Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Propensity Score Analysis Assessing The Burden Of Non-Communicable Diseases Among The Transgender Population In The United States Using The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2017–2019), Jennifer R. Pharr, Kavita Batra

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Research to assess the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the transgender population needs to be prioritized given the high prevalence of chronic conditions and associated risk factors in this group. Previous cross-sectional studies utilized unmatched samples with a significant covariate imbalance resulting in a selection bias. Therefore, this cross-sectional study attempts to assess and compare the burden of NCDs among propensity score-matched transgender and cisgender population groups. This study analyzed Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (2017–2019) using complex weighting procedures to generate nationally representative samples. Logistic regression was fit to estimate propensity scores. Transgender and cisgender groups were …

Feminist Theory And Interorganizational Collaboration: An Ethnographic Study Of Gendered Tension Management, Rebecca M. Rice

Communication Studies Faculty Research

Building on feminist theories in organizational communication, this study investigated gendered tension management strategies in interorganizational collaboration. I analyzed data from a 2-year ethnographic study and semi-structured interviews within a collaboration. Findings showed that collaboration members engaged with gendered discourses across levels of the collaboration, including in tensions related to collaborative structure, professional identities, and goals and outcomes. I proposed that collaborators engage in gendered tension management to indicate how gender and difference, particularly the unspoken cultural norms of white masculinity, constitute collaborations. Tension management prioritized tactical, control-related goals over more holistic, care-related goals. This study brought feminist theorizing into …

The Aftermath Of Sexual Assault: Creating The "I Am More Than My Experience" Workbook, Isabella Chung

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

The following thesis includes a literature review of the immediate and long-term effects of sexual assault on victims in regards to their physical, mental, and emotional health and romantic relationships, followed by a proposed workbook for sexual assault victims/survivors. Being that typical responses immediately after an assault are fear, disbelief, and activation of the sympathetic nervous system, it is to no surprise that long term issues of depression, anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often arise as well. Thus, a workbook was created with the intention of educating readers about sexual assault and helping victims/survivors to heal from the trauma …

Disrupting Gender Normativity Through A Social Learning Framework, Ashley Shank

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Through a social learning theoretical framework, this thesis seeks to understand the mechanisms by which gender normativity is perpetuated, as well as how it may result in the marginalization of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth. Additionally, ways in which TGNC youth navigate oppression and how discrimination against TGNC youth may be reduced through disruption of gender normativity are explored. Using qualitative methods that include the analyzation of community meeting transcripts as well as townhall meetings with TGNC/queer community members, the present study will attempt to answer the following research questions through a social learning theoretical framework: 1. How can …

Still We Rise: A Black Feminist Qualitative Inquiry Exploring Black Women’S Experiences On Twitter, Yvonne C. Morris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

#WOCAffirmation was a hashtag created by April Reign in October 2017 in response to how Black women do not have the same supports of solidarity from populations who are non-Black women. Serving as a counterpublic, #WOCAffirmation embodied how Black women created space to affirm and amplify each other while also highlighting the harassment and abuse they experience in form of misogynoir on Twitter. As Black women are already under-researched in academia and fields within digital humanities, this study centered Black women while also highlighting oppressive systems of power in both physical and digital spaces. Using Black feminist thought as the …

Examining The Experiences Of Lgbtq Dpt Students: A Critical Ethnography, Catherine Turner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of LGBTQ Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students at a large public university in the south-western United States, as it relates to the culture and climate of the program and campus. The LGBTQ community faces its own unique health disparities. Research in medicine suggests improving the diversity of the healthcare profession is a vital component in improving access to care, and this requires the creation of inclusive and supportive educational environments for LGBTQ identifying healthcare students. However, minimal research exists examining the experiences of LGBTQ physical therapy students.

