Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

“Rage Defends Against Overwhelming Loss”: A Literature Review On Women, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Anger, Sarah Maeder

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A literature review examining the difference in anger as a symptom of PTSD based on gender. The focus was on how gender roles and stereotypes impact women’s, as well as providers’, interpretation, expression, acknowledgement, and suppression of anger. By researching civilian survivors of non-combat trauma, the review examined PTSD and symptom discrepancies along a gender divide. Emphasis was placed on the creation of gender as a social construct. Significant nuance was discovered when defining anger, its means of expression, and measurement tools, particularly when interacting with gender. The history of art therapy as a treatment modality for PTSD and anger …

‘A Deadly Menace To All Young Womankind’: Seduction And Protective Legislation In America, 1850-1923, Elissa Michelle Isenberg

Dissertations - ALL

“A Deadly Menace to All Young Womankind”: Seduction and Protective Legislation in America, 1850-1923 looks at sexual harassment before it was an actionable offense. Although female domestic servants have endured unwanted sexual attention for most of American history, the entry of women into wage labor in factories and offices during the late nineteenth century dramatically increased the number of girls and women that were subjected to what we today call harassment. Careful examination of American newspaper archives, court records, and reformers’ personal papers have uncovered cases of unsolicited sexual advances toward women, and have demonstrated that sexual harassment was considered …

Advancing Women In The Public Relations Industry Through Mentorship, Male Allyship, And Overcoming Gender Biases, Emily High

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Women make up a majority of the public relations industry, but they are less likely to hold leadership positions. This study examined best practices to advance women in public relations. Through a cross-case analysis of two male allyship programs in the workplace, four themes were found: Listening to Women, Leaders Working Together, Not Just a Women’s Issue, and how Overcoming Gender Biases Leads to Unbiased Training. Then, a best practice guide and training plan were developed for how to promote an environment of gender equality in the public relations industry.

Evaluating Microfinance And The Potential To Economically Empower Women In The Sacred Valley Of Peru, Allison Mcnamara

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

In the past 30 years, microfinance loans have become a highly popular strategy to reduce poverty and economically empower people in developing countries. Women in particular have become the primary recipients of microfinance loans. However, recent studies show that the loans only have short-term benefits, and ultimately contribute to the indebtedness of the Global South. This paper studies the effectiveness of microfinance loans in the Sacred Valley of Peru (Cusco), and their ability, or lack thereof, to economically empower women in this region.

Greco-Roman Paganism And Women Leaders: The Foundation Of Early Christian Art, Rowan Murry

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I explore the impact of Greco-Roman pagan motifs as well as women leaders and officials on the development of Early Christian art by analyzing catacomb paintings, sarcophagi, and minor arts such as finger rings and carved gemstones. I also discuss surviving primary sources written by Tertullian, Eusebius, St. Jerome, and Clement of Alexandria, to gain a better understanding of anti-art views in the first few centuries of the Church’s rise to power. These anti-art sentiments were often rooted in attempts to disassociate themselves from pagan practices while Early Christian art was emerging amongst the lower classes who …

Can Small-Scale Poultry Initiatives Alleviate Food Insecurity And Increase Empowerment For Women In Economically Disadvantaged Areas?, Patrick Daniels

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the summer of 2019, I, along with 8 other students from the University of Arkansas departed the United States for the Central American country of Belize. Despite our limited knowledge of what Belize held in store for us, we were enthusiastic about the coming months. While we had different projects, we all set out with the same universal question in mind. How can we use the knowledge we have gained through education to make a positive impact on the lives of people living in an impoverished town? Some of the members of our team worked alongside local businesses to …

The Gender Epidemic: Intersecting Disease, Gender, And Sexuality In A Graphic Novel, Autumn Cejer

