Women's Studies Commons^™

Cultural Autonomy As Impregnable Armour: Locating Black Feminist Autoethnography In Gloria Naylor's Mama Day, Adishree Vats, Anurag Kumar

Journal of International Women's Studies

The present paper argues that Gloria Naylor's Mama Day (1988) embodies Black Feminist Autoethnography that critiques and commemorates her spectacular art of constructing cultural-autonomy within the marginal sphere of Willow Springs, permitting the inhabitants, especially the women of the island, to shield their individual identities, as well as combat the hegemonic pseudo power-structure. By eliminating the conventions of white contemporary bureaus, and alternatively putting up rational sets of credence, ethics, and practices, the novel embellishes the rhetorical manufacturing of cultural-autonomy, ultimately encapsulating the ethical-cum-mythical undertakings of the Black America. This effectuation of their own ethical reservoirs by these resistive cultures …

Book Review: Anti-Gender Politics In The Populist Moment, Didem Unal

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Rape: From Lucretia To #Metoo, Anjalee Nadarajan

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Reckless Kind, Ragini Mishra

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Taking A Long Look: Essays On Culture, Literature, And Feminism In Our Time, Soma Mandal

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Women In The Kurdish Movement: Mothers, Comrades And Goddesses, Necla Acik

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

The Transformation Of The Social Imaginary On Women’S Sexuality In Indonesian Literature From The New Order To Reformasi Eras, Wening Udasmoro, Nur Saktiningrum

Journal of International Women's Studies

In this research, we explored the social imaginary that relates to women’s sexuality based on the writings of several prominent Indonesian female authors. We argue that the social imaginary is not only a social construction but also a construct created through an individual’s active participation. Historically, the social imaginary in Indonesia has been tied to nationalism; however, it has gradually shifted toward the individual perspective. In particular, this study examined the construction of the social imaginary in Indonesia by comparing and differentiating literary works created under two political regimes: the authoritarian New Order regime (1968–1998) and the more democratic Reformasi …

Violence Against Media Personas: A Comparative Study Of Women Journalists In Pakistan And England, Iqra Iqbal

Journal of International Women's Studies

Gender is a critical tool for studying power dynamics within various organisations. The primary objective of this study is to examine how gender-targeted assault against females has increased in the profession of journalism. Below is a comprehensive picture of the extent of dangerous situations to which many women working in news media of England and Pakistan were subjected to. This research presents the insidious coercion endured by female journalists and considers how these incidents affect their ability to conduct their work on a professional level in the media industries of each country. It is important to note that the objective …

Social Construction Of Female Infertility: A Qualitative Study Of Women With Female Factor Infertility Diagnosis, Oluwakemi Shade Iwelumor, Shariffah Suraya Syed Jamaludin, Kunle Seun Babatunde

Journal of International Women's Studies

Infertility, though a global reproductive problem, is uniquely constructed within different socio-cultural contexts. This study explored the social construction of the meaning of infertility among women by focusing on a sample of married women with female factor infertility diagnoses experiencing primary infertility in Kwara South, Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Nine women were recruited through the snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis with Atlas.ti 8. The findings are presented in three themes: ‘when delay becomes a problem,’ ‘confirming suspicion,’ and ‘defining the situation.’ By exploring the perceptions of infertile …

The Devadasi System: An Exploitation Of Women And Children In The Name Of God And Culture, Tameshnie Deane

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article looks at an ancient tradition of India called devadasis, which literally means “servant of God”. It requires girls as young as four years to be ‘married’ or ‘dedicated’ to a temple deity. Once a revered practice, over time the traditions evolved allowing women and children to become sexually exploited in the name of God. Looking at the reasons for the difficulty in combating this issue, this paper will first analyse its practices through a historical lense. Secondly, the extent of this exploitative practice will be discussed, and a major objective will be to explore the cultural underpinnings of …

The Traumatic Effect Of The Japanese War On Women In Rani Manicka’S Selected Novels, Somia Ayaicha, Manimangai Mani, Mohamed Ewan Bin Awang, Rania Khelifa Chelihi

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Second World War which lasted from 1939-1945 left a deep dent in the lives of many victims in the world. The four-year Japanese rule in Malaya created a permanent scar in the hearts of the Malayans which lingered on even after many decades. The sufferings of the Malayan people under the inhuman Japanese army are clearly depicted in the two novels selected for this research, Rani Manicka’s The Rice Mother (2002) and The Japanese Lover (2010). The novels are about how women are subjected to the effects of war during the Japanese occupation, the pain of separation from a …

Kerala Needs A Women’S Movement For Breast Cancer: An Exploratory Study On Breast Cancer Awareness In Kerala, Sheeja Rajagopal

Journal of International Women's Studies

The incidence of breast cancer is on the rise globally, and the Indian state of Kerala is no exception. Kerala has a vibrant and exciting history of social and political struggles centered on the female breast, as is evidenced by the system of breast tax applicable to lower caste women and the breast cloth revolt. Despite this long history of public attention, the diseased female breast remains an area of silence. In Western countries, the Breast Cancer Movement has played a significant role in bringing awareness on breast cancer. Unlike in the Western world and certain other parts of India, …

