Digital Commons Network^™

(What) If I Were A Woman?, Errol D. Bean

Journal of International Women's Studies

This piece is not intended to be a poem (although I categorize it as my brand of prose poem); rather, it is a painful out-flow of reflective imaginings—questions and reasoning from a man’s poetic mindset that tries to imagine and empathetically enter the space of the multifaceted experience of those of the human species who are born female and embrace the femininity associated with it culturally—the indomitable, unfathomable, irrepressible, monumental equal half of the universe of all humanity we call WOMAN!

The questions below do not capture the full range of experiences of every WOMAN; the reasoning includes those whose …

The College Appetite Dilemma, Jessica Ferguson

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Mass Rapes In War And Peace: Reflections On Sofi Oksanen’S Same River Twice: Putin’S War On Women, Olivera Simic

Journal of International Women's Studies

In this essay, I reflect on the book Same River Twice: Putin’s War on Women by Ukrainian writer Sofi Oksanen, using it as a backdrop to discuss mass rape. I use Oksanen’s discussion of the war on women in Ukraine to examine the prevalence of gender-based and especially sexual violence during both armed conflict and peacetime. As a scholar of transitional justice, I am concerned about the collective blaming of women for mass atrocities committed mainly by men, both soldiers and civilians. I write this essay as an anti-militarist feminist, taking neither a pro-Russian nor an anti-Ukrainian stance. I also …

Patriarchal Constraints In Everyday Lives: Gender Roles, Matrilineality, And The Status Of Contemporary Khasi Women, Mebarisuk Langstieh, Sudhansubala Sahu

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Khasi tribe from Meghalaya in northeast India practices a matrilineal system, which is believed to be more egalitarian than patrilineal systems. The women of the Khasi tribe are often regarded as having a higher status than other women in India. However, despite belonging to a matrilineal society, Khasi women still face challenges in their social lives stemming from patriarchal constructs. This qualitative study examines the social status and subsequent challenges faced by Khasi women in contemporary India. Using in-depth interviews and observations of thirty urban and rural Khasi women in the East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, the study …

The Local Outsider: Sleeping Sickness Drug Trials, Social Exclusion, And Responses Of Women In The Uyui District Of Tanzania, 1964-2005, Hamisi M. Machangu

Journal of International Women's Studies

Unethical practices in sleeping sickness drug trials conducted in the Uyui District of Tanzania from 1964 to 2005 resulted in physical and psychological disabilities among participants and contributed to the social exclusion of its women participants. Although these practices are understood to have caused disabilities, existing studies have overlooked their contribution to the social exclusion of women. Drawing from both primary and secondary sources, this article treats the impact of such practices as a window to examine the nature and dimensions of social exclusion of women with disabilities and how these women responded to social exclusion at the grassroots level. …

Bodies And Beyond: Reading Liminal Corporealities In Ambai’S Short Stories, Keerthana S

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article demonstrates how the Indian writer Ambai’s short stories construct counter-narratives to phallogocentric structures, opening up fresh avenues of theoretical engagement in the cultural context of Tamil Nadu, India. Despite advancements towards gender equality, cultural symbols and metaphors such as tali (ornament worn by Tamil women denoting their marital status), karpu (chastity), and veera tai (valorous mother), often govern the lives of women to a great extent. I argue that Ambai’s stories both resist the hegemonic constraints of such cultural symbols and also endeavour to reconfigure them. Ambai’s renderings of cultural semiotics enable women to experience their bodies removed …

Recasting The Sacred: Gendered Embodiments In The Shadow Puppet Theatre Of Kerala, V. K. Karthika

Journal of International Women's Studies

Tholppavakkoothu, traditional leather shadow puppetry from Kerala, a southern state within India, has long been performed in temples as a sacred ritual. This ritual art form was a male-dominated performance in which ideas regarding physical purity (in connection with menstruating female bodies) excluded women from participating. Such patriarchal codifications were challenged when Pentholppavakkoothu, an all-women leather puppetry troupe, emerged in 2021, as it not only took the art outside temple premises but enabled the participation of women in the making and performance of the art. This paper critiques the gender dynamics within Tholppavakkoothu, analysing how cultural rituals and body politics …