All NMU Master's Theses

For my thesis, I wrote a graphic novel set in a world where certain people possess powers that society tries to suppress by viewing them as a disease. The story focuses on two super-powered individuals on opposite sides of the law who handle this oppression very differently. Although these characters would easily be able to overpower the non-powered people in charge, they are too afraid to do so. Internalized guilt from possessing abilities they did not ask for adds an additional layer of conflict, just as women and disabled persons are constantly made to feel like they should apologize for …

The Future Of Women In Psychological Science, June Gruber, Jane Mendle, Kristen A. Lindquist, Toni Schmader, Lee Anna Clark, Eliza Bliss-Moreau, Modupe Akinola, Lauren Atlas, Deanna M. Barch, Lisa Feldman Barrett, Jessica L. Borelli, Tiffany N. Brannon, Silvia A. Bunge, Belinda Campos, Jessica Cantlon, Rona Carter, Adrienne R. Carter-Sowell, Serena Chen, Michelle G. Craske, Amy J. C. Cuddy, Alia Crum, Lila Davachi, Angela L. Duckworth, Sunny J. Dutra, Naomi I. Eisenberger, Melissa Ferguson, Brett Q. Ford, Barbara L. Fredrickson, Sherryl H. Goodman, Alison Gopnik, Valerie Purdie Greenaway, Kate L. Harkness, Mikki Hebl, Wendy Heller, Jill Hooley, Lily Jampol, Sheri L. Johnson, Jutta Joormann, Katherine D. Kinzler, Hedy Kober, Ann M. Kring, Elizabeth Levy Paluck, Tania Lombrozo, Stella F. Lourenco, Kateri Mcrae, Joan K. Monin, Judith T. Moskowitz, Misaki N. Natsuaki, Gabriele Oettingen, Jennifer H. Pfeifer, Nicole Prause, Darby Saxbe, Pamela K. Smith, Barbara A. Spellman, Virginia Sturm, Bethany A. Teachman, Renee J. Thompson, Lauren M. Weinstock, Lisa A. Williams

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

There has been extensive discussion about gender gaps in representation and career advancement in the sciences. However, psychological science itself has yet to be the focus of discussion or systematic review, despite our field’s investment in questions of equity, status, well-being, gender bias, and gender disparities. In the present article, we consider 10 topics relevant for women’s career advancement in psychological science. We focus on issues that have been the subject of empirical study, discuss relevant evidence within and outside of psychological science, and draw on established psychological theory and social-science research to begin to chart a path forward. We …

Media’S Portrayal Of Women And Its Impact On Body Image And Self-Esteem, Hannah Bareis

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project addresses the portrayal of women in media and its damaging effects on body image and self-esteem. It raises two critical questions: What negative impact is media creating on women? What can be done to combat these destructive effects?

According to a study done by Common Sense Media, "American teens use an average of 9 hours of media daily, not including for school and homework" (Common Sense Media, 2015). This data, along with many others, shows the severity of media exposure to teens. This has brought a valuable discussion to the table. How has this impacted female body image, …

Big Community In Little Chinatown: How Asian Americans (Re)Present Their Community Today, Meghan Morrison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper looks at a series of modern Asian American pieces of media in order to analyze how women and LGBT+ depict and create their community, especially in relation to another marginalized ethnic group. By examining the relationship between these groups within popular media, we can uncover how Asian Americans choose to represent themselves and gain a deeper understanding on how marginalized groups choose to portray themselves.

"What Camelot Means": Women And Lgbtq+ Authors Paving The Way For A More Inclusive Arthuriana Through Young Adult Literature, Jeddie Mae Bristow

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Arthurian literature has long been regarded as the domain of “dead white men,” dominated by Thomas Malory and Lord Alfred Tennyson. However, since medieval times, women have also been producing Arthurian literature that not only treats the women characters of the story more equitably, but makes social commentary on how the marginalized of their societies are treated. More recently, women and LGBTQ+ authors (basically, authors who are not cisgender white men) have answered the call for more diverse Young Adult literature with an Arthuriana that has a place for all, both creating a more diverse and equitable Camelot and giving …

