Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Decoding The Girl Code: Exploring The Unwritten Norms In Female Adolescent Friendships, Lindsay Angela F. Azura, Annica Mariz G. Ilagan, Krystine Jean O. Obia, Natalie Allyana P. Talplacido, Stella P. Go

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

The girl code refers to a set of unspoken social rules that shape how adolescent girls form, maintain, and navigate close female friendships. These unwritten norms influence how they provide support, handle emotional challenges, and navigate moral decisions. Despite its significant impact on female adolescent relationships, research on the girl code, especially within the Philippine context, remains limited. This qualitative exploratory study examines how the girl code operates among cisgender Filipino adolescent girls, focusing on its key aspects, underlying values, development, enforcement, and consequences. Five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among close-knit female friendship groups of senior high school …

From Universities, Streets, To Modern Contemporary Society: Becoming, Being, And Living As "Babaeng Aktibista", Mariah Alyssa Lorico Ampat, Jameelah Mikaellah Ahliya C. Robles, Zedrick Sombria Roa, Jessica Louise Cruz Clauna, Leo Vicentino

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Historically, women faced patterns of prejudice and gender-based oppression, resulting in the denial of their fundamental rights. Through years of ingrained subordination under authoritarian regimes, activism birthed various movements and organizations that sought liberation. As militant groups gained traction, withstanding large-scale issues, women’s struggles were seldom addressed within nationalist movements. Literature has documented the roots of activism, women’s organizations, and the socio-political conditions throughout Philippine history. However, there is a narrow understanding of women’s experiences and how these mold their individual identities in response to shared struggles. This study attempts to design a local framework elucidating the motivations and drivers …

Guidos And Grenades: Shaming Discourses In Mtv’S Jersey Shore, Mackenzie K. Mickavicz Ms., Aubree A. Herman

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

MTV’s Jersey Shore, launched in 2009, reached nearly 9 million viewers at the peak of its popularity. Inspired by the language used by the show’s male cast members to criticize a woman’s weight and appearance, such as “grenade” and “atomic bomb,” this study applies social congitive theory and reality television framework to analyze instances of shaming on Jersey Shore. Through a mixed-methods analysis, this study identifies the various forms of shaming depicted and explores how gender dynamics and character relationships affect these interactions. Findings reveal the most frequent forms of shaming, shame targets, and shame initiators as well as …

Language Attitudes Towards Drag And The Lgbtq+ As Influenced By American Theater, Kj Myke

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

This paper examines the relationship between theatrical drag portrayals and American social perception of LGBTQ+ through an analysis of drag characters in theater. This inquiry discusses whether these portrayals influence language towards LGBTQ+ in American culture. Two cases—Knock ‘Em Dead and Kinky Boots—reveal differing attitudes: one being more stereotypical and inauthentic, while the other offers more authentic nuances to queer experience. Findings indicate that the context in which shows are created heavily influences which language attitudes get adapted by the show and advertised to audiences.

Star Wars And Gender In 1980s America, Melissa Ulmer

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

This research paper examines the role of gender in the franchise Star Wars. With the first installment of the trilogy released in 1977, many expected this film would turn out like many before. However, the world that George Lucas created was an instant hit and continues to be today. This paper focuses on how the franchise was set apart from other science fiction films based on a defiance of typical gender roles that were prevalent in the late twentieth century, specifically focusing on the two leading roles, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and employing analysis of the films, cast …

From Prometheus To Pygmalion To Pandora: Teaching Greek Mythology With Frankenstein’S “Dark Brides”, Kyle William Bishop

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

As Mary Shelley unambiguously informs readers on the title page of her 1818 novel Frankenstein, her tale of Victor’s discovery of the secret of non-biological reproduction represents the Promethean myth, a morality tale warning against the usurpation of divine authority. In Shelley’s novel, Victor ultimately recognizes the dangerous path he has discovered, and he refuses to create a female companion for his hideous progeny, risking his own life to protect the world from a potential race of monsters. In the cinematic tradition, however, this unrealized “bride” often has been created, and these fantastic narratives realize the Pygmalion myth, that …

The Feminine Way Of Campaigning: How Female Politicians Navigate Gender Bias, Jordan V. Pruitt