“I Painted It This Way Because I Belong Nowhere”: Using Body Mapping To Explore Gender, Subjectivity, And Resilience Among Afghan Immigrant Women In Iran, Mina Naji, Ali Mehrabi, Ehsan Aghababaeec, Treena Orchard

Journal of International Women's Studies

This qualitative study explores how second-generation Afghan women born and raised in Iran create belonging and identity despite gender, legal, and cultural barriers. Although they represent a large part of the Afghan community in Iran, their daily embodied experiences are rarely discussed in migration or gender studies. Using body mapping and semi-structured interviews conducted with four women aged 18–40, this study examines how displacement and everyday exclusion shape their feelings, identities, and coping mechanisms. The visual and narrative data show how inequalities in education, family life, and social position are felt and carried within the body. At the same time, …

Feminist Reflexivity In Practice: Addressing Positionality And Building Sisterhood Through Fieldwork With Black Migrant Sex Workers In Istanbul, Yeliz Kendir-Gök

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article addresses feminist reflexivity and researcher positionality in ethnographic fieldwork with undocumented Ugandan women sex workers in Istanbul’s Tarlabaşı and Aksaray neighborhoods. Drawing on fourteen months of immersive research, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journaling, the study examines how both the researcher and participants engaged in strategic forms of resistance within racialized and gendered urban spaces. The analysis is grounded in a feminist epistemological framework that draws on Kandiyoti’s notion of patriarchal bargaining and Scott’s theory of hidden transcripts. Findings reveal how participants and the researcher used subtle forms of resistance, such as strategic silence or performative …

Rural Banditry In North Central Nigeria: The Experience Of Women In Affected Communities, Joseph Egidi Igbe, Tersoo Asongo, Evaristus Akpanke Ushie, William Okon Williams, Patrick Owan Bisong

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examined rural banditry in North Central Nigeria, focusing on women’s experiences in affected communities. The study specifically looked at women’s experiences with poor health, sexual violence, and physical harm caused by rural banditry and militancy in the study area. The study employs Kate Millet’s feminist theory of patriarchal power and structure to frame its theoretical standpoint. Four hundred women informants were selected through stratified random and purposive sampling techniques, and data were obtained using a questionnaire and eight in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequency tables, while simple linear regression was used …

Penal Protection For Women In Jordan: How Compatible Are International Agreements And Jordanian Legislation?, Hasan Altarawneh, Hamzeh Abu Issa

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article analyses the degree to which Jordanian penal legislation conforms to international human rights standards regarding the protection of women from violence, specifically the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the United Nations Bangkok Rules. Jordan has implemented legislative reforms targeting gender-based violence; however, these reforms are incomplete, disjointed, and frequently misaligned with international standards. This study employs a doctrinal methodology to analyse Articles 292–311 of the Jordanian Penal Code and associated procedural rules, assessing their substantive and procedural provisions in relation to international legal obligations. This analysis includes rulings from the …

Whose Rules, Whose Rights?: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence And Legal Protections In Wartime, Sadaf Shabbir

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article critically analyzes conflict-related systematic sexual violence (CRSV) within the frameworks of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Additional Protocols. Moving beyond viewing CRSV as an isolated atrocity, it situates sexual violence within the historical and political roots of conflict, using case studies from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic. The analysis demonstrates how sexual violence operates as a weapon within exploitative wartime economies, where institutional collapse and illicit resource networks enable the commodification and control of women’s bodies. Furthermore, the article introduces a sectarian lens to the study of CRSV, …

Migration Narratives Of Ukrainian Women In South Tyrol: A Comparison Of Pre- And Post-War Experiences, Giulia Isetti, Irem Güney-Frahm