The study …

'Wait, Twilight Is A Thing Again?': Examining The Ways In Which Different Social Groups Navigate The Complex Cultural Issues In Twilight, Veronica Buchanan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

The four books and five movies in the extremely popular Twilight series give readers and viewers a lot to unpack, in both good ways and bad, and have led to fierce debates over the place the series should have in our culture, especially in regard to gender politics. However, most of the discussions of these texts and their cultural impact have tended to lack a robust, intersectional feminist perspective, one that attends to issues not only of gender, but also race, class, and sexuality. This research draws on both fan studies and feminist media studies to examine the various ways …

"To Live Deliciously": The Imaginary Father In Robert Eggers' The Witch, Charles Hicks

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

In this essay I re-examine the archetype of the witch, long viewed in scholarship as the antagonist of the Symbolic Order and phallocentric structures of oppression, through an analysis of Robert Eggers’ supernatural horror film, The Witch (2015). Bringing together Julia Kristeva’s work on primary narcissism and identification and Justyna Sempruch’s analysis of the witch as a trace of archaic, semiotic origins, I argue that the witch can be viewed as a representation of the Imaginary Father, the site of maternal desire that assists the child in its transition from the maternal body to the Symbolic. Specifically, this essay analyzes …

She Lives: Bringing The Bride Of Frankenstein To Life In The Comics, Michael Torregrossa

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein recently celebrated its two-hundredth anniversary, and its story remains vibrant in popular culture, especially in the comics medium. I’ve done a number of conference papers in the past devoted to representations of the Creature and his creator, Victor Frankenstein, in comics and comic art, but I’ve only recently begun to look at how the character of the Bride of Frankenstein has been depicted. I’d like to use this opportunity to further that work and look more closely at continuations and recastings of her story. The Bride has no chance at life in Shelley’s novel, as she is …

Are Binge Drinking Disparities By Sexual Identity Lower In U.S. States With Nondiscrimination Statutes That Include Sexual Orientation?, Naomi Greene, Renee M. Johnson, Joanne Rosen, Danielle German, Joanna E. Cohen

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Purpose Studies examining binge drinking disparities by sexual identity focus on intra- and inter-personal minority stressors experienced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. State-level statutes are powerful tools that can reduce health disparities. We examined how state-level nondiscrimination statutes that include sexual orientation as a protected ground (i.e., inclusive statutes) are associated with binge drinking disparities between LGB and straight adults. Methods We combined data from the 2015-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), and administrative data sources for information on binge drinking, sexual identity, nondiscrimination statutes, and individual and state-level factors. We included …

Women's Research Institute Of Nevada Newsletter, Women's Research Institute Of Nevada

Newsletters

Director's Message: 2021 has FINALLY arrived! Most applauded closing the door on 2020, yet in hindsight, 2020 proved what resilience we have when put to the test. We became creative and learned new platforms. We found ways to engage and create while working remotely. We are still using our virtual platforms, but they no longer seem so onerous and cumbersome - we've acclimated!

What Does Queerness Look Like When No One Is Looking?, Reginald Stewart, Laurence Reece

Undergraduate Research Symposium Performances & Exhibitions

This project investigates the affects of the pandemic on queer artists and their work. Through a series of interviews and conversations undergraduate researcher Grey Stewart, and graduate mentor Laurence Myers Reese talk with artists about their experiences in making art related to identity and the effects of the pandemic on their practice. The project includes audio and written interviews with artists and will result in the fall with an exhibition at the Barrick Museum of Art. This presentation discusses the in progress findings of the research.

Understanding The Professional Experiences Of White Jewish Women In Higher Education: An Intrinsic Case Study Analysis, Janna M. Bernstein

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The exploration of female professionals’ experiences within the realm of higher education is steadily increasing, yet researchers have yet to analyze, much less include, Jewish women. Following a qualitative intrinsic case study approach, this study assesses the lived experiences of ten white Jewish women professionals to better understand how they engage in the world of higher education differently than their non-Jewish counterparts. Using racial formation theory and intersectional analysis as theoretical frameworks, the research examined the current and historical literature on Jewish identity, the role of Jews and Jewish women in higher education, and the relevant methodological research. The study …

Madres, Hijas, Y La Frontera: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Mexican Mothers And Mexican-American Daughters, Arianna Gabriela Razo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the role Mexican mothers play in raising their children and how the border affects their abilities as mothers, looking specifically into the Mother-Daughter relationship, broken down even further into the Mexican mother versus the Mexican-American daughter. To explore this concept, I examine Sandra Cisneros, Caramelo, looking at all the mothers, but specifically into the Reyes matriarchs, and Aaron Bobrow-Strain, The Life and Death of Aida Hernandez, to show how the border has influenced Mexican mothering styles, along with juxtaposing how Mexican immigrants were treated in the 20th century to how politicization of …

Women's Research Institute Of Nevada Newsletter, Women's Research Institute Of Nevada

Newsletters

Interim Director Message: I want to send a positive and hopeful message to all of our community supporters: Rest assured, we are all discovering new levels of creativity and tenacity as we navigate through these times!

