Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

More Awesome Than Infinity: Explorations Of Sea Imagery And Sexual Deviance, Kelly Lonergan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

More Awesome Than Infinity: Explorations of Sea Imagery and Sexual Deviance

How The Liberian Women Managed To Succeed, And Thrive, After Fourteen Years Of Civil War, Katherine Elizabeth Parker

Senior Theses

Although war, and especially civil war, is predominantly viewed in a negative light, in the case of Liberia’s successive wars in the decade, local women in Liberia benefitted a great deal upon the conclusion of the wars. While these civil wars, lasting from 1989-2003, brought about significant hardship for everyone living in Liberia, and resulted in a horribly impoverished state, the end of the conflicts did bring about some marked positive outcomes. Upon the end of the wars, Liberian women were, in a sense, given a chance to start over. Throughout the second civil war, the women were able to …

Bollywood And Hollywood: Mirrors Of Societies' Perceptions Of Women?, Roshni Jaura

Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the inferior positions of women in both Bollywood and Hollywood films and the way in which these representations reflect women’s actual social positions in Indian and American societies. In order to determine films truly reflect women’s social positions in these respective societies, this paper establishes and relies on a criteria to understand what women’s social positions truly are in both societies. A criteria is also formulated by which the representation of female characters in the top five blockbusters from Bollywood and Hollywood in the years 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013 are …

Patriarchy, Empire, And Ping Pong Shows: The Political Economy Of Sex Tourism In Thailand, Kristen Kelley

Cultural Studies Capstone Papers

This project provides a postcolonial feminist analysis of the prosperity and reputation of the sex tourism industry in Thailand. It examines the ways in which Western imperialism created the space for the globalization of sex work, as well as providing a postcolonial analysis of the hegemonic structures which have existed throughout Thailand's history that enable the sex tourism industry to thrive today. This project also explores how policy making and enforcement in Thailand affects the sex tourism industry, as well as the ways in which activism works to change or support these policies, and how this affects individuals who are …

Fearless Friday: Class Of 2015, Chrisitina L. Bassler

SURGE

We recognize all of the Gettysburg College graduates who will use what they learned and experienced over the past four years to fearlessly promote change, seek justice, and challenge inequality after leaving Gettysburg College. The following list contains the names of members of the class of 2015 who have been recognized by other members of the campus community as leaders for change, and we are proud to claim these fearless and inspirational students as our own. We know, however, that we do not have everyone who deserves to be recognized listed below, so feel free to continue nominating your friends, …

Family Affairs Newsletter 2015-05-15, Zack Paakkonen

Family Affairs newsletter (2004-2016)

FAMILY AFFAIRS was a free, twice-a-month, social activities newsletter for the GLBTQI (gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans/queer/intersex) community, sent out around the 1st and 15th of each month. It covered the State of Maine only. The list was begun and maintained for many years by Jean Vermette in Bangor, and later operated by Zack Paakkonen of Portland. Over the years it evolved from a social activities newsletter into a business directory, classified ad service, and community bulletin board.

Divas, Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus

Programs

Good evening, and welcome to the BGMC Spring concert "Divas!" Tonight the BGMC will perform the music of many beloved Divas who have made significant impact and contributions to the LGBTQ community through their music.

Discreet Feminism: Neil Gaiman’S Subversion Of The Patriarchal Society In American Gods, Christopher P. Thompson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Neil Gaiman’s use of a hyper-masculine American culture in American Gods sheds light upon the multiple issues surrounding a misogynistic society in which women are treated as sexual objects and punished for their independence as sexual beings. Gaiman’s efforts at highlighting these issues are discreet and hidden under layers of patriarchal expectations, but through the use of his protagonist, Shadow, Gaiman is able to provide an alternative to the society he represents. While he successfully illustrates this more “ideal” society, his endeavors fall short and are almost imperceptible throughout his novel. Gaiman’s work in American Gods, while lacking in its …

Here I Am And Here I’M Not: Queer Women’S Use Of Temporary Urban Spaces In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Vigdís María Hermannsdóttir

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds on previous work on the relationship between queer identities and urban space. Drawing from an analysis of two recurring New Orleans-based queer women’s events, I examine how lesbians and queer women not only use but also actively produce social spaces of their own through participation in events organized specifically for lesbians and queer women. Using qualitative methods, I examine the ephemeral and transient quality of lesbian and queer women’s social spaces in post-Katrina New Orleans and the processes through which such spaces come into being. I argue that lesbian and queer women’s production of ephemeral social spaces …

Fame Gone Wild (2015: An Era Of Self-Invention), Stephanie E. Kang

Graduate School of Art Theses

Entertainment has become one of the fueling fires of society. In today’s world of nonstop broadcasting and streaming, many begrudgingly trudge through their 9 to 5’s only to live for their few post-work hours of leisure, which have been reserved for this week’s latest items on the viewing queue. Netflix and Hulu have become the opium of the masses. Consequently, this obsession with constant entertainment has now morphed into a shared yearning for the people that are watched and followed religiously through the screen – the celebrities. In this cultural moment, the concept of fame has become a vital element …