The Real 1920s: How The Immigration Act Of 1924 Empowered And Encouraged Organized Nationalism, Amanda Pawling

History Presentations

The 1920s were a key era for women and women’s rights. It was also a key era for immigration reform and antiimmigrant sentiment. My research is asking if and how there is a correlation between these different takes on one decade. What my research has shown is that while women were fighting for equality and their right to vote, many were also fighting for traditional family values, family roles, conservatism, and nativism. When it comes to the KKK and its rhetoric of America first and anti-immigration, women were not only in the background but front and center in the fight. …

Psychological Resilience And Perceived Social Support Among Women Exposed To Traumatic Events Of Saptari District, (Kanchanrup Municipality), Rakshya Karki, Sharad Rayamajhi, Kabita Khati

Journal of International Women's Studies

Saptari is the smallest district in Nepal; it lies in the country’s eastern development region. There have been limited studies conducted about Maithali women's status and domestic violence they face, however, no studies were conducted about the psychological resilience and social support they receive to overcome these adversities specifically in the Saptari district. The position of Madhesi women is worse because of analphabetism, and political, religious, and superstitious beliefs. The study's primary objective is to examine the relationship between resilience and social support among women facing traumatic events in life. A descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 200 respondents from the …

The Expression Of The Hijab In American Sports Culture, Nicholas Duca

Sacred Heart University Scholar

Many sports in the West, specifically in American culture, permit religious symbols and practices. Yet Muslim women have been subject to discrimination, bigotry, and disrespect for wearing or wanting to wear a hijab. This study uses philosophical theory, data, and cultural information to explore the stigma behind Muslim women in America and their participation in the sporting activities that are held here. This piece explains how the hijab’s true meaning is dismantled through American culture and the religious meaning behind it, argues why it should be allowed in sporting events, and suggests ways to prevent discrimination against Muslim women who …

Fight Like A Girl: Diversity In The Womens Rights Movement, Rachel Boch

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This presentation will focus on the music video "Fight Like a Girl" by Zolita. Written the day after Donald Trump became president of the United States, this song discusses how necessary it is for the women in our country to stand up for our own rights. The music video features a variety of women, from businesswomen to pole dancers, from Muslim women to transgender women. In this presentation I will discuss how the music video for "Fight Like a Girl" emphasizes the fact that all women are equally deserving of rights and respect, and we all must stand together if …

Black Femininity And Masculinity And Its Relation To Sexuality In Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It", Rebecca Chung

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Spike Lee's 1986 American Film "She's Gotta Have It" challenges the stereotypical portrayal of Black feminity and masculinity by portraying a wide variety of expressions in sexuality. My approach will be to look at how race and sexuality impact the characters in the movie and Lee comments on the actual world today. The intersectionality of race and sexuality is highly prevalent in the movie and will be explored in my research. My thesis is Spike Lee uses the intersectionality of race and sexuality to critic the stereotypical roles of femininity and masculinity.

"Blessed Be The Fruit"- Female Representation In The Handmaids Tale Season 1, Joanna Glenn

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The show The Handmaid's Tale on the television network Hulu, created by Bruce Miller, depicts the struggle of a woman named June who is serving as a handmaid to a powerful commander and his wife to bear their child. This society is a futuristic version in which fertility and birth rates have plummeted. They have an extreme, twisted version of gender norms. A woman's only purpose is to bear children. Fertile women are forced to carry children for powerful couples, their only worth is being fertile. In this project I will present how the show, specifically focusing on the first …

"Faggot": Gods Own Country - Directed By Francis Lee, Leah Richardson

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

God's Own Country, directed by Francis Lee, stars Josh O' Connor as Johnny Saxby, a gay Yorkshire farmer, and Alec Secăreanu as Gheorghe Ionescu, a Romanian migrant. The film immediately establishes Saxby as frustrated with the incredible responsibilities of the farm now on his shoulders because of his father's sudden medical issues. The story follows Johnny’s journey, supported by Gheorghe, who teaches him acceptance, tenderness, and vulnerability. This presentation will evaluate the physicality of the characters, as well as different settings and props, as their relationship develops. Examining the intersectional identities within this film will compel the audience to question …