Journal of International Women's Studies

Through qualitative interviews with Ukrainian women who migrated to South Tyrol, Italy before and after the 2022 Russian invasion, this paper explores the experiences, motivations, challenges, and integration strategies of these migrants. Findings highlight the gendered nature of migration, as Ukrainian women often face occupational downgrading, in which they are forced to work in low-skilled sectors due to language barriers, bureaucratic hurdles, and labour market discrimination. Social integration remains a challenge particularly among post-war arrivals. Unlike other Orthodox Christian migrant groups, respondents report weak communal solidarity, although individual acts of support from local organizations and colleagues mitigate isolation. Finally, the …

Editors' Introduction, Diana J. Fox, Kimberly Chabot Davis, Emma Voelker, Harley Shiner

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

An Archival Responsibility: A Scoping Review Of Literature Regarding The Documentary Burdens Of Refugees, Ana Roeschley, Kinza Alizai, Crystal Tharayil, Amy Lanier, Merrion D. Frederick, Homero R. Cuevas

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Documented individuals who do not live in conflict zones can usually access and use their records to migrate, begin new careers, enroll their children in educational institutions, and gain access to healthcare through mostly routine record-related procedures. However, these standard processes become impossible obstacles for refugees when they lose access to their personal records as part of their forced displacement. Though ever-present for refugees, these documentary burdens are compounded in times of societal crises and political upheaval—times when documentation is most critical. If archivists and archival scholars are to address these issues, it is important to understand the scope of …

The Soul Of Reading: Broadside Lotus Press And Black Poetry As Celebration And Resistance, Leah Van Belle

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Spelling With Tears: (Re)Thinking The Phonics-Spelling Connection, Meghan K. Block, Kristen L. White

Michigan Reading Journal

Many elementary students perform well on weekly spelling tests but struggle to apply those same words in their everyday reading and writing. This article explores why spelling and phonics instruction often feel disconnected in classrooms and how that disconnect affects children’s literacy development. Using a classroom vignette, teacher perspectives, and research, we argue for integrating spelling into meaningful reading and writing experiences. We share practical, classroom-ready recommendations—including word study, morphology instruction, games, and authentic writing—to help teachers make spelling purposeful, engaging, and transferable.

Building Self-Efficacy In Students With Dyslexia: A Practice-Forward Framework For Classrooms, Families, And Teacher Preparation, Jennifer L. Vanderground

Michigan Reading Journal

Self-efficacy—the belief in one’s capacity to organize and carry out actions to reach goals—predicts persistence, strategic behavior, and academic outcomes (Bandura, 1997). For students with dyslexia, recurring experiences of effortful reading and peer comparison can suppress self-efficacy and elevate anxiety (Humphrey & Mullins, 2002; Nalavany et al., 2017). Research consistently links dyslexia with higher rates of internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression, alongside modifiable correlates including self-beliefs, coping, and school connectedness—promising leverage points for educators and families (Livingston et al., 2018).

Prevalence estimates vary widely. Under strict criteria, fewer than 10% of students qualify, but when thresholds include those …

From The Editors…, Laura Gabrion, Rui Niu-Cooper, Leah Van Belle, Jenelle Williams

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Full Issue: Volume 58, No. 2

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Review Of Land In Libraries: Toward A Materialist Conception Of Education, Anna Z. Szapiro

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Extractive practices of colonial land theft and environmental exploitation have produced intolerable global conditions leading to climate collapse. As the information field grapples with its culpability in colonial violence and climate change, Lydia Zvyagintseva and Mary Greenshields’s incisive Land in Libraries: Toward a Materialist Conception of Education draws contributions from practitioners in the United States and Canada to chart a way forward. Through historical analysis, case studies, critical theory, and autoethnography, authors in this volume take up land – and our relation to it – as the epistemological catalyst for systemic change. At once austere critique and lyrical contemplation, Land …

Examining The Impact Of Individual And Group Piano Instruction On Students’ Learning: Teachers’ Perceptions, Pavithra Madapatha