Erichtho’S Mouth: Persuasive Speaking, Sexuality And Magic, Lauren E. Devoe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Since classical times, the witch has remained an eerie, powerful and foreboding figure in literature and drama. Often beautiful and alluring, like Circe, and just as often terrifying and aged, like Shakespeare’s Wyrd Sisters, the witch lives ever just outside the margins of polite society. In John Marston’s Sophonisba, or The Wonder of Women the witch’s ability to persuade through the use of language is Marston’s commentary on the power of poetry, theater and women’s speech in early modern Britain. Erichtho is the ultimate example of a terrifying woman who uses linguistic persuasion to change the course of nations. Throughout …

Pageant: Manufactured Beauty, Caitlin Penny

Graduate School of Art Theses

Pageant: Manufactured Beauty explores why the female body is abject and how that body is mitigated through sexually objectifying images. This paper discusses how the female body has been objectified in order to “correct” the elements of the body that are considered abject, through an exploration of psychological studies, philosophy and analysis of contemporary art and popular culture.

The effects of these images on the women who view them is often a desire to conform their own bodies to the images in order to gain social acceptance. Clothing and the decoration of the body, it is argued, are the methods …

The Effectiveness Of Warning Labels And Subvertising On Reducing The Harmful Effects Of Media Exposure, Yasmin Akbari, Gaganjyot Sandhu, Terri Scott, David Frederick

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Women are routinely exposed to highly sexualized images of women whose bodies have been airbrushed into literally impossible standards of beauty, which can contribute to body dissatisfaction. Women who are more dissatisfied with their bodies report greater depression, social anxiety, and disordered eating patterns. This experiment examines the effectiveness of two approaches to reduce the negative effects of media exposure on body dissatisfaction: warning labels and subvertising. Some body image activists groups have proposed legislation that would require photoshopped images to include a warning label that the image has been artificially manipulated. Subvertising takes this a step farther, where activists …

"I'M Rich Bitch:" Black Class Performance And The New Nouveau Riche, Nykia Hannah

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

With its multitude of sub-genres, larger than life personalities, and fifteen minutes of fame offerings, reality television has quickly changed the face and economics of television culture. This research examines the disruption of traditional roles of race and class in reality television. Interdisciplinary in content and methodology, this study uses Real Housewives of Atlanta to identify the ways in which various representations of blackness challenge hegemonic understandings of what it means to be black in the United States. Focusing on the fluidity of identity, "I'm Rich Bitch" highlights the role that popular culture plays in redetermining populist perceptions of blackness.

Representation Of The Mother’S Body As A Narrative Conduit For Wartime Themes In Saga, Bess Pallares

Student Research Symposium

“Representation of the Mother’s Body as a Narrative Conduit for Wartime Themes in Saga” examines how both diagetic and extradiagetic art creates a visual syuzhet to convey themes of interdependence and transgenerational memory in the comic book series Saga. My method of research was a narrative analysis of volumes 1-4 of Saga, particularly focusing on the artistic representation of two mothers’ bodies within the narrative and on covers of the books, as related to the themes and story. As a result, I found in the artistic syuzhet that the representation of two characters’ bodies as they interact …

Leading Women: Henry James And Feminism In The Portrait Of A Lady, The Bostonians And The Golden Bowl, Emily Boockoff

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Gender And The History Of Philosophy: An Analysis Of Essentialism And Gender Disempowerment, Forrest T. Deacon

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In this project, I examine the philosophical theories of truth, gender, and power, and the parallels between each theory. I argue that both Friedrich Nietzsche and William James advanced theories that deconstructed the idea that human beings, or “man” and “woman,” were bound by an essential nature or innate characteristics that determined their social role. Though this critique was robust, I argue that it enforces gender disempowerment on a number of platforms since the theories did not analyze gender, but rather truth and value. Simone de Beauvoir, I argue, expanded Nietzsche’s and James’ thought, but included a critical analysis of …

Anti-Transgender Discrimination And Oppression In New York City And San Francisco During The Gay Liberation Movement, 1965-1975, James Brady

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Transgender and gender non-conforming people in San Francisco and New York City were oppressed in many ways during the 1960s and 1970s. Due to employment discrimination, many were homeless and worked as prostitutes. While living on the streets, transgender and gender non-conforming people frequently faced arrest and police harassment due to laws against cross-dressing and solicitation. Transgender and gender non-conforming people were also oftentimes the victims of hate crimes. Even gay liberation activists oppressed transgender and gender non-conforming people. They did this by excluding transgender and gender non-conforming people from gay liberation organizations and refusing to support transgender causes. Despite …