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Women are rapidly taking over the world of politics, holding more elected positions than ever before. With the increase of women in politics, we begin to question how gender stereotypes and bias affect female politicians. There are numerous studies examining the public's perception of female candidates and how they are framed differently from their male opponents in the media; however, the main objective of this project is to learn how gender affects women’s campaign strategies or public personas, and how this differs from their male counterparts. Through interviews with women in locally elected positions, this study examines these issues through …

An Analysis Of Narratives Representing Women’S Agency And Role In The Public Space In Najd In The Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Hanan Alazaz

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This paper is a review and analysis of historical narratives and poems to propose a framework of the agency of women in one of the most conservative regions in Arabia in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Najd. These narratives include examples of recorded historical oral accounts and poems by women that exhibit women’s contribution to the public life and participation in the decision-making within their tribal communities. The narratives and literature discussed in the paper reflect these women’s involvement in the fields of education, politics, trade and military activity. Moreover, a reading of poetry that broadcasts their resistance to …

Gender Dynamics In Quadball: Making Space On The Pitch, Emily X. Mcnally

Culture, Society, and Praxis

Quadball is a sport based on Quidditch, the fictional sport born from the book series, Harry Potter, minus the flying. The introduction of this paper provides an overview of the sport and why gender plays such a significant role in it. Twelve players were brought together for a study and were put into three focus groups to discuss and hear other player’s perspectives on gender dynamics within the sport. There was a non-binary, women’s and men’s group. Overall, it was found that players are working toward making the sport more gender inclusive, but the sport has not achieved full gender …

The Making Of Jewish-American Progress In Gertrude Stein’S, The Making Of Americans: Being A History Of A Family’S Progress, Rochel L. Gasson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides a comprehensive reading of Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans (TMOA), situating the novel at the intersection of literary modernism, Jewish American identity, and feminist thought. It argues that Stein reconceives American progress not as linear advancement but as a recursive, relational, and culturally grounded process. Through experimental form, repetitive syntax, and a sustained present tense, TMOA dramatizes the psychological and social complexities of immigrant families navigating assimilation while maintaining heritage. Characters such as the Old Man, his son, and the Dehning and Herland families reveal generational tensions, moral labor, and the ambivalences of upward …

Accepting Vs Understanding, Transgender Aliens And Alienation, Reyna G. Aliah

English

Trans people have been the subject of intense discrimination in recent years, suffering dehumanization from right-wing and conservative groups. This dehumanization (and the fear resulting from it) parallels common attitudes in science fiction about actual aliens. Orson Scott Card’s Hierarchy of Foreignness classifies individuals and species into five categories, depending on their sentience; whether they are from the same city, nation, or planet; and whether communication is possible. This paper examines how transgender people can be classified according to this system on a societal level, with said class depending on the lens used to view them as well as the …

Article Title: Deconstructing Power And Gender: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis Of Biopolitics, Necropolitics, And Sexual Scripts In Feminicide In Puerto Rico., Migdalia Marrero-Lafontaine

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Feminicide and gender violence cases in the last several decades in Puerto Rico have continuously increased, suggesting that this problem becomes worse as time passes. This study, therefore, focuses on identifying actionable insights that paint a picture of the impact it has on women over the age of 18 in Puerto Rico. In order to achieve this objective, the study relies on a strong theoretical framework that is made up of Foucauldian discourse analysis, necropolitics, and sexual scripts theories. One of the core findings of this research is that Puerto Rico’s colonial history and cultural norms sustain a cycle of …

Etymolgy And Phallocentrism, Renae Redling

Student Scholar Symposium

Historically, linguists view etymology as a distorted and frivolous practice. In the past, Etymology was used irresponsibly to devalue current usage. Etymology reveals the formation of words over time, providing context for language’s current meaning. The history of words, their etymology, has created the words we use today, curating present usage. Words are not simply signs but formed symbols with significance and history. The association of the English language with structures of power, and its firmly rooted context in a patriarchal culture has resulted in limited access to linguistic study for women. A history of patriarchal influence does not make …

Domination, Limitation, And Liberation In Gilman's Herland, Ella Cauley

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Harmony Of The Swine: An Analysis Of Circe In Homer’S The Odyssey, Layla Al Sadoon

