Women's Studies Commons^™

Book Review: Homoplot: The Coming-Out Story And Gay, Lesbian And Bisexual Identity, Amber Guthrie, Katie White, Esther Rothblum

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Homoplot: The Coming-Out Story and Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Identity by Esther Saxey

Book Review: Shout Out: Women Of Color Respond To Violence, Katie White, Lisa Covington, Jenna Stephenson, Esther Rothblum

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Shout Out: Women of Color Respond to Violence, edited by Maria Ochoa and Barbara K. Ige

Book Review: Women At The Top: Powerful Leaders Tell Us How To Combine Work And Family, Kristi R. Branham

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Women at the Top: Powerful Leaders Tell Us How to Combine Work and Family by Diane F. Halpern and Fanny M. Cheung

Book Review: We Share Walls: Language, Land, And Gender In Berber Morocco, Damla Isik

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of We Share Walls: Language, Land, and Gender in Berber Morocco by Katherine E. Hoffman

Book Review: Reluctant Bedfellows: Feminism, Activism, And Prostitution In The Philippines, Traci Yoder

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Reluctant Bedfellows: Feminism, Activism, and Prostitution in the Philippines by Meredith Ralston and Edna Keeble

Is Disney Surfing The Third Wave? A Study Of The Pervasiveness Of The Third Wave Of Feminism In Disney's Female Protagonists, Emily S. Ellington

Senior Honors Theses

It is important to understand factors that have influenced Generation Y’s view of womanhood. One way to do this is to analyze third wave feminist messages portrayed by Disney, the media powerhouse. In order to determine if Disney reflects feminist values, the third wave themes portrayed in The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Pocahontas (1995), and Mulan (1999) are examined. It is concluded that Disney portrays the feminist values of independence and multiculturalism; however, the films are set within patriarchal societies and portray women to be domestic. Ultimately, Disney portrays four messages about womanhood: Women are equal …

Brazen (Spring 2009), Hollins University

Brazen - Gender & Women's Studies Department Newsletters

No abstract provided.

College Of Health And Human Services International Service Learning Program: Gales Point, Belize, Jordan Norris, Carrierobin Menapace

Impact Belize

No abstract provided.

Political, Economic, And Legal Influences On Gender Inequality, Brittani Melvin

XULAneXUS

Abstract Obtaining equality has been a continuous struggle in the United States. Race, class, and gender inequality are extensive in this country, so much so that these aspects of inequality often intersect, making the effects of inequality more prevalent. In discussing gender inequality, many only consider the variations in income, employment, and opportunity that exist between men and women. The purpose of this paper is to examine the inequalities that occur within gender inequality, namely on the basis of race and class. This paper will attempt to answer how the political, economic, and legal practices that often govern this nation …

Critical Mass Representation In Uganda, Daisy-Cynthia Nneamaka Adi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In general, most societies of the world are patriarchal and as a result women’s participation in politics has historically been minute. To correct this fault, proponents of critical mass representation advocate for explicit quota systems that create special seats for women (e.g. women’s MPs), reserve spots for women or those which mandate the inclusion of women on national party lists. Proponents advocate critical mass with the expectation that female Members of Parliament (MPs) will enhance women’s rights. However, little is known about the actual contribution of female MPs to the enhancement of women’s rights in the countries where critical mass …

Reserved Women: The Implementation And Efficacy Of A Reserved Seat Quota For Women In The Tibetan Parliament In Exile, Carolyn Griffiths

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

By studying a specific example of a system which requires women to be part of the government, policy makers can better understand how to use tools such as a quota to improve the lives of women. I researched whether and how women gain political agency through the quota system implemented by the Tibetan government in exile. I used in-depth interviews from both parliamentary members and those affected by the decisions made by the Tibetan Government in exile to discover the social climate surrounding the quota system. I gained an understanding of how the condition of women’s lives has changed as …

The Role And Potential Of Businesswomen In Morocco’S Civil Society, Teresa Mbagaya

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The expansion of women in the private sector not only affects the economic sphere, but further influences women’s participation in social and political decision-making. In aiming to strengthen the roles of women in the economy, professional organizations hope to equip women with the skills necessary to succeed as leaders in the businesses sector. The capacities of these organizations vary from region and often employ different strategies to achieve their missions. What links them, however, is the objective to enhance the capabilities of women as heads of households, students, professionals and leaders. This focus on social and economic development takes the …

The Legalities And Realities Of Emancipation Policies In The Netherlands And Their Associated Welfare State Typologies, Leigh Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Independent Study Project (ISP) investigated how Dutch emancipation policies have affected female labor market participation in the Netherlands. The ISP focused specifically on The Working Hours Modification Act, The Childcare Act, and The Work and Care Act. The ISP explored both the legalities and realities of the emancipation policies. Additionally, Esping-Andersen’s welfare state typologies were incorporated and each emancipation policy was classified according to the welfare state typology that it best reflected. The legalities of the legislation were researched using literature and the findings of other comparative studies done on female labor market participation in the Netherlands. A qualitative …