Vanguardia Mujerista Haciendo Escuela: An Oral History Of Cuban Feminism, Marie Eszenyi

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The high rate of female political participation in Cuba has led many journalists, political scientists, and activists to claim that the country is quite possibly the most feminist in Latin America (Torregrosa, 2012). As the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality (2012) indicates, Cuba ranks third in the world for female participation in legislative bodies. Indeed, Cuba has a long history of female political and revolutionary involvement that positions Cuban feminism both on the forefront and the margins of the economy, governmental institutions, culture, society, military systems, and the workplace during various historical points. Moreover, Cuba’s location just 90 miles …

The Multiple Victims Of Rape, Maureen Azar

Audre Lorde Prize

No abstract provided.

Peers Helping Peers: A Model For Planning A Support Group For Women Struggling With Eating Disorders, Jennifer Sims

Honors Projects

Women are constantly bombarded with images that advertise unrealistic beauty standards. These negative portrayals of women often lead to negative self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting, extreme exercising and—in more extreme cases—the development of eating disorders (ED). When treating EDs, practitioners often turn to Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the first choice of intervention, but this treatment option lacks the key element of social support. This paper looks to create a model for planning a support group that balances CBT techniques with social support elements. Elements such as self-monitoring, progressive relaxation, homework, goal setting, and psychoeducation will be pulled from CBT models …

If I Had An F: A Feminist Picture Book For Boys, Kelly Tieger

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study uncovers and meets a need in contemporary children's literature: a book explicitly expressing Feminism as a critical democratic value for everyone. The study includes a comprehensive review of available children's picture books on the topics of gender identity, roles, and expressions after finding a notable absence of books dealing with, or even mentioning the word Feminism. Specifically, this picture book serves the previously unaddressed population of cis-gendered gender conforming boys aged eight to eleven by engaging them specifically in the topic of Feminism. The study posits that picture books can act as catalysts for positive change within …

Family Affairs Newsletter 2015-05-01, Zack Paakkonen

Family Affairs newsletter (2004-2016)

FAMILY AFFAIRS was a free, twice-a-month, social activities newsletter for the GLBTQI (gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans/queer/intersex) community, sent out around the 1st and 15th of each month. It covered the State of Maine only. The list was begun and maintained for many years by Jean Vermette in Bangor, and later operated by Zack Paakkonen of Portland. Over the years it evolved from a social activities newsletter into a business directory, classified ad service, and community bulletin board.

Wall Street Women: 1950s To The Present, Nicholas Calabro

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

This project is designed to show the connection between the women of Wall Street and the Second and Third Waves of Feminism. In particular, it analyzes what principles of Second and Third Wave Feminism can be applied to the women of Wall Street. The project does this with qualitative information about feminism as well as the women’s experience on Wall Street and quantitative data about performance between men and women. This project is being done for the female accounting/finance students at Bryant University, so they can apply this information in the real world. In conclusion, both the Second and Third …

Ua41 University College Connection, Dennis K. George, Dean, Wendi Kelley, University College, Western Kentucky University

UC Publications

No abstract provided.

Factors Contributing To The Academic Success Of Low-Ses Students, Lynn Kathryn Daanen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may contribute to the success of some students of poverty to complete high school through graduation. The research examined if positive teacher–student relationship behaviors, the use of learning strategies, school locality or enrollment, years of experience as a principal, and years of teaching prior to becoming a principal had an impact on the non-waivered graduation rate of some Indiana poverty high schools. The study tested for a statistically significant difference between graduation rates or types of school locales on the relationship score and the learning style score. The study also …

Legislated Equality: Gender Quotas In A Latin American Context And The Story Of Mexico, Joe Dingmann

Honors Theses, 1963-2015

Female legislators are becoming much more common and so are legislative acts focusing on increasing the number of women in elected bodies. These acts are an attempt at creating rules, designed in a positive way, to foster social change and fix one of the most predominant issues in society. A prevalent strategy for greater female representation in decision-making bodies is electoral gender quotas. Electoral gender quotas are one method that attempts to raise the descriptive representation (raw numbers) of women in elected within legislative bodies. These quotas have been enacted around the world beginning in the early 1990s. Because electoral …

Review, Other Dreams Of Freedom: Religion, Sex, And Human Trafficking, By Yvonne C. Zimmerman, Brooke M. Beloso

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Review of Other Dreams of Freedom: Religion, Sex, and Human Trafficking, by Yvonne C. Zimmerman. Published May 2015 in The Journal of American Studies.

Men, Women And War: An Examination Of Gender Conflicts Within Othello, Hao You

Undergraduate Craft of Research Prize Papers

No abstract provided.

Go Nation: Chinese Masculinities And The Game Of Weiqi In China (Book Review), Wenqing Kang

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.