Women's Studies | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

Book Review: Thinking Sex With The Early Moderns, Renee Somers

Journal of International Women's Studies

Book review of Thinking Sex with the Early Moderns by Valerie Traub. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015.

Book Review: Sex, Slavery And The Trafficked Woman: Myths And Misconceptions About Trafficking And Its Victims, Jennifer A. Fallas

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Sex, Slavery and the Trafficked Woman: Myths and Misconceptions about Trafficking and its Victims by Ramona Vijeyarasa. Ashgate, 2015.

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Book Review: The Kaleidoscope Of Gender: Prisms, Patterns, And Possibilities, Cynthia J.W. Svoboda

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of The Kaleidoscope of Gender: Prisms, Patterns, and Possibilities by Joan Z. Spade and Catherine G. Valentine. Sage, 2014.

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Book Review: Big Pharma, Women, And The Labour Of Love, Nayantara Sheoran

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Big Pharma, Women, and the Labour of Love, by Thea Cacchioni. University of Toronto Press, 2015.

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Book Review Essay: Not A Choice, Not A Job: Exposing The Myths About Prostitution And The Global Sex Trade, Tran Truong

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Not a Choice, Not a Job: Exposing the Myths about Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade, by Janice G. Raymond. Potomac Books, 2013.

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Book Review Essay: My Life On The Road, Diana J. Fox

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem. Random House, 2015.

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Discovering My Own African Feminism: Embarking On A Journey To Explore Kenyan Women's Oppression, Glory Joy Gatwiri, Helen Jaqueline Mclaren

Journal of International Women's Studies

All Black women have experienced living in a society that devalues them. The scholarship of bell hooks submits that the control of Black women ideologically, economically, socially and politically functions perfectly to form a highly discriminative but effective system that is designed to keep them in a submissive and subordinate place. As a Ph.D. student, in a reflective journey with my research supervisor, I engage in a struggle to define my own feminist perspective in as I prepare to explore the oppression, disadvantage and discrimination experienced by Kenyan women living with vaginal fistulas. I examine how poor and socially disadvantaged …

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Oriental Family Law: Case Study Within A Gendered-Citizenship/Inequality Perspective: From Concept To Analytical Status, Rania F. Al-Rabadi, Anas N. Al-Rabadi

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article presents key findings and empirical work of basic research in Bahrain in regards to active citizenship and gender equality where it analyses the claimed liberal citizenship. The article focuses on pre-existing inequality in the family code and also discusses a significant issue where there is a Sunni-Shi’ite division in Bahrain. This is relevant to citizenship and gender equality for how family codes are debated in regards to women’s rights within the legislative authority. Furthermore, this article analyses the parliamentary organizational structure which attributes and influences the legislation process and decision-making particularly on gender-friendly policies, where the legal system …

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On The Relationship Between Gender Roles Attitudes, Religious Ideology And Familism In A Sample Of Adults In The United States, Carlos Siordia

Journal of International Women's Studies

Family and religious ideologies may influence gender role attitudes in the United States, where gender inequality persists. Research suggests that family and religious ideologies shape beliefs of how men and women should behave—where gender egalitarianism is lowest amongst those with strong family orientations and/or strong patriarchal religious ideologies. This article investigated if and how family and religious ideologies are related to gender role attitudes by using cross-sectional data from the Longitudinal Study of Generations (n=1,615; mean age=50; 61% female; 32% racial minorities). Results indicate a direct relationship between gender role ideology and the following: religious ideology and familism. Because gender …

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Status Of Bahraini Women In The Banking And Financial Sector: Challenges And Opportunities, Adel Ismail Al-Alawi

Journal of International Women's Studies

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status and the challenges of Bahraini women in the financial and banking sector; this sector is in continuous growth and needs to invest in human resources properly to attract talents. To enhance women’s access to senior positions in this sector, it must acknowledge the factors that influence women leadership, where the significance of this study stands out. The study presents how different factors affect the mainstreaming of women progressing to the top-level management. The study followed both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection, and three different types of survey …

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Which ‘Mountain’ Must Feminism Climb?: Challenges For Feminist Alliances Between Migrant And Autochthonous Women's Groups In The Basque Country, Itziar Gandarias Goikoetxea