From Housewives And Mothers To Mules: The Case Of Latin American Women Prisoners In Spain, Joaquina Castillo-Algarra, Marta Ruiz-García

Journal of International Women's Studies

Latin American women play a key role in the international cocaine business as couriers or mules. Beginning from theoretical perspectives that explain the relationship between criminality and gender, we analyze why women without a criminal background become criminals, how they become involved in trafficking, their positions and functions in the criminal organization, and the risks and benefits of their participation. Qualitative fieldwork was carried out based on in-depth interviews with fifty-one female inmates and twenty members of prison staff from nine Spanish prisons. A thematic analysis has been carried out based on this data. The results reveal that the prevalent …

"Abayomi, We Are The Revolution": Women's Rights And Samba At Rio De Janeiro, Paula Dürks Cassol

Journal of International Women's Studies

The advent of the feminist movement in the twentieth century made it possible for socially organized women to begin seeking for the recognition of their rights and the change of gender roles which were socially built. Women’s rights started to be recognized as a human right. However, criteria of race and class have always been relevant, and have provided privileged positions for white women in the pursuit and attainment of rights, while black women continue to be stigmatized, remaining in the base of the social pyramid. In this regard, this paper questions: What is the relation between feminism and the …

Folk Song “Hua’Er” In Northwest China: “Younger Sisters” And The Gender Relationship, Ma Rui

Journal of International Women's Studies

Chinese folk songs remain largely unheard-of outside China. The broad purpose of this essay is to bring one peculiar form of folk songs that is commonly circulated in Northwest China—Hua’er—into the spotlight. The essay attempts to reveal four types of female images as observed in romantic Hua’er, which is followed by an analysis of the gender relationship mirrored from the images and characterized by male-dominated hierarchy. Additionally, two ideas are offered as interpretation on the construction of the gender hierarchy. One is the impacts of Islam and Tibetan Buddhism which are two principal religions in Northwest China; the other is …

Mixed Methods Research To Understand Gender Inequality In Tourism Through A Feminist Post-Constructionist Lens, Ines Carvalho

Journal of International Women's Studies

The purpose of this article is to analyze how mixed methods research can be framed in feminist studies. Contentions in mixed methods research are approached, and the claims of the advocators and opponents to mixed methods research are analyzed. Contentions in feminist approach are also analyzed. Although feminist theorizing has been reluctant to the use of mixed methods research, it is claimed that combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies can contribute to the feminist goals of social justice and equality. Feminist post-constructionism is proposed as a good thinking tool for framing mixed methods research in feminist studies. By simultaneously embracing and …

Gender Perspective On Tourism's Influence On The Local Community: A Literature Review, Nur Abellan Calvet, Jordi Arcos-Pumarola, Laia Encinar-Prat

Journal of International Women's Studies

The tourism industry integrates multiple actors interrelated through a variety of dynamics and characteristics. To address this complexity, tourism studies integrate different disciplines and perspectives in order to comprehend the tourism phenomenon. One of the main topics of tourism studies has been its impact on local communities. The conjunction of these research lines with the gender perspective discloses how tourism interrelates with the host territory's particular gender dynamics. In this context, the present study aims to explore and analyse the current state of academic research on tourism's influence on the local community from a gender perspective. In this way, we …

Dismantling Power And Patriarchy: Reconceptualizing Entrepreneurship Through Feminist Research Methods, Heatherjean Macneil

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Initial research has shown how male and heroic idealism of the entrepreneur (Ahl, 2006), the gendering of entrepreneurial ecosystems (Özkazanç-Pan & Muntean, 2021), and societal racism (Wingfield, 2008), contribute to othering conditions for entrepreneurs who are not white and male (Ahl, 2006). Not only does this othering effect create interlocking and compounded barriers, (Collins and Blige, 2016), but a diverse perspective of how-to entrepreneur is lost amidst dominant discourse and homogenous norms. To disrupt this patriarchal mold, this dissertation investigates: How does social identity shape early-stage entrepreneurship? It applies feminist theory and qualitative research methods to explore the lived experiences …

The Legacy Of Johnson V. Darr: The 1925 Decision Of The All-Woman Texas Supreme Court, Jeffrey D. Dunn

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Texas Supreme Court case of Johnson v. Darr,[1] the first case decided in any state by an all-woman appellate court, was a singular event in American legal history. On January 9, 1925, three women lawyers appointed by Texas Governor Pat Neff met at the state capitol in Austin to issue rulings solely on one case involving conflicting claims to several residential properties in El Paso. The special court was appointed because the three elected justices recused themselves over a conflict of interest involving one of the litigants, a popular fraternal organization called Woodmen of the World. The special …

Anna Belle King, Kelli Johnson

Oral Histories – NPS AACR Civil Rights In Appalachia Grant

Kelli Johnson conducting an oral history interview with Anna Belle King.

This oral history is part of the National Park Service African American Civil Rights History and Appalachia Grant Program.