Intersectionality In Hidden Figures, Aasiya Slaughter

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This poster focuses on the intersectionality in the movie Hidden Figures. The main identities that are the focal point of the movie are race and gender. Being a black woman in the 1960's was not an easy feat, however Katherine Johnson and her companions overcame the many struggles of such, while also being the minority not only in society but also working in the STEM field. Ireland et al. says that the bodies of education research focused on the experiences of Black students and female students in STEM fields often render Black women and girls "hidden figures" in that they …

The Female Sports Fan Experience: How Women Consume Sports And How Sports Are Marketed To Women, Natalie Elser

Senior Theses

This study analyzes the growing subsection of female sports fans. Through a review of scholarly research articles, this study examines female sports fan motivations and behaviors and how they differ from the classic male sports fan. Additionally, this study aims to investigate how sports marketing executives try to appeal to women as sports consumers and how these practices have begun to change in recent years. This study will provide a summary of existing research on female sports fans along with a review of marketing initiatives used to engage female sports fans.

Women’S Advocate Or Racist Hypocrite: Gertrud Scholtz-Klink And The Contradictions Of Women In Nazi Ideology, Mary C. S. Frasier

Student Publications

The Reichsfrauenführerin, Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, led the National Socialist Women’s League from 1934 until she went into hiding in 1945. During her career in the Nazi Party, she created a female focused sector of the party that promoted pronatalist propaganda, discouraged women from engaging in politics, and urged women to only perform gender-suitable work. In contradiction to her message, Scholtz-Klink was the highest-ranking female political figure and a divorcee, who regularly chose her political career with the Nazi Party over her duties in the private sphere. Although she had little to no political power in the inner circle because of her …

Miraculous Monstrosity: Birth And Female Sexuality In The Illuminated Scivias And Cloisters Apocalypse, Jenna M. Mckellips

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

This paper compares the illuminations in two medieval apocalypses, the Cloisters Apocalypse and Hildegard von Bingen’s Scivias, to inspect their similar constructions of female sexuality, motherhood, and monstrosity. It first analyzes the monstrosity of female sexual organs found in Hildegard’s portrayal of the Church and the Mother of the Antichrist. The paper then goes on to consider the uncanny slippage between images of birth and death in the Cloisters’s depiction of John and the Woman of Revelation 12. Ultimately, the paper not only explores the monstrosity of female bodies in apocalyptic manuscripts, but also concludes that medieval women’s …

The Challenges Of Lesbian Senior Leaders In The Army Branch Of The Department Of Defense, Ella Nunley-Spaights

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of lesbian senior leaders and the types of challenges they experience while serving in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies lesbian senior leaders employ to overcome perceived challenges while serving in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense.

Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of seven lesbian senior leaders serving in the Army who were retired from service within the past five years. Convenience and snowball sampling were utilized to identify women who …

Effects Of Violence Against Women On Higher Education In Mizoram, India, Lokanath Mishra

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study is an empirical research aimed at identifying the causes of violence against women in graduate schools in Mizoram, and its effect on higher education. The researcher adopted a mixed approach and used quantitative and qualitative methodologies to analyze the context, dynamics and practices implemented in Mizoram Graduate Schools to minimize violence against women. Four forms of abuse, namely physical, verbal, sexual and psychological violence against women, have been seen in various Mizoram degree colleges. Youth fashion, hostile family environment, pressure of examination, peer group, disabilities of women, influence of drugs and alcohol and computer gadgets are main causes …

Voices Of Thai Women Who Received Gender-Sensitive Empowerment Counseling, Somporn Rungreangkulkij, Netchanok Kaewjanta, Ingkata Kotnara, Kesorn Saithanu

