Women's Studies Commons^™

The Role Of Social Physique Anxiety, Social Support, And Perceived Benefits And Barrier To Exercise In All-Female Fitness Camp Intervention, Lauren Elizabeth Easton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Only 3.2% of Americans ages 20-59 years meet the minimum recommended volume of exercise suggestions. In addition to the substantial percentage of people who fail to meet exercise requirements, only 15% of American adults engage in exercise on a regular basis, i.e. exercising for twenty minutes at least three times per week to improve health. (Schrop, Pendleton, McCord, Gil, Stockton, McNatt, & Gilchrist, 2006). Although the small proportion of those who reach the suggested physical activity levels is a topic of concern for adults, the CDC reports that physical inactivity levels are even higher for females than those of males. …

The F-Word, Stephanie K. Adamczak, Taylor C. Amato

SURGE

I’m thinking of a word. Can you guess it? This word is considered negative and harsh. It’s generally avoided in everyday conversations. You wouldn’t normally hear this word spoken by professors or sophisticated celebrities. It starts with an F… Do you know it?

That’s right folks! It’s “feminist”. [excerpt]

Marriageable Age In Islam: A Study On Marriageable Age Laws And Reforms In Islamic Law, Jeremiah J. Bowden

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

One area of Islamic law that has been subject to much criticism as of late is the practice of child-marriage. Some, preferring to view Islam suspiciously, tend to create a caricature of Muslims as morally depraved individuals who force young daughters into marriages to old men for financial gain. Several polemicists commenting on this practice have hurled virulent epithets toward the Prophet Muhammad, whom they believe to be the originator of this abhorrent practice. After exploring instances where child-marriage still occurs, I will examine how this practice is currently being reformed in a way consistent with Islamic law. Ultimately, I …

Assimilation, Acculturation, And The Law: Solving A “Problem” Like Shar’Ia, Kristina E. Benson

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

An unexpected development in the English legal system involves Muslim women’s use of legally binding Shar’ia councils to protect their autonomy, marital security, and property rights. Although scholars and political commentators alike have voiced concerns that Muslim women will be treated unfairly in these councils, there is some indication that women have become adept at navigating this plural legal landscape and that they have often managed to secure better outcomes from Shar’ia family law than from English courts. Over 80 Shar’ia tribunals have been established to issue legally binding decisions on divorce, child custody, inheritance, and other areas of family …

The Use Of Rhetoric In Anti-Suffrage And Anti-Feminist Publications, Artour Aslanian

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

After decades of struggling to gain the right to vote, women were finally granted that right with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment on August 18, 1920. While it would seem that most, if not all, women would be in favor of gaining the right to vote, the women’s suffrage movement did not represent the wishes of all women within the United States. Scholarship in this area largely focuses on the historical developments of the suffrage movements, with the presence of female opponents of suffrage and anti-suffragist organizations receiving less attention.1 These anti-suffragists were vocal in their opposition to the …

Gender, Emotional Labour, & Interactive Body Work: Negotiating Flesh And Fantasy In Sex Workers’ Labor Practices, Barbara G. Brents, Crystal A. Jackson

Sociology Faculty Research

Body/Sex/Work focuses on the intimate, embodied and sexualised labour that occurs within body work and sex work. Bringing together an internationally renowned group of academics, it explores, empirically and theoretically, labour processes, workplace relations, regulation and resistance in some of the many work sites that make up the body work and sex work sectors. The book makes a key contribution to research recognising the embodiment of labour and the body, reframing the key questions in critical studies of work and employment.

Key Benefits:

• The first book that draws together the sub-disciplines of body work and sex work

• Written …

And None For Gretchen Weiners, Center For Public Service

SURGE

In the four years I’ve spent at Gettysburg College, it’s safe to say that my experience has been largely influenced by my membership in Greek Life. I’ve developed a personal leadership style and feel accomplished by the strong relationships I built with other women. But this year, I developed a stronger understanding of the inequities that exist within the Greek community. [excerpt]

My Night As A Sex Tourist, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

I’ve been studying in Copenhagen, Denmark for a few months now, and since I had a week off to travel (perks of studying abroad), I took the opportunity to spend a few nights in Amsterdam. I was traveling alone, so during my first night at the hostel in Amsterdam, when I met a woman my age who offered to show me around the city, I accepted, excited to find a traveling partner. [excerpt]