Ending Violence…Creating Peace? Rediscovering The Connections Between The Women´S Movement And A Culture Of Peace In Nicaragua, Sami Poindexter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My project, Ending Violence…Creating Peace?: Rediscovering the Connections between the Women’s Movement and a Culture of Peace in Nicaragua, explores, both in theory and practice, the relationships between the Nicaraguan women’s movement and building a culture of peace. Through an extensive literature review that covered everything from history to feminist and peace theories and from reconciliation and peacebuilding to the militarization of society. Through the process of the literature review, I was fully able to make the theoretical connections between feminism and peace which then allowed me to establish a framework for my research and fieldwork. To investigate the links …

Media Exposure And Women's Fear Of Crime, Pamela C. Hooper

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between the media portrayal of women and crime on television and fear of crime among female viewers. Data from the National Opinion Survey of Crime and Justice was used. A weak relationship between media exposure and fear of crime was found. Consistent with previous research, a statistically significant gender difference was revealed. Women reported higher levels of fear overall. When television dramas were examined, women who watched these shows had a lower reported fear of crime. An unexpected inverse relationship emerged between women's age and fear of crime. This finding contradicts a majority of the …

Developing Feminist Activist Pedagogy: A Case Study Approach In The Women's Studies Department At The University Of South Florida, Stacy Tessier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the relationship between activism and the two introductory-level Women's Studies classes, Introduction to Women's Studies and Issues in Feminism, and the social justice mission of the Women's Studies department. These two classes are the pillars for the program and are often the first classes that draw students into the program. I propose that the Women's Studies department does promote social justice through the curriculum and there are ways that the department could do more to facilitate activism in the classroom and beyond the classroom.

The Women's Studies department at the University of South Florida is …

Constructions Of Femininity: Women And The World's Columbian Exposition, Lauren Alexander Maxwell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The women of the Queen Isabella Association were the embodiment of what has been termed the ‘New Woman.’While the New Woman was an amalgamation of many different trends, historians agree that she “represents one of the most significant cultural shifts of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.”5 These women chose to “move beyond domesticity” and fought to become equal members of American sociopolitical life.6 Joanne Meyerowitz argues that their greater significance was the tendency of the New Woman to “challenge the dominant Victorian sexual ethos.” 7 She inserted herself into the public sphere on her own terms, without the protection …

Ivy Leaves, Volume 83, Ivy Leaves Editorial Staff

Ivy Leaves

The 2009 edition of the Anderson University journal of art and literature, Ivy Leaves.

The names of the known editors for this issue of Ivy Leaves were Kathryn White, Katie Meitzler, Sophie Dembroski, Lydnsey Thompson, Julianna Capps, Charlies Waddell, Grier Parrott, Brittany Hughes, Nikita Cowan, Josh Overstreet, Adreaunna Rhome, Andrew Higgins, Kelly Johnson, Wellington Payne, Savannah Springer, Carter Stuart, Dr. Teresa Jones, and Tim Speaker. Photography by Andrew Higgins and Savannah Jane Springer.

Introduction: Winning And Short-Listed Entries From The 2007 Feminist And Woman’S Studies Association Annual Student Essay Competition, Yvette Taylor, Melanie Waters

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Fighting For Subjectivity: Articulations Of Physicality In Girlfight, Katharina Lindner

Journal of International Women's Studies

The analysis of Girlfight (Karyn Kusama, 2000) in this paper is framed by critical discourses surrounding physically active female characters in the action genre, the conventions of the boxing film ‘genre’, the relationship between bodily spectacle and narrative structure, as well as the more general significance of the female boxer’s challenge to normative and binary notions of bodily existence and subjectivity. With a particular focus on the interrelationship between narrative structure and boxing sequences (‘numbers’), this paper explores notions of the (gendered) subjectivity constructed around the film’s female boxing character, Diana (Michelle Rodriguez). I will argue that the boxing ‘numbers’ …

Speaking Of ‘Respect For Women’: Gender And Politics In U.S. Foreign Policy Discourse, 2001-2004, Alletta Brenner

Journal of International Women's Studies

The aim of this paper is to examine how a language of “women’s rights” entered into foreign policy discourses of the Bush Administration in the period of 2001-2004. Through a discursive analysis of speeches, press releases, interviews and written documents, I find that feminist-inspired language and concepts entered into the mainstream discourse on numerous occasions throughout this period, though usually in the service of other foreign policy objectives. In this analysis, I identify three primary “dialogical frames” in which such references appear, labelling these: “Us vs. Them,” “The Active Leader,” and “The Moral Community.” Many feminists have argued that these …

