oiez Mon Aventure": Cuer D'Acier's Nonbinary Gender In Perceforest, Brooke Heidenreich Findley

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

The character of Cuer d’Acier, or Heart of Steel, in the 15^th century French romance Perceforest, has a complex gender identity that does not fit easily into a gender binary. First appearing as the courtly maiden Neronés, the character later lives and is read as a man. The romance uses both “he” and “she” pronouns to refer to Heart of Steel, often using both in the space of a single paragraph or even a single sentence. While Heart of Steel is again dressed as a woman at the end of the romance, the character’s own actions and statements …

Christine De Pizan: Life, Work, Legacy, S.C. Kaplan

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal Of Gender And Sexuality 58.2 (2023)

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Holy Matter Making Holy Meaning: Fashioning Memory, Community And Dissimilar Similitude In Middle Dutch Sister-Books And The Book Of Margery Kempe, Godelinde G. Perk

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

The Middle Dutch sister-books and The Book of Margery Kempe are fifteenth-century vernacular texts by women chronicling their female subjects’ conversion and arduous attempts at a holy life. They share an (auto)hagiographic enterprise and formal and thematic features, including a display of rags and riches by the vitae’s subjects and a desire for mnemonic engagement on the part of the readers with the text. This article is the first to present the Diepenveen and Deventer sister-books and the Book as conversation partners. I draw on two main conceptual tools: 1) medieval memoria and 2) the notion of “dissimilar similitude” …

Book Of The Body Politic, Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Female Reception Of Stained Glass Images Of St. Anne In Late Medieval York: Women, Mothers, And Wives, Susanna Wyse Jackson

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

This article explores the depiction of St. Anne in the late medieval stained glass of three York parish churches. Focusing on two iconographic subjects, St. Anne teaching the Virgin Mary and St. Anne with her extended family, it argues that the representation of St. Anne in these contexts speaks to the conscious orientation of iconography towards female members of the laity. Images of St. Anne may have served to reinforce specific roles and values by providing a focus for performative identification. In addition, they reflect women’s status within the family, the parish, and society as a whole. This under-explored area …

58th International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 58th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 11–13, 2023), together with the Corrigenda.

Breaking The Academic Lockstep: Dr. Samuel Clark And The Birth Of Honors Education At Western Michigan University, Tashfia Raisa

Honors Theses

The Lee Honors College at Western Michigan University has grown so rapidly over the past few decades that one may overlook its humble beginnings. The first Director of the Honors College, Dr. Samuel Clark, contributed greatly to the establishment of the college and the development of the curriculum. This thesis, which examines the origin of honors programming nationally and at Western Michigan University, will allow future researchers and administrators to better appreciate today’s honors program at Western Michigan University in light of its past.

Fundraising In The Theatre: A Reflection Of The Wmu Theatre Guild President's Performance, Lindsey Beck

Honors Theses

Fundraising is an important element to the success of any nonprofit organization, but arts organizations have unique opportunities to produce exciting, engaging, and creative fundraising events that coincide with their season programming. My thesis will explore what makes a successful fundraising event and compare best practices with the practices used at Western Michigan University for the annual Theatre Guild President’s Performance. I analyze the inner workings of the Theatre Guild Board of Directors and their approach to producing a special event, and interview professionals and board members to get a comprehensive overview of what defines a successful fundraising events look …

Literature Replication: Insect Gut Cell Isolation Protocols, Sophie Pickelner

Honors Theses

A large problem in science is the lack of literature replication, especially for subjects in which there is little published research. Literature replication is an integral part of the scientific method and is important for validating methods and results of published studies. A study from Nature found that out of 1,500 scientists interviewed, over 70% have been unable to reproduce literature studies and over half of them have been unable to reproduce even their own studies (Baker, 2016). This problem is even more pronounced in the field of biology, with 80% of scientists reporting that they are unable to replicate …

The Dialectics Of Rock Music And Neoliberalism, Derek Block

Honors Theses

It has been argued that Rock music is one of the Modern West’s most important artistic achievements. It was, in some way, shape, or form, the most popular genre of music in the Western hemisphere for the last 60 years. The depth and relevancy of the genre still resonate through almost every level of society; a Bruce Springsteen song played at a political rally, a Beatles tune scoring a movie characters existential contemplation, the same six songs played at sporting events, and the list goes on. Rock music can be as personal as a stranger strumming a guitar in a …

Identification Of Factors Contributing To No-Show And Appointment Cancellation Rates In Outpatient Cardiovascular Services., Sarah Bergman