Journal of International Women's Studies

Within a post-colonial framework, this paper explores the possibilities and difficulties of feminist alliances among feminist groups in the Basque Country. In particular, it focuses on a close reading of one metaphor that emerged in the joint meetings between the groups: “the metaphor of the mountain”. Using Nayak's (2014) methodology of the ‘political activism of close reading practice”, it examines the implications of the metaphor in the creation of political alliances. This is an active metaphor that exemplifies the dialectic between the universality of the patriarchal subjugation of women and the recognition of the specificity and diversity of women's lived …

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Empowering The Subaltern In Woman At Point Zero, Saddik Gohar

Journal of International Women's Studies

In the context of Western feminist theory, this paper critically explores Nawal El Saadawi's celebrated novel, Woman at Point Zero. The aim of this analysis is to establish a dialogue and outline the benefits of comparative feminist discourse with regard to patriarchal policies in the Middle East. The paper argues that El Saadawi challenges the hegemony of a traditionally phallocentric society empowered by religion and masculinity. In Woman at Point Zero, the author has effectively reinterpreted culturally dominated canons and deconstructed regressive traditions affiliated with patriarchal hegemony. Relying on her experience as a prison psychiatrist, El Saadawi interrogates a …

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Effective Use Of Media Awareness Campaigns For Breast Cancer Care Among Women: A Comparative Study, Okorie Nelson, Abiodun Salawu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study investigated the influence of media awareness campaigns on breast cancer care among women in South-West Nigeria. This study employed a mixed research method, which made use of survey and focus group discussion to achieve the objectives of the study. For the sample size, a total of 632 persons participated in the study, which was made up of 600 questionnaire respondents and 32 discussants for the focus group discussion. The multi- stage sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the questionnaire respondents in Lagos, Oyo and Ekiti States. Also, three hypotheses were tested using cross tabulation …

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Women's Advocacy In Postwar Bosnia And Herzegovina. Implementation Of Unscr 1325 On Women, Peace And Security, Jagoda Rošul-Gajić

Journal of International Women's Studies

In this paper, I address the question of how Bosnian women's NGOs have contributed to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). What instruments did they use to enforce gender, peace and security norms into state policy and the policy of international actors in the post-conflict internationalized society of BiH? Since national and international actors did not comply with international gender specific norms and standards, I argue that, as norm advocates, Bosnian women’s NGOs have been working with a double strategy to influence gender, peace …

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Women's Access To Political Leadership In Madagascar: The Value Of History And Social Political Activism, Ave Altius, Joel Raveloharimisy

Journal of International Women's Studies

Globally, wide gaps exist between men’s and women’s participation in leadership roles. This paper explores women’s access to leadership in Madagascar through an examination of women’s participation in politics and government. Research across the literature found three major reasons for women’s political participation: gender quotas, kinship and societal upheaval. However, upon examining Madagascar, women’s participation in leadership involves factors, which were not fully explored in this literature. The historical legacy of Madagascar and women’s social and political activism were the principal factors in women’s participation in leadership. The findings might have implications in explaining women’s access to leadership roles.

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Vulnerability Of Teenage Girls To Pregnancy In Ibarapa Central Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, Stella O. Odebode, Oluyinka A. Kolapo

Journal of International Women's Studies

The study examined the vulnerability of teenage girls to pregnancy in Ibarapa Central local government area of Oyo state, Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select 140 teenage girls for the study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used to elicit information from the respondents. While Interview Schedule was used to collect quantitative data, Focus Group Discussion Guide and In-depth Interview was used to gather qualitative data. Data were analysed using a descriptive method of analysis. Analysis of the data obtained showed that the average age of teenage girls in the study area was 15 years; …

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In Their Husbands' Shoes: Feminism And Political Economy Of Women Breadwinners In Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria, Friday Asiazobor Eboiyehi, Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu, Adeyinka Oladayo Bankole

Journal of International Women's Studies

In a significant number of societies worldwide, the primary role of men is to serve as breadwinners in their households. However, in Nigeria, since the mid-1980s there has been a steady rise in the number of women breadwinners in many households. In spite of this, not enough studies have been conducted on this emerging phenomenon. Using feminist and political economy theories as explanatory tools, the study examined women breadwinners in Nigeria using Ile-Ife of Southwestern Nigeria as a case study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were utilized to explore the circumstances leading to the rise of women …

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Separate Space: An Approach To Addressing Gender Inequality In The Workplace, Zuziwe Khuzwayo