Rejection Sensitivity And The Intent To Seek Medical Help Among Gender Minority Individuals, Kellyann Garthe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: As members of a marginalized and socially devalued group, gender minority (GM) individuals regularly experience rejection in healthcare experiences. These rejecting experiences lead to barriers to healthcare access and health disparities. Consequently, GM individuals’ may develop anxious and avoidant attitudes toward their healthcare needs. When considering healthcare, an individual’s inherent attitude informs their intent to seek medical help (ISMH), defined as the attitude that influences one’s decision to seek medical help. When an individual has a hyper-sensitive reaction to perceived rejection, this is termed rejection sensitivity (RS).

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if the independent …

Memory And Stereotypes For Lesbian/Gay Characters, Amber Rose Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Stereotype-consistency bias refers to the idea that people tend to remember stereotypical information about others better than non-stereotypical information (Fyock & Stangor, 1994). Limited research has examined how people may use stereotype-consistency bias when recalling information about LGBT characters in narratives (Bellezza & Bower, 1981; Clark & Woll, 1981; McGann & Goodwin, 2007; Snyder & Uranowitz, 1978). This line of research suggests that, instead of genuinely remembering stereotypical information better, participants tended to guess stereotypical answers to questions they do not know. In contrast to those studies, the experiment I conducted for this thesis suggests that heterosexual young adults tend …

Catholic Family Ties: Sustaining And Supporting Hiv-Positive Canadian Gay Men’S Faith, Mental Health, And Wellbeing, Renato M. Liboro

Psychology Faculty Research

Research has documented that sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS have successfully used religious coping to help them overcome life challenges related to their sexual orientation and HIV status, including religious struggles surrounding their faith brought about by stigma and discrimination that have historically been promoted by organized religion. Research has also documented how sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS have utilized family support as a vital resource for effectively coping with life challenges associated with homophobia, heterosexism, and HIV stigma, which have historically been perpetuated in certain family and faith dynamics. The aim of the community-engaged, qualitative …

The Development Of The Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder Scale (Csbd-19): An Icd-11 Based Screening Measure Across Three Languages, Beáta Bőthe, Marc N. Potenza, Mark D. Griffiths, Shane W. Kraus, Verena Klein, Johannes Fuss, Zsolt Demetrovics

Psychology Faculty Research

Background Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) is included in the eleventh edition of The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an impulse-control disorder. AimsThe aim of the present work was to develop a scale (Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder Scale–CSBD-19) that can reliably and validly assess CSBD based on ICD-11 diagnostic guidelines. Method Four independent samples of 9,325 individuals completed self-reported measures from three countries (the United States, Hungary, and Germany). The psychometric properties of the CSBD-19 were examined in terms of factor structure, reliability, measurement invariance, and theoretically relevant correlates. A potential threshold was determined to identify individuals with an …

Validation Of A Brief Pornography Screen Across Multiple Samples, Shane W. Kraus, Mateusz Gola, Joshua B. Grubbs, Ewelina Kowalewska, Rani A. Hoff, Michał Lew-Starowicz, Steve Martino, Steven D. Shirk, Marc N. Potenza

Psychology Faculty Research

Background and Aims To address current gaps around screening for problematic pornography use (PPU), we initially developed and tested a six-item Brief Pornography Screen (BPS) that asked about PPU in the past six months. Methods and Participants We recruited five independent samples from the U.S. and Poland to evaluate the psychometric properties of the BPS. In Study 1, we evaluated the factor structure, reliability, and elements of validity using a sample of 224 U.S. veterans. One item from the BPS was dropped in Study 1 due to low item endorsement. In Studies 2 and 3, we further investigated the five-item …

Status Of Women In Nevada: K-12 Education Snapshot, Aika Dietz, Ana Rosas, Brenda Cruz Gomez, Caryll Batt Dziedziak, Jean Munson

Research Briefs

There has been a sudden increase in Nevada K-12 student population since 2003 ballooning student-teaching ratio and straining the educational system.

Status Of Women In Nevada: Higher Education Snapshot, Aika Dietz, Ana Rosas, Caryll Batt Dziedziak, Jean Munson

Research Briefs

Students may leave school due to a different educational environment, work and school adjustments without support from family and friends, a lack of financial planning and academic struggles.