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Group and individual piano instruction are the most common piano teaching approaches in Sri Lanka. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these techniques help to improve students’ learning skills. The study was based on qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews from five (05) piano teachers. Teachers were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Thematic analysis method was used to analyse the interview data. The themes included are: (1) advantages and disadvantages of individual piano teaching; (2) benefits of group piano teaching; (3) challenges of group piano teaching; (4) teaching approaches and strategies used under each method …

Perceptions Of High School Graduates And Educators Regarding A Mathematics Intervention For College And Career Readiness, Annie Elizabeth Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that, from 2017 through 2024, over 68% of 11th-grade students consistently did not meet the college- and career-readiness American College Test standards benchmark in mathematics at Midwest High School (MHS, a pseudonym), which used the Kendall Hunt Illustrative Mathematics (KHIM) curriculum. Guided by Bruner’s theory of instruction and KHIM’s structural components, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate high school graduates’ and non-administrative educators’ perceptions about learning and teaching with the KHIM curriculum and explore non-administrative educators’ suggestions for enhancements and evolutions to the curriculum at MHS. Semistructured interviews were …

Rotunda - Vol 105, No 4 - Feb 25, 2026, Longwood University

Rotunda

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Corporate Managers In Improving Profit Performance Of Commercial Banks In Kosovo, Flutura Beka Kamberaj

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The profitability of commercial banks is a key indicator of financial system stability and economic growth, albeit Kosovo’s banking sector continues to face challenges from nonperforming loans, regulatory constraints, and limited innovation. Corporate managers at Kosovo’s commercial banks are reporting low profit performance despite overall sector stability. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore how corporate managers contribute to improving profit performance in Kosovo’s commercial banks. The resource-based view and corporate governance theory provided the theoretical foundation. The participants comprised 20 corporate managers at commercial banks in Kosovo. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and public documents. …

Barriers And Incentives For Smartphone Mhealth Adoption Among Health Care Providers In Central And Southern Appalachia, Temitope S. Ajagbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural Appalachian communities in the United States experience disproportionately high chronic disease burden. Mobile health (mHealth) technology adoption among providers remains low despite potential to improve care access. Understanding adoption factors is critical for addressing health inequities. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine whether diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory attributes predict current mHealth adoption among health care professionals involved in rural Appalachian primary care delivery and whether structural constraints moderate these relationships. Despite extensive DOI validation in well-resourced settings, its applicability to severely resource-constrained contexts remained empirically uncertain. Data from 100 health care professionals across eight …

The Parthenon, February 25, 2026, Baylee Parsons, Kaitlyn Fleming, Abby Ayes, Ella Hatfield, Davina Synder, Scott Price, Trista Honaker

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

Daily Eastern News: February 25, 2026, Eastern Illinois University

Daily Eastern News: 2025-2026

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Ensemble Biosensor For Fatty Acids And Enhancing The Antibiotic Properties Of Meropenem With Hydrophobic Ion Paring And Nsf National I-Corps Experience And Commercialization Roadmap For The Paper Based Ensemble Biosensor For Ibs, Krishna Paul

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis integrates three interconnected studies focused on advancing biomedical diagnostics and therapeutic formulation. Primary task was developing an ensemble biosensor for multiplex fatty acid detection using protein - fluorophore interactions. A fluorescence matrix of BSA and FABP with 1,8-ANS, 2-AC, and fluorescein differentiated eight fatty acids with 94.59% accuracy. Validation in H. pylori positive stool samples confirmed its sensitivity and specificity with potentiality as a non-invasive diagnostic platform for Gastrointestinal and chronic diseases. The second project explores Hydrophobic Ion Pairing (HIP) to enhance the lipophilicity and bioactivity of the β-lactam antibiotic meropenem. HIP complexes with hydrophobic counter-ions improved stability, …

Week 8: Weaponizing Space? Cooperation And Challenges To Arms Control, Alice Dell'era

Course Materials

This lecture examines the potential risks and consequences of weaponizing space, assesses the potential for conflict in space, and examines how international cooperation and arms control mechanisms can prevent the weaponization of outer space.