Style Watch: Blackface Edition, Rashida Aluko-Roberts

SURGE

The above quote is from a statement/apology offered by Sebastian Kim, a photographer, whose recent editorial, “African Queen,” which featured a 16-year-old white female made to appear black, was marred with controversy. According to the photographer, dousing a young white female in deep bronze, accessorizing her in elaborate head wraps and heavy jewels (symbols that are often associated with Africa), was in no way an attempt to depict what an “African queen” looks like. Rather, his spread was attempting to showcase “the beauty aesthetic of his shoot” by using a “tanned or golden skin” model. [excerpt]

Women In The 1919 Egyptian Revolution: From Feminist Awakening To Nationalist Political Activism, Nabila Ramdani

Journal of International Women's Studies

The formation of a feminist consciousness in Egypt ran parallel with the country’s rapid development as a modern state at the start of the 19th century. Technological advancements within Muhammad Ali’s increasingly capitalistic, secular country were accompanied by burgeoning intellectual thought among all sections of society, including women. By the end of the century, a middle-class female literary culture had become indelibly associated with a nationwide feminist awakening.

The feminist element to the wider independence movement was both vocal and powerful, as women rallied under the ‘Egypt for the Egyptians’ slogan. Elite women who had organised themselves politically had first …

Microcredit Lending To Female Entrepreneurs: A Middle East Case Study, Alida M. Gomez

Journal of International Women's Studies

There are more than 4 billion people in the world living off of less than 1500USD per year. These are the people worldwide without access to commercial banks and credit unions. These are the people that microcredit lending institutions are here to help. This paper focuses on the advantages to allocating the microcredit loans to female entrepreneurs. Highlighting women’s empowerment through microcredit lending, and using the Middle East as a case study, this paper uses studies from throughout the region that show that microcredit loans are improving communication, access to information regarding rights, and improved household welfare. Through access to …

Gender Standards V. Democratic Standards: Revisiting The Paradox, Amel Mili

Journal of International Women's Studies

In our past work, we had analyzed the correlation between gender standards and democratic standards in post-colonial North Africa, and found it to be essentially non-existent, despite the fact that these two standards are highly correlated worldwide, and despite the analytical evidence to the effect that they go hand in hand. We revisit our previous analysis, in light of recent developments in North Africa and the Middle East.

Jordanian Social Norms And The Risk Of Intimate Partner Violence And Limited Reproductive Agency, Jennifer Mccleary-Sills

Journal of International Women's Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive global problem that violates the rights of millions of women each year and has been linked with a multitude of adverse physical, mental, and reproductive health outcomes. In Jordan, socio-cultural constructs of masculinity and female sexuality legitimize control exerted on and violence perpetrated against women. These include the gendered social norms that keep women in disempowered positions and limit their ability make fundamental reproductive decisions such as whether and when to become pregnant. This paper explores some of the mechanisms by which low levels of gender equity increase Jordanian women’s risk of violence …

Introduction: Women And Gender In The Middle East: Recognition, Reflection, And Realignment: A Bridgewater State University Conference, Sarah Wiggins, Jabbar Al-Obaidi

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Culture Shock, Hannah M. Frantz, Stephanie K. Adamczak, Elizabeth A. Rupert

SURGE

Take one week living in our culture:

Monday: A student quotes other students on Overheard at Gettysburg.

“In the commons at 8:50am. Two girls. Completely serious.

Girl 1: Have you been outside? Girl 2: Yea! It’s rape weather. Girl 1: I know. A girl could totally get raped out there.” [excerpt]

Fearless: Casey Butrico And Melanie Emerson, Casey E. Butrico, Melanie P. Emerson

SURGE

Casey Butrico (‘16) and Melanie Emerson (‘16) recently started a discussion group called Students for Reproductive Justice. This group is dedicated to the belief that women should control all aspects of their reproduction, including education about and access to safe birth control. They also aim to focus on gynecological care, pre-natal care, and abortion as human rights. These two fearless first-years have made a mission to educate and raise awareness about local and national issues that relate to women’s reproductive autonomy and the legal restrictions threatening it. [excerpt]

Ivy Leaves, Volume 88, Ivy Leaves Editorial Staff

Ivy Leaves

The 2013 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 Cara Dillon, Sarah Burgess, Emmy Wheatley, Chris Mauldin, Genevieve Hamilton, Jonathan Kurtz, Chelsea Pancoast, Mary Langston Willis, Christina Martin, Emily Weiland, Joy Hiller, Sarah Leugemors, Brittany Wilson, David Estep, Heather McIlrath, Dixie Hemingway, Gage LeGreca, Annie Churdar, Teresa Jones, and Tim Speaker. Photography by Joy Hiller, Sarah Leugemors, Heather McIlrath, Emily Weiland, David Estep, and Brittany Wilson.