Journal of International Women's Studies

Gender inequality in the workplace continues to be one of the most challenging issues to deal with in South African society where patriarchy still exists. This paper evaluates whether the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (SACCAWU) separatist model for dealing with gender inequality have been successful. The union’s decision to create a ‘separate space’ for women within the union is analysed. Data collection comprised of an analysis of SACCAWU’s gender policy and material (including workshops, discussions and programmes run by the union). Participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 22 SACCAWU male and female members regarding gender policies, …

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Natural Resources And Household Incomes Among Rural Women: Analysis Of Communities Domiciled Near National Parks In Rwanda, Edward Mutandwa, Seraphine Wibabara

Journal of International Women's Studies

Historically, national parks were developed along protectionist principles to stave off illegal extraction of plants and wildlife. However, there have been calls to involve local communities in sustainable management of natural resources in recent years. The main objective of this study was to examine the economic activities carried out by rural women located near the Virunga National Park (VNP) in Northern Rwanda. The research also determined the role of such activities in enhancing their financial condition. A total of 118 respondents were selected from Musanze District using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data was mainly collected through a structured questionnaire transcribed …

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'Your Woman Is A Very Bad Woman': Revisiting Female Deviance In Colonial Fiji, Margaret Mishra

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article sets out to retrieve two accounts of female deviance in colonial Fiji. It will posit rule-breaking behavior as a reaction to colonial and patriarchal efforts to regulate female behavior and sexuality. The article simultaneously aims to undo rigid categorizations of female deviance by relating such acts to historical circumstance. Police records, court proceedings and news items from The National Archives of Fiji are cited to show how indigenous Fijian woman, Davilo, and indentured Indian woman, Sukhrania, transgressed socially constructed paradigms of morality by procuring abortions in 1884 and engaging in prostitution in 1909, respectively. By relabeling these alleged …

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Southern American University Undergraduates' Attitudes Toward Intrauterine Insemination Undertaken By Women Of Differing Age, Marital Status And Sexual Orientation, Sara L. Sohr-Preston, Ashley K. Rohner, Bryce H. Lott

Journal of International Women's Studies

Undergraduate college students in the southern U.S. were presented with vignettes about a fictional woman seeking to become pregnant via intrauterine insemination (IUI). Participants were randomly assigned to conditions in which the woman described was 26 or 41 years old, and single, married to a man, or married to a woman. After reading the vignettes, participants rated their expectations of the prospective mother’s preparedness for parenting, ability to provide quality of life for a child, risk for pregnancy complications and achieving a healthy pregnancy. Results yielded marginally significantly (p = .05) lower expectations of achieving a healthy pregnancy when …

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Taking Care In The Digital Realm: Hmong Story Cloths And The Poverty Of Interpretation On Hmongemboridery.Org, Corey Hickner-Johnson

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay examines Hmong story cloths exhibited on the HmongEmbroidery.org virtual museum in order to consider 1.) transnational Hmong diasporic experience post-Vietnam, 2.) the problems with interpretation as a critical mode of scholarship seeking mastery, and 3.) the work of digital archives in accounting for displacement and loss. The Hmong, an indigenous group originally living in East Asia, created many of the story cloths exhibited on HmongEmbroidery.org in Thai refugee camps following the Vietnam War, during which they assisted the United States CIA against the Viet Cong and Pathet Lao. Displaced by enemy forces from their homes through violent means …

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Domestic Violence And The Implementation Of The Hague Convention On The Civil Aspects Of International Child Abduction: Japan And U.S. Policy, Sawako Yamaguchi, Taryn Lindhorst

Journal of International Women's Studies

Around the world, an increasing number of married couples have at least one person who is not a citizen of their spouse’s country. The global growth in transnational families has necessitated the development of international legal agreements to address issues that have arisen upon the dissolution of these relationships. Of particular note to feminist scholars has been the issue of domestic violence in these relationships and how these circumstances are addressed under international agreements such as the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In 2013, Japan became the last of the major industrialized countries to sign …

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Domestic Violence In Chinese Families: Cold Violence By Men Towards Women, Helen Mclaren

Journal of International Women's Studies

China has experienced rapid social and economic transformation since the early 1990s. While state control has attempted to maintain a collectivist spirit that emphasizes communal goals and obligations over unrestricted capitalism, rapid economic growth has weakened socialist ideals and individualism has thrived. The present paper draws attention to potential associations between the rise of capitalism, individualism in mainland China, the one-child policy and changes in domestic violence laws with the increased perpetration of cold violence by some men towards their female partners. Cold violence refers to an emotional form of domestic violence characterized by a complete withdrawal of all verbal …