Status Of Women In Nevada: Health Snapshot (Part 1), Ana Rosas, Aika Dietz, Caryll Batt Dziedziak, Jean Munson

Research Briefs

A breakthrough for women's health and racial health inequity is the passing of Public Health Service Act section 492B and National Institute of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-43) and the implementation by NIH to support full or partially funded clinical research by establishing guidelines to include sex and race of the participant in these studies.

Women's Research Institute Of Nevada Newsletter, Women's Research Institute Of Nevada

Newsletters

Interim Director's Message: As an institute, WRIN's activities always increase during the spring months. It is during this time that we accept our incoming NEW Leadership Class and prepare for their June training. Early this March, just as we accepted the final students for our upcoming 2020 Class, Governor Sisolak ordered severe activity restrictions in response to COVID-19.

The Adult Industry Can Survive Without Government Help. Here’S Why., Lynn Comella

Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies Faculty Research

With many businesses across the country closed due to the covid-19 pandemic, a national conversation is taking place about industries and workers hit especially hard by work stoppages and how to help them. Unlike other industries, however, no federal bailout money is earmarked for pornography. Instead, the adult community, led by the industry’s main trade association, the Free Speech Coalition, is coming together to take care of its own.

Exercise As A Mitigator Of Poor Mental Health Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Adults, Jennifer R. Pharr, Jason D. Flatt, Lung-Chang Chien, Axenya Kachen, Babayemi O. Olakunde

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Introduction: There is a positive association between exercise and improved mental health in the general population. Although there is a greater burden of psychological distress among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, little is known about the association between exercise and mental health in this population. The authors explored the association between exercise and poor mental health reported by LGB adults in the United States. Methods: Our analyses used data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the association between exercising and mental health days adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Data …

Love In South Korea: Transformations Of Intimacy And Gender Relations In Korean Romantic Relationships, Alex Joseph Nelson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Romantic love holds a central place in South Korean imaginaries, animating television dramas and pop ballads, but has been largely overlooked in Korea's ethnographic record. Drawing on data collected through 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork, survey research, interviews, and analysis of folklore, the present study investigates how South Koreans conceptualize romantic love, how those conceptions have changed over time, and the ways they are transforming with the Korean field of gender relations.

This study documents love's entwinement with marriage in South Korea. Koreans are developing companionate ideals of marriage that shift the focus of kinship from the parent-child relationship to …

Excavating Gender: The Embodiment And (Re)Presentation Of Social Relations In Mierzanowice Communities Of The Early Bronze Age, Mark Paul Toussaint

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The construction of gender in a society is based on a discursive relationship between culture and biology. Ideological components are often translated into structural factors, which condition access to social and biological resources and exposure to risk. Cumulative differential health outcomes for groups can become embodied in ways that affect the skeleton. By conducting population-level analyses of skeletal markers of health and trauma, bioarchaeologists work backwards to attempt to reconstruct social conditions. Archaeological and mortuary context is an important part of this process.

Cemeteries of the Mierzanowice Culture (MC) in southern Poland (2300-1600 BCE) offer a unique opportunity to study …

Shattering The Glass: Will Gen Z Bring Us Closer To Gender Equality In Us Hospitality Leadership?, Denise Holly Ramirez Molintas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The continued underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions has impaired the hospitality industry’s capacity to achieve the fifth UN Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality. Although the industry has initiated programs to establish gender parity, the innate gendering through traditional leadership prototypes and gender-role stratification requires investigation. Scholars have noted the limited focus on gender-aware issues in hospitality research. Further, as gender is a socialized construct, historical shifts in gender ideologies have enabled changes in gendering at the individual, interactional, and institutional dimensions of society. Grounded in gender as a social structure theory and role congruity theory, this dissertation …

Exploration Of The Intersection Of Social Identities Of Female Leaders In Postsecondary Education: A Phenomenological Approach, Sara Shaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of female leaders currently in leadership roles in postsecondary education. This hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted to explore intersecting identities and how the identities affected female leaders’ leadership experiences and decision-making processes. Through the theoretical framework of intersectionality, I explored the relationships among females, leadership, career decision-making, and other categorical social identities. Data gathered from semi-structured one-on-one interviews and demographic surveys with 11 female postsecondary leaders sought to understand how gender and selected social identities affect career decision-making of women in postsecondary leadership positions. The researcher identified seven themes: …