Women Leaders In The Rwandan Genocide: When Women Choose To Kill, Donna J. Maier

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The role of women as perpetrators in the Rwanda Genocide has been documented much more so than that of women in other genocides and crimes against humanity: more than in the holocaust of World War II, than in the massacres of Mayan Guatemala's Indians in 1982, and more even than in the widespread atrocities that accompanied the break-up of the former Yugoslavia which were virtually concurrent with the Rwanda Genocide. It is not entirely clear why this is the case. Testimonies of women perpetrators and victims were collected in the immediate aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide by various human rights …

A Survey Of Slovenian Women Fairy Tale Writers, Milena Mileva Blazić

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "A Survey of Slovenian Women Fairy Tale Writers" Milena Mileva Blažić begins with an introduction to the Slovenian fairy tale writing tradition dating back nearly 150 years. While male authors published collections of tales, women writers published only individual fairy tales and owing to their biographies giving birth to children and caring for their families gained less, if any, recognition in literary history. Blažić's overview of Slovenian women writers of fairy tales and scholarship about the genre includes the related genre of youth literature. Blažić's survey is placed in the context of West European fairy tale writing …

Double Duty: Women Who Make It To The Top In Business Carry The Burden Of Society's Expectations, Barbara A. Walsh

Colby Magazine

High-achieving women in corporate America find themselves managing companies and households. Alumnae report that home and family aren’t left behind when they land the corner office.

Point Of View: In This Class On Feminism, Nobody Was On The Bench, Rocio Orantes Carey

Colby Magazine

Rocío Orantes Carey ’06 on stereotypes, feminism, and football.

The Girls Are Alright: With Colbians Leading The Way, Girl-Empowering Hardy Girls Healthy Women Sparks A National Movement, Laura Meader

Colby Magazine

Since its inception a decade ago, Hardy Girls Healthy Women has helped hundreds of girls to overcome damaging stereotypes and realize their own potential. With Colby alumni and faculty charting its course, the Waterville-based organization has made it to the national stage.

How To Look Like A Lesbian Without Even Trying, Laura J. Koenig

SURGE

“Ugh. I hate those pictures. I look like such a lesbian in them,” my cousin explained to me while her family and I sat around their kitchen table. After she said this, her younger brother laughed into his chicken noodle soup and she hit him over the head. “Shut up. I’m telling you. They’re so bad,” she said. As the conversation went on, I learn that she was referring to pictures that had been taken at one of her lacrosse practices. The important part is that she was displeased with the photos. And it’s certainly not because someone had caught …

Fearless: One Billion Rising, Center For Public Service

SURGE

One Billion Rising is the annual global celebration associated with the kick-off of the Vagina Monologues. It is a day that encourages women to dance, taking ownership of their bodies, of the space they occupy, and of the rights to expression that they deserve. Over 200 men and women joined in the celebration which took place in the Junction on Feb 14th. Speakers included Professor Stephanie Sellers and Terri Hamrick (CEO of Survivors, Inc.), a student choreographed performance by Elle Rupert (’13) and Riccardo Purita (’13), and ended with a group zumba dance to ring in One Billion Rising! [ …

Book Review: Vagina: A New Biography, Harasankar Adhikari

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Vagina: A New Biography by Naomi Wolf

Book Review: Buy It Now: Lessons From Ebay., Busisiwe Magagula

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Buy it Now: Lessons from EBay by Michelle White

Book Review: Feminist Practices, Interdisciplinary Approaches To Women In Architecture, Magotsi Motanya

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Feminist Practices, Interdisciplinary Approaches to Women in Architecture. Edited by Lori Brown

Book Review: Women’S Work And Pensions: What Is Good, What Is Best? Designing Gender-Sensitive Arrangements, Mercy Nduku Ngungu

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Women’s Work and Pensions: What is Good, What is Best? Designing Gender-Sensitive Arrangements, edited by Bernd Marin and Eszter

Book Review: Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus: Inside The World Of A Woman Born In Prison, Sharonrose Sefora

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus: Inside the World of a Woman Born in Prison by Deborah Jiang Stein

Book Review: The Path Of Mercy: The Life Of Catherine Mcauley, Busisiwe Magagula

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of The Path of Mercy: The Life of Catherine McAuley by Mary C. Sullivan