Student Scholar Symposium

Homer’s The Odyssey has remained significant for readers in dissecting the introspective attributes of Odysseus and the characters he meets throughout his journey. One character in particular has sparked much conversation in exploring the symbol of the woman in mythology. Circe, the enchantress who infamously turns Odysseus’ men into swine, has faced thousands of years under the microscope as scholars have questioned her role in the myth and the importance of her character. Circe’s actions directly derive from her goddess background; however, that is often overlooked when scholars discuss the progression of the myth after Circe’s episode, focusing instead on …

Gamergate And The Woke Mind Virus, Gavin Graves

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This text concerns the formation of beliefs that would shape the 2014 harassment campaign of GamerGate. Specifically, how GamerGate was perpetuated by stereotypes and ideas in Geekdom that spanned from the 60’s Disco Demolition to the Internet’s Wild West that ended in 2013. These include ideas like simulated ethnicity, geek melodrama, nerd determinism, and nerd fatalism. It also discusses the views and beliefs on anonymity, critique, and social capitals of the Wild West Internet and how the changing views of these led to resentment that started the movement. Drawing from historical research, I studied the history of moral panics like …

Objects Of Power: Female Instrumentalists In Medieval To Early Modern Europe, Emma Scherrer

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Women are difficult to locate in traditional histories of western music, especially performers and particularly instrumentalists. The relationship between a female performer, the instrument she played, and her audience was especially fraught, constituting a complicated web of gendered relations and power dynamics. An examination of the contexts in which women played instruments in medieval to early modern Europe elucidates how women in these societies interacted with music and musical institutions. While women were generally excluded from musical institutions and discouraged from playing most musical instruments, many women nevertheless chose to take up an instrument outside of professional contexts. From the …

Best Integrated Writing Fall 2025 - Complete Edition, Wright State University School Of Humanities And Cultural Studies, Tracy Smith, Kristie Mckiernan

Best Integrated Writing

Best Integrated Writing includes excellent student writing from Integrated Writing courses taught at Wright State University.

"The Yellow Wall-Paper": Decoding Medical Patriarchal Structures (A Common Theme Within Gothic Literature/Horror), Yvonne T. Samuels

Masters Theses (Archived)

This paper makes the claim that Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-Paper” encoded the medical system as part of the patriarchy used to control and harm women, especially within the 19^th Century, and how this is a common theme within gothic literature and modern-day horror. Through the Feminist Literary Criticism framework and the methodology of textual analysis, certain literary devices Gilman uses, including the Gothic trope of the narrator’s environment in “The Yellow Wall-Paper” is analyzed to reveal women living in a patriarchal society during the 19^thCentury and the medical system being a source of power. “The …

"Be Like Water": Practicing Abolition On The Ground, Katie R. Horowitz, Taryn Johnson

Feminist Pedagogy

This Social Justice Strategy asks students to immerse themselves in abolitionist waters by learning abolitionist perspectives, strategies, and practices from a local abolitionist, transformative justice, or mutual aid organization while providing them a service or fulfilling one or more of their needs. This is a self-paced, term-long project scaffolded by abolitionist histories and best practices for working in community. The instructor uses a student survey as a basis for forming groups and matching them up with local organizations, then students create plans for working together, including how to address conflict restoratively. Groups research their organizations and collaborate with them to …

Strategies For Seeding Police Abolition In A Minefield, Kaden Paulson-Smith

Feminist Pedagogy

A major challenge for abolitionist teaching is uprooting the assumption that carceral systems are natural and inevitable. This essay describes strategies for teaching about the colonial capitalist origins and white cisheteropatriarchal development of the police, and the critical theorization and abolition of policing, in a hyper-politicized minefield. These strategies emerged from teaching, “The Global Politics of Policing,” after the Summer of 2020 in the Midwest, where abolitionist critiques were frequently met with burning resentment. Three overarching strategies to facilitate learning about police abolition include: 1) consistent engagement with learning materials; 2) critical analysis as a learning objective and theoretical framework; …

Star Wars: Andor – An Abolitionist Study Guide, Marcelo Garzo Montalvo, Isaac Ginsberg Miller

Feminist Pedagogy

This study guide provides a set of activities for teaching abolition through Season 1 of the speculative fiction TV series Star Wars: Andor (2022). Through the practice of critical literacy (viewing, reading, and analysis), we offer various ideas on how to engage Andor as a relevant pedagogical tool for studying and teaching abolitionist movement histories and methodologies. By guiding students through a critical analysis of this widely-circulated, mainstream cultural text, we seek to activate an abolitionist pedagogical lens that can be applied across various genres and media – making tangible connections between popular culture and political struggles writ large. These …

Being Radical Community: “Pleasure Activism” In Higher Education, Misty D. Saribal, Taisha Mcmickens Dr.