Dzubinski And Stassons' "Women In The Mission Of The Church" (Book Review), Karen Keesing

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Where I’M From: Internal Manifestations Among Cambodian Women Using The Expressive Arts A Literature Review, Noeun Chhim

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Chronic mental illness has affected many Cambodian people, but, culturally, Cambodians aren’t accustomed to opening up and discussing their feelings, rather defining mental illness to craziness and seeking help is presumed taboo. Thus, Cambodians are often reluctant to talk about their experiences and/or their related illnesses. Though Cambodians have experienced inconceivable suffering and violence during the Khmer Rouge era, for the purpose of this thesis, I will be discussing the role of Cambodian women and investigate the extent of what they’ve witnessed and experienced. Cambodian women have suffered through many years of trauma and grief, during and after the Khmer …

He Had Two Women To Die For, Ireland And The Missus”: Mothers As Abject And Sons As Scapegoats In Edna O’Brien’S House Of Splendid Isolation And In The Forest, Emily Nix

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This thesis examines the protagonists in Edna O’Brien’s In the Forest and House of Splendid Isolation and applies Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection and Rene Girard’s theory of the scapegoat. In doing so, I attempt to give a richer understanding of O’Brien’s masculine and feminine characters and how their constructed identities are based on their cultural circumstances and positions in their societies. I use Kristeva’s theory of abjection to analyze the single women in these novels, Eily and Josie, who become metaphorical single mothers by the invasions of young men into their homes. Then, I apply Girard’s theory of the …

Frankenstein’S Creature: Monstrous Chicken Or Grotesque Egg?, Alexandria B. Acero

Gettysburg College Headquarters

Some scholars believe that due to the negligence of Victor in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the creature became an attention-craving murderous monster. Other scholars believe that the unaffectionate and unnatural way Victor birthed the creature caused his monstrous form. The argument over “Nature versus Nurture” in relation to the creations is irrelevant, however. The creature is only pushed away by Victor due to his hideousness which stems from the environment in which the creature was born. Victor’s societal view on nature and its connection to womanly attributes creates a paradox of a loveless creation and an affection-craving creature within the novel.

Freestyle's Forsaken, Sage D. Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Freestyle is a genre of music born in the mid-1980s from Latino and Black communities in the urban epicenters of the United States. This project spotlights a freestyle music artist “Corina," and how she suffered a patriarchal construct but finally got the moment of significance she deserved.

In Search Of Systemic Liberation: Black Feminist Activism Amongst French Women Of African Descent In Contemporary France, Jordan Thomas

Theses - ALL

"In Search of Systemic Liberation: Black Feminist Activism amongst French Women ofAfrican Descent in Contemporary France" examines the activisms of Isabelle Boni-Claverie, Assa Traoré, and the anti-racist and feminist collective, Lallab. In so doing, this thesis examines how the collective of each challenges France's narrative around race, belonging, and national identity. Through the analysis of the works by Boni-Claverie, Traoré, and Lallab, as well as the analysis of the responses from French media and French politicians, this thesis examines the ways in which these activists' political ideology and organizing pushes against France's national narrative of color-blind universalism in the present-day. …

Jin And Ming - An Intergenerational Study Of The Roles Of Women In East Asia, Yanyi Liu

Theses - ALL

This thesis discusses some of the current dilemmas faced by women in East Asia. Women from different life backgrounds may make different choices when faced with life paths, but whether they choose to pursue a career or return to the family, there are potential pitfalls and no easy paths left for them. In the first part, the paper explores gender issues from a global perspective, the road to gender equality for women in Asian countries lags far behind that of the Nordic countries and has a long way to go. This thesis then analyses the situation from within the East …

An Exploration Of Self-Identity Experiences Within The Lives Of Afro-Caribbean Women Undergraduate College Students: A Feminist Phenomenological Study, Shana J. Gelin

Dissertations - ALL

The purpose of this feminist phenomenological dissertation was to explore the self-identity experiences of Afro-Caribbean women undergraduate college students. In doing so, self-identity experiences, ethnic marginalization, and counseling experiences were explored for six participants. Data was collected and analyzed using Simone De Beauvoir's feminist framework of self-discovery/ rediscovery where two semi-structured interviews were conducted for each participant. This study resulted in six individual profiles illuminating the voices of each participant as well as collective themes. Findings from this study show that Afro-Caribbean women undergraduate college students filter their self-identity experiences through their ethnicity; meaning that participants understand other pieces of …

The Attempted Name Changes Of Muw After Coeducation, Bayleigh Dawkins

Merge

No abstract provided.

Body Image And Relationship Satisfaction In Middle-Aged Women, Julia C. Solem

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the connection between positive body image and relationship satisfaction with middle-aged women. Current research (Ambwani & Strauss, 2007) suggests body image and relationship satisfaction has a bidirectional influence. However, much of the current research focuses on a younger demographic, and middle-aged women are often a neglected population. This study seeks to better understand the interpersonal nature of healthy development in body image and relationships in middle-aged women. A phenomenological approach is utilized to observe the lived experiences of middle-aged women in committed relationships with positive body image. Six participants, between the ages …