Honors Theses

Appointment no-shows and same-day cancellations have been an ongoing issue in Bronson outpatient cardiovascular services (CVS). Further investigation was needed and is crucial in identifying barriers to care. Consequences of nonattendance may include negative health outcomes for patients and scheduling and financial burdens for the department. Knowledge of barriers of care is helpful in implementing interventions to encourage patient attendance for the benefit of patients’ health and department revenue. The goal of this project was to identify and analyze trends in no-show and cancellation rates and cancellation reasons given by patients. Doing so allowed for the identification of common barriers …

Impact Of Cultural Perceptions Of Education On Mental Health Outcomes Among Asian And Asian-American Students, Firzana Syazania

Honors Theses

Many Asian countries are greatly influenced by Confucianism and are labelled Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) countries (Tan & Yates, 2010). Confucianism incorporates teachings of filial piety, respect for elders, emphasis of social values, benevolence, and the importance of education ("Confucius”; Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2021). In CHC countries and other Asian countries like India, bringing honor and pride to one’s family is highly valued. In India, bringing honor to one’s family through obtaining a career with a higher salary could be perceived as a form of duty to one’s family. These values are taught and emphasized at an early age, …

Mental Health In Aviation: A Study Of Aviation Students On Their Perceptions Of The Federal Aviation Administration’S Rules Governing Mental Health, Laila Stein

Honors Theses

This study aims to understand collegiate aviation students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors’ perceptions of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) regulations governing mental health assistance. It also aims to examine the impact of the perceptions held by students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors regarding their desire to seek mental health assistance. A study at Western Michigan University’s (WMU) College of Aviation (COA) was developed to test the hypothesis that students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors had a restrictive perception of the FAA rules regarding seeking mental health assistance, and that students, faculty, staff, and flight instructors had lower desire to …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Online Learning On Teacher Morale And What That Means For Students: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Madison Thomas

Honors Theses

Teacher shortages have occurred in the United States over the past ten years and continue to rise (Darling-Hammond & Podolsky, 2019). Teacher shortages have continued to rise at an increased rate since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, multiple studies have addressed teacher morale and retention in the wake of a global pandemic (Matthews et al., 2022; Bill et al., 2022). Through a systematic review of the literature from the last three years, this review explored the factors most affecting teacher morale and retention in Michigan following the pandemic. The keywords used within the literature review were: teacher …

Act And Cbt: A Comparison Of Predictors For Depression And Anxiety, Madeline Yorke

Honors Theses

Depression and anxiety are among the most commonly diagnosed mental health issues in the United States and across the world. Given the increasing prevalence of both diagnoses, the science community has emphasized research in the treatment of disorders, including therapies. Two common treatments used are Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT operates on the theory of psychological flexibility as its core construct. CBT uses repetitive negative thoughts and worry as its core constructs. The overall purpose of the study is to determine how well ACT variables compared to CBT variables explain the variation in depression …

Race, Gender And Rawls' "A Theory Of Justice.", Robert Carico

Honors Theses

Should we use the concepts developed by John Rawls in his A Theory of Justice to guide research questions relevant to issues concerning race and gender? This paper argues not only that the concepts from A Theory of Justice should not be used as the primary tool in any debate concerning race and gender, but it also challenges the abstract thinking of 21st Century Western Philosophers to develop a theory of justice that acknowledges the fact that people have their own interests and depending on what race and/or gender they identify with, might not have equal rights protected under the …

The Importance Of The United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: A Study On Mali, The Democratic Republic Of Congo, And South Sudan, Tess Whitehurst

Honors Theses

This thesis presents the history of UN peacekeeping and how it has evolved over time to create more effective solutions to peacebuilding. This is done by providing a comparison of the backgrounds of three different peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), with a historical and demographical background on the host country in order to demonstrate the importance of peacekeeping on that country. Through critical research of peer reviewed sources and contextual information from …

Covid-19 As A Force Majeure On Joint Venture Agreements, Tannya Rebecca

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the legal and practical implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on joint ventures, focusing on the impact of force majeure clauses and supplier-buyer relationships. Drawing on insights from real-world professionals, the study examines the evolving perspectives on whether COVID-19 constitutes a force majeure event that affects supplier-buyer relationships in joint ventures. While the majority of professionals initially regarded COVID-19 as a force majeure event that significantly impacted these relationships between 2020 and 2022, dissenting views have gained traction in 2023.

Examining the legal framework and precedents, the research reveals that courts interpret force majeure clauses based on the …