Feminist Pedagogy

This paper argues for the necessity of pleasure in abolitionist pedagogy as a condition for sustaining movements toward collective liberation. Grounded in abolition feminism and radical pedagogy, it introduces the “Pleasure Activism Lineage” (PAL) as a tool for cultivating campus movement communities through joy, care, and collective resistance. Drawing on adrienne maree brown’s framework of pleasure activism, the PAL assignment invites students and educators to trace transformative influences, reclaim subversive forms of joy, and build solidarities rooted in liberatory traditions. By centering pleasure as a site of resistance, this project disrupts the pitifully punitive logics and pessimistically professionalizing ethos of …

Critical Prison Studies In Dialogue: Abolition-Feminist Pedagogy Within And Beyond The Classroom, Laura Ciolkowski

Feminist Pedagogy

“Critical Prison Studies in Dialogue: Teaching and Learning” is a multi- week, undergraduate project that combines critical thinking, collaboration, and an analysis of the social relations and material logics of carceral systems in the U.S. It consists of a series of carefully scaffolded activities that create space for students to imagine a world in which incarceration is not the logical answer to the political and social problems that plague us. It also asks students to theorize, experience, and reflect on the process of abolition-feminist movement building on multiple scales within and outside the classroom.

To My Fellow White Women, With Love..., Hailey N. Otis

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Midlife, Michael Sevcik

Poetry MFA Theses

Abstract

Midlife by Michael James Sevcik is a collection of poetry that explores issues of age, gender, sexuality, identity, desire, family, and loss within a predominantly domestic space while addressing broader social, cultural, and philosophical issues using a phenomenological poetics grounded in everyday experience. The collection is organized into three distinct yet interrelated “movements:” the first movement, “Anchored,” establishes an existential yearning amidst professional and amorous stasis and familial pressures. The second movement, “Liminal,” explores temporality and its relationship to place and memory. The third movement, “Renewal,” incorporates travel, family history, and art, transforming them into critical modes of aesthetic …

Documenting Hiv/Aids Through Rural Voices: Oral Histories As Sites Of Mutual Aid, Siena Kuehn

Feminist & Queer Praxis

This essay is part of the WGSS Capstone class and focuses on utilizing oral histories of HIV/AIDS in Winona as a method of mutual aid. This work includes two contributions to the HIV/AIDS Winona Oral History Project, the interviews with Joan Schwinghammer and Dr. Anne Vande Berg. This research was done in conjunction with Dr. Mary Jo Klinker.

In Their Words: Building A Wgss Community, Temki Newell

Feminist & Queer Praxis

In this series, WGSS students share how the program shapes their activism, academics, and sense of self. Through storytelling, community, and critical reflection, they’re challenging systems, building coalitions, and imagining new futures, one class, one project, one voice at a time.

Opening The Door Of The Celluloid Closet, Melissa Hernandez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

While watching the documentary, The Celluloid Closet, I was instantly intrigued by how queer people and cinema mixed. Going as far back to the black and white, silent films era, queer people have been used as comedic relief, but not in an appealing way. Constantly being the butt of the joke, disregard for queer people became so normalized that certain tropes started popping up in cinema. One trope that we can still see be used frequently in today’s films is the “bury your gays” trope (also known as the “dead lesbians syndrome”) where queer characters in cinema are not …

A Burlesque: The Shimmering Body Of Revealing, Lola Montgomery

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A Burlesque: The Shimmer Manuscript is a hybrid critical–creative work that examines burlesque as an embodied methodology and a mode of knowledge production. Drawing from my two decades as a performer–scholar, the work reframes glamour, desire, and adornment as epistemological practices rather than theatrical ornamentation. The project is significant in that it expands understandings of performance studies, autotheory, and feminist aesthetics by foregrounding the performer’s body as an intelligent, sensing, world-making apparatus.

The methodology is creative practice research and archive-driven, integrating backstage documentation, AI-assisted photomontage, and theoretical reflection. The work draws from poststructuralist and feminist frameworks (Irigaray, Deleuze & Guattari, …