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A Macro Economic Approach To Gender Disparities In Hiring At The Ceo Level, Abigail R. Wood

Business and Economics Summer Fellows

More men named John run S&P 1500 companies than all women combined, causing many to wonder what factors are limiting women’s career advancement. While many studies have been written about the topic of women’s success in the business world, most focus on individual firms or positions and therefore miss macroeconomic factors such as women’s completion of master’s degree programs and labor force participation rates. This research examines the disparity of gender in CEO positions through the examination of macroeconomic data which captures women’s career trajectory and qualifications. This research specifically examines trends in women’s obtainment of master’s degrees in business …

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My Body, Not My Say: Justice Blackmun's Influential Decision In Roe V. Wade, Kisha K. Patel

Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Summer Fellows

Abortion laws have regulated women’s bodies since the beginning of the country. Many people associate regulation with the case of Roe V. Wade in 1973, in which the Supreme Court ruled that states could not outlaw abortion during the first trimester. Roe v. Wade remains controversial to this day as it failed to establish consensus that women’s decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy falls within their constitutional right to privacy. Understanding the implications of this decision is fundamental to analyze the debate over the constitutionality of abortion today. This paper examines the opinion written by Justice Blackmun in …

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Statistical Plight Of Black Women, Kimberly-Joy M. Walters

Sociology Summer Fellows

The purpose of this research is to examine how television shows and their portrayals of professional Black women impact the interpretation of marriage rates by race and perpetuate ideologies about the angry, unlovable Black woman. Using a content analysis of cable and network television shows with Black professional women as lead characters, this study connects an analysis of the characters’ lived experiences to normative expectations of Black women in relationships to call into question the prevailing narrative that Black women are in part personally responsible for their statistical plight. I will closely study how the two stereotypes, the Jezebel and …

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Investigating Asylum And Assimilation Procedures In European Countries As It Relates To The Independence Of Women, Katherine R. Avetta

International Relations Summer Fellows

This project investigates and analyzes immigration policy, specifically focusing on asylum seeking women, in European countries including, but not limited to, Germany and Sweden. Many European nations have limited immigration policy that ultimately negatively affects immigrants from Middle Eastern and African nations, especially female migrants fleeing those nations in order to gain independence and freedom from torture and gender based persecutions. However, what little policy European countries do utilize inevitably hinders women from gaining independence and rather mirrors the male dominated socio-cultural societies from which these very women fled. Through the examination of articles and policy, this project will analyze …

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Female Moments / Male Structures: The Representation Of Women In Romantic Comedies, Jordan A. Scharaga

Media and Communication Studies Summer Fellows

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again. With this formula it seems that romantic comedies are actually meant for men instead of women. If this is the case, then why do women watch these films? The repetition of female stars like Katharine Hepburn, Doris Day and Meg Ryan in romantic comedies allows audiences to find elements of truth in their characters as they grapple with the input of others in their life choices, combat the anxiety of being single, and prove they are less sexually naïve than society would like to admit. In 1999, a character struggles …

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Text And Paratext: Analyzing Edith Wharton's Hudson River Bracketed In Its Periodical Context, Paige Szmodis

English and Creative Writing Summer Fellows

Studying a novel in the context of its paratexts — including the illustrations, advertisements, and captions surrounding the fiction — reveals how the publication context can shape a literary work. This project examines Edith Wharton’s Hudson River Bracketed (1929) and its paratexts by comparing the final version of the novel with textual changes made in its monthly periodical publication in the magazine The Delineator (1928-1930). As mass-consumerism and advertising increasingly targeted women during the 1920s, examining Wharton’s work in a popular middle-class women’s magazine like The Delineator illuminates how paratexts affect audience perceptions of the novel’s characters, conflicts, and themes. …

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Full-Text Articles in Women's Studies

Book Review: Thinking Sex With The Early Moderns, Renee Somers

Journal of International Women's Studies

Book Review: Sex, Slavery And The Trafficked Woman: Myths And Misconceptions About Trafficking And Its Victims, Jennifer A. Fallas

Journal of International Women's Studies

Book Review: The Kaleidoscope Of Gender: Prisms, Patterns, And Possibilities, Cynthia J.W. Svoboda