Journal of International Women's Studies

In Thailand, as in most countries, mental health treatment is focused on a medical model. A new approach using Gender-Sensitive Empowerment Counseling as a form of intervention for women with depression was employed in this study. This qualitative study describes clients’ perspectives on receiving Gender-Sensitive Empowerment Counseling. Participants were fourteen women with depression who received empowerment counseling. In-depth interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis is content analysis. Five themes emerged: attitude change, feeling empowered, self-confidence, becoming more assertive, and greater self-love. Health care policy and service should integrate gender analysis and empowerment into the treatment modality. Supporting gender-sensitive …

Women And Evolution Of Cultural Practices Among The Igbo Of Nigeria, Christian C. Opata, Apex A. Apeh, Asogwa S. Odoja, Alaku Emmanuel

Journal of International Women's Studies

Studies on Igbo women have ignored the part played by either fear of women or respect for them in the evolution of festivals and some customary practices. Embedded in this neglect is the non-recognition of their contribution to the development of their societies. However, evidence that some cultural practices evolved out of fear of women and respect for them by the men abounds as manifest in the evolution of some spirit being institutions, memorialisation of women’s war exploits, and veneration of kola nut. Anchored on extensive field investigation, the application of historical narrative and qualitative research method, this study traced …

Catalysts Of Women’S Success In Academic Stem: A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis, Dianna R. Dekelaita-Mullet, Anne N. Rinn, Todd Kettler

Journal of International Women's Studies

This qualitative study seeks understand the phenomena that activate women’s success in STEM disciplines where women’s representation has not yet attained critical mass. A poststructuralist emphasis on complexity and changing nature of power relations offers a framework that illuminates the ways in which elite academic women navigate social inequalities, hierarchies of power, and non-democratic practices. Feminist poststructural discourse analysis (FPDA) draws from the women’s experiences to better understand their complex, shifting positions. Eight female tenured full professors of STEM at research-focused universities in the United States participated in the study. Data sources were in-depth semi-structured interviews, a demographic survey, and …

The Impact Of State Violence On Women During The 22 Years Of Dictatorship In The Gambia, Isatou Bittaye-Jobe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the gendered dynamics of dictatorship in The Gambia by exploring the impact of state sanctioned violence on women during former President Yahya Jammeh’s twenty-two years of tyranny in the country. During the two-decade long brutal reign under Jammeh, Gambians from all walks of lives faced gross human rights violations and abuses that inflicted collective national trauma on the population. Therefore, this project examines how Jammeh’s tyrannical rule affected women’s rights, health, and wellbeing. Using a content analysis approach coupled with semi-structured interviews with victims and survivors, I argue that although the dictatorship affected all sectors of the …

Southern African Women’S Struggle To Both Uphold Tradition And Promote Women’S Equality In The Family, Sophia Bierly

Copley Library Undergraduate Research Awards

A woman in modern Limpopo, South Africa explained traditional marital expectations by re-telling what her aunt once said to her: “Lady, you must know that this man is your head, you are the neck. Whatever he is telling you, or whatever he is saying, that’s the word, he’s the head, you don’t have to challenge him”.1 This quote shows that unequal familial structures pervade Southern Africa. The traditional structure of marriage in Southern Africa empowers mothers while disparaging wives, consequently minimizing young women’s economic opportunities, while preserving older women’s economic security. Traditional Southern African marital customs have significant influence over …

The 12th Annual Graduate Research Symposium 2021 Poster Tu Dublin: How To Recruit And Retain Women In Computer Science, Alina Berry, Susan Mckeever, Brenda Murphy, Sarah Jane Delany

Other resources

While in recent decades a number of efforts have been coordinated to address the issue of gender imbalance in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, the problem still persists. Many authors speak of the ‘leaky’ pipeline metaphor that describes the loss of women in STEM areas before reaching senior roles. Research shows that women who leave are unlikely to return. The issue is particularly severe in the area of computer science, where women represent less than 20% of the labour force across the EU.

This poster introduces a summary of findings from the literature on how to effectively recruit …