‘Sometimes The Meaning Of The Text Is Unclear’: Making ‘Sense’ Of The Scum Manifesto In A Contemporary Swedish Context, Katherine Harrison

Journal of International Women's Studies

In 2003 the first Swedish translation of the well-known second-wave feminist manifesto, the SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas, was published. Publication of this text became intricately involved with a number of other contemporary events in Sweden which pose questions about that country’s widely perceived status as one of the most “gender equal” in the world. In this paper, I use the text’s own challenging content, provocative language and complicated history as a way into exploring its disruptive effects on Swedish society. I ask how and why the text retains its power to provoke and challenge some forty years after its …

‘Doesn’T That Make You Laugh?’: Modernist Comedy In Jean Rhys’S After Leaving Mr Mackenzie And Good Morning, Midnight, Laura Wainwright

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay seeks to challenge critical analyses that view Jean Rhys’s early fiction as unrelentingly bleak and melancholic. I propose that in After Leaving Mr Mackenzie and Good Morning, Midnight, Rhys – often through her own distinctive brand of dry humour – experimentally dissolves the boundaries between comedy and tragedy, destabilising the social and cultural stereotypes of the funny man and the humourless, inadvertently comic woman. The image of the humourless woman writer in particular, I go on to suggest, is fundamentally undermined in these texts: I argue that Rhys’s unsettling tragicomedy subtly implicates the reader in the “comic” …

‘A Christal Glasse For Christian Women’: Meditations On Christ’S Passion In The Devotional Literature Of Renaissance Women, Frances James

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay explores the complex relationship between women’s devotional writing in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and the female claim to the authority to represent Christ’s body in textual form. I focus on the literary devices which female authors used to represent Christ in their writing and attempted to establish their own authorial voices within the means of public expression available to them. I advance a reading of Katherine Parr’s The Lamentacion of a synner (1547) and Elizabeth Tudor’s A godly medytacyon of the christen sowle (1548) as early Renaissance attempts to reconcile female authorship with the necessity of …

Empowering, Degrading Or A ‘Mutually Exploitative’ Exchange For Women?: Characterising The Power Relations Of The Strip Club, Katy Pilcher

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper seeks to characterise the gendered and sexualised power relations of both female and male strip clubs, and to signal what this means for establishing positive definitions of female desire. It is argued that while it is not useful to present female strippers, or female patrons of male strip clubs as purely passive victims of male heterosexism within these venues, it is equally damaging to assume that these venues represent a whole-scale challenge to conventional oppressive gender and sexual relations for women. Some research has even suggested that both strippers and their patrons are engaged in a ‘mutually exploitative’ …

Women Scholars, Social Science Expertise, And The State, Mary Ann Dzuback

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Faculty Research

Building on scholarship on academic women and the (gendered) institutional constraints they faced, this article explores different trajectories in the careers of academic women economists in the United States, and their efforts to pursue research, establish their authority and influence public policy. It argues that, despite the obstacles, such women were still able to use their new knowledge to influence the development of the welfare state. This study provides new insights into women’s efforts to pursue research and establish their authority, indicative of the interweaving of gendered conceptions of knowledge and research as well as work. It particularly highlights differences …

An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, And Sexuality, Margaret Lowe

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2009 Women Making History Booklet, Women's History Center, Boise State University

Women Making History

Since 2001, the Boise State Women's Center has honored 196 local "Women Making History": ordinary women leading extraordinary lives. This publication has become a tradition in our Women's History Month celebration. In the following pages, you will read about 24 women who are changing the history of Idaho. These women were nominated as Women Making History for their admirable work in our community.

A Look At Women And Abortion In The United States, Denitsa D. Koleva, Kristina V. Marinova, Robyn A. Byrne

Gettysburg Economic Review

The issue of abortion is defined by ethical questions and, often, controversial views. This paper argues the importance of a coherent and enhanced effort to study the quantitative relationship between women’s characteristics and the average number of abortions in the United States. It specifically looks at the average number of previous abortions and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, as this relationship has not been explored before in the existing literature. We expect to establish a correlation between the average number of previous abortions and characteristics such as age, marital status, income and highest degree of education completed. An empirical model is …

Cultural Values And Anticipations Of Female Leadership Styles A Study Of Rotary Clubs In Taiwan And The United States, Chin-Chung Chao

Faculty Books and Monographs

Although the status of women in general has gradually improved in education, employment and leadership over the years, the big picture for women is still disheartening, and female leadership in higher positions is disproportionately represented. To address this issue for more satisfactory gender equality, this study undertakes a comparative quantitative and qualitative study of female leadership in non-profit organizations in the East and the West by exploring the relationships between the Rotary Club members¿ cultural values and their anticipated female leadership styles in Taiwan and the United States. Specifically, this study will provide more academic perspectives on female leadership in …