Journal of International Women's Studies

Book Review: Big Pharma, Women, And The Labour Of Love, Nayantara Sheoran

Journal of International Women's Studies

Book Review Essay: Not A Choice, Not A Job: Exposing The Myths About Prostitution And The Global Sex Trade, Tran Truong

Journal of International Women's Studies

Book Review Essay: My Life On The Road, Diana J. Fox

Journal of International Women's Studies

Discovering My Own African Feminism: Embarking On A Journey To Explore Kenyan Women's Oppression, Glory Joy Gatwiri, Helen Jaqueline Mclaren

Journal of International Women's Studies

Oriental Family Law: Case Study Within A Gendered-Citizenship/Inequality Perspective: From Concept To Analytical Status, Rania F. Al-Rabadi, Anas N. Al-Rabadi

Journal of International Women's Studies

On The Relationship Between Gender Roles Attitudes, Religious Ideology And Familism In A Sample Of Adults In The United States, Carlos Siordia

Journal of International Women's Studies

Status Of Bahraini Women In The Banking And Financial Sector: Challenges And Opportunities, Adel Ismail Al-Alawi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Which ‘Mountain’ Must Feminism Climb?: Challenges For Feminist Alliances Between Migrant And Autochthonous Women's Groups In The Basque Country, Itziar Gandarias Goikoetxea

Journal of International Women's Studies

Empowering The Subaltern In Woman At Point Zero, Saddik Gohar

Journal of International Women's Studies

Effective Use Of Media Awareness Campaigns For Breast Cancer Care Among Women: A Comparative Study, Okorie Nelson, Abiodun Salawu

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women's Advocacy In Postwar Bosnia And Herzegovina. Implementation Of Unscr 1325 On Women, Peace And Security, Jagoda Rošul-Gajić

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women's Access To Political Leadership In Madagascar: The Value Of History And Social Political Activism, Ave Altius, Joel Raveloharimisy

Journal of International Women's Studies

Vulnerability Of Teenage Girls To Pregnancy In Ibarapa Central Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, Stella O. Odebode, Oluyinka A. Kolapo

Journal of International Women's Studies

In Their Husbands' Shoes: Feminism And Political Economy Of Women Breadwinners In Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria, Friday Asiazobor Eboiyehi, Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu, Adeyinka Oladayo Bankole

Journal of International Women's Studies

Separate Space: An Approach To Addressing Gender Inequality In The Workplace, Zuziwe Khuzwayo

Journal of International Women's Studies

Natural Resources And Household Incomes Among Rural Women: Analysis Of Communities Domiciled Near National Parks In Rwanda, Edward Mutandwa, Seraphine Wibabara

Journal of International Women's Studies

'Your Woman Is A Very Bad Woman': Revisiting Female Deviance In Colonial Fiji, Margaret Mishra

Journal of International Women's Studies

Southern American University Undergraduates' Attitudes Toward Intrauterine Insemination Undertaken By Women Of Differing Age, Marital Status And Sexual Orientation, Sara L. Sohr-Preston, Ashley K. Rohner, Bryce H. Lott

Journal of International Women's Studies

Taking Care In The Digital Realm: Hmong Story Cloths And The Poverty Of Interpretation On Hmongemboridery.Org, Corey Hickner-Johnson

Journal of International Women's Studies

Domestic Violence And The Implementation Of The Hague Convention On The Civil Aspects Of International Child Abduction: Japan And U.S. Policy, Sawako Yamaguchi, Taryn Lindhorst

Journal of International Women's Studies

Domestic Violence In Chinese Families: Cold Violence By Men Towards Women, Helen Mclaren

Journal of International Women's Studies

A Macro Economic Approach To Gender Disparities In Hiring At The Ceo Level, Abigail R. Wood

Business and Economics Summer Fellows

My Body, Not My Say: Justice Blackmun's Influential Decision In Roe V. Wade, Kisha K. Patel

Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Summer Fellows

Statistical Plight Of Black Women, Kimberly-Joy M. Walters

Sociology Summer Fellows

Investigating Asylum And Assimilation Procedures In European Countries As It Relates To The Independence Of Women, Katherine R. Avetta

International Relations Summer Fellows

Female Moments / Male Structures: The Representation Of Women In Romantic Comedies, Jordan A. Scharaga

Media and Communication Studies Summer Fellows

Text And Paratext: Analyzing Edith Wharton's Hudson River Bracketed In Its Periodical Context, Paige Szmodis

English and Creative Writing Summer Fellows