Women's Studies Commons^™

Deconstructing Feminine And Feminist Fantastic Through The Study Of Living Dolls, Raquel Velázquez

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her "Deconstructing Feminine and Feminine Fantastic through the Study of Living Dolls," Raquel Velázquez analyzes the treatment of one idiosyncratic image within the fantastic genre, and one that also has a special impact on the configuration of the feminine: the doll. On the one hand, she examines the evolution of this fantastic motif in order to determine whether it involves a transformation of how the feminine fantastic is represented. On the other hand, she establishes some correlations between the image of the fantastic doll, and the development of processes such as the dollification of women or the humanization of …

Transgression, Essentialism And Literary System: An Approach To The Viability Of The Female Fantastic, Alfons Gregori

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The main aims of this article are firstly to find out whether the concept of “fantastic female” is a contradictory and ambiguous construct, and secondly to challenge the feasibility of applying it to literary studies. The matter of the existence of the “female fantastic” refers to the theoretical approaches made to undertake a double-edged task in the 1970s and 1980s: the conceptualization of a dual scheme establishing a female aesthetic opposed to the dominant patriarchy on the one hand, and on the other, the promotion of non-mimetic narrative modes as formulas for transgressing the patriarchal system. However, the crystallization of …

Material Witnesses: Deconstructing Networks Of Credibility And Objectivity In Medical Narratives From Mary Toft To The Contraceptive Pill, Krista Elizabeth Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that to better understand the tangled, embedded human and nonhuman subjects and how their testimonies function in western medical history, we need to first understand their erasure. By using relationality as a reading method, I break apart who and with whom individuals make medical decisions by considering what constitutes evidence. In the Mary Toft case, expert witnessing informs the ways in which a reader trusts what the narrator claims. The medicolegal conventions of courtroom testimony shape the ways in which medical men wrote their pamphlets. These men shore up their credibility through descriptions of nonhuman …

Moving To A New City As An Lgbtq+ Individual [Poster], University Of Northern Iowa. Women's And Gender Studies Program.

Women’s and Gender Studies Program Documents

No abstract provided.

We Are All Human: A Discussion On Love [Poster], University Of Northern Iowa. Women's And Gender Studies Program.

Women’s and Gender Studies Program Documents

No abstract provided.

She Lives: Bringing The Bride Of Frankenstein To Life In The Comics, Michael Torregrossa

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein recently celebrated its two-hundredth anniversary, and its story remains vibrant in popular culture, especially in the comics medium. I’ve done a number of conference papers in the past devoted to representations of the Creature and his creator, Victor Frankenstein, in comics and comic art, but I’ve only recently begun to look at how the character of the Bride of Frankenstein has been depicted. I’d like to use this opportunity to further that work and look more closely at continuations and recastings of her story. The Bride has no chance at life in Shelley’s novel, as she is …

Women's History Month 2021: Calendar [Poster], University Of Northern Iowa. Women's And Gender Studies Program.

Women’s and Gender Studies Program Documents

No abstract provided.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’S Fleabag(S): Direct Address And Narrative Control From Stage To Small Screen, Jessica Beaumont

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay explores the television comedy Fleabag (BBC 2016-2019) which was adapted from a theatrical monologue and owes its mode of direct address to this dramatic past. The original one-woman show, written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013, and, like the BBC Three television adaptation that followed in 2016, follows the story of a sexually promiscuous young woman, known to the audience only as ‘Fleabag,’ struggling with the death of her closest friend. The essay is concerned with the application of auteur theory, which becomes relevant to a discussion of the …

How Should An Understanding Of Gender Shape Our Approach To The Production Of Knowledge?, Alice R. Dunn

Journal of International Women's Studies

For feminists, the question of what it means to take a feminist approach to the knowledge production process itself is of paramount importance. Drawing on postcolonial and intersectional thought and embedded in a discussion of the realities of the academic research process, this paper questions how an understanding of gender should shape such an approach. Ultimately, it argues the importance of moving beyond self-reflexivity alone and towards an understanding of research as a process of representation.

Starting from the intuition that feminist normative theorising should be grounded in women’s experiences, I first consider how the starting point and end point …

Salvation As Violence: Anti-Trafficking And The Rehabilitation Of Rescued Filipino Women Into Moral Subjects, Sharmila Parmanand

Journal of International Women's Studies

Philippine anti-trafficking and women’s rights legislation constructs sex work as victimhood. This understanding of prostitution positions interventions such as raids, rescue operations, and rehabilitation programs as core strategies for “protecting” and “empowering” all sex workers, regardless of their individual circumstances. Rehabilitation in this context refers to a range of psychosocial, medical, education, legal, protective custody, and economic services that help those designated as victims recover and reintegrate into society. There is a glaring lack of data on whether the socio-economic situations of rehabilitated women have improved and the current spaces for political advocacy by “survivors” are controlled by their rescuers. …

What Does It Mean To ‘Decolonise’ Gender Studies?: Theorising The Decolonial Capacities Of Gender Performativity And Intersectionality, Julianne Mcshane

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper argues for an understanding of Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality as decolonial methodologies, alternative epistemologies, and forms of political praxis within gender studies, specifically focusing on the field’s institutionalisation within Western universities, given both their historic complicity in naturalising imperialist ideas and my own lived experience studying within them. I argue that gender performativity and intersectionality act as decolonial methodologies by revealing the respective erasures of constructedness and situatedness within certain dysconscious, imperialist conceptions of ‘gender’ grounded in Whiteness, as well as how these erasures remain otherwise hidden and/or naturalised (to …

Polymorph: Female Embodiment In Louise Bourgeois’S Sculptures, Cécile Huber

Journal of International Women's Studies

Artistic works provide unique ways of understanding the gendered and sexual subject. Bringing together a feminist psychoanalytic materialist approach inspired by Rosi Braidotti with the work of the artist Louise Bourgeois, this essay highlights how sculpture in particular can show the polymorphy of female embodiment. It thereby moves beyond previous interpretations of Bourgeois, which mainly drew on Freud’s and Klein’s psychoanalytic theory. Focusing on three works by Bourgeois, Torso/Self-Portrait (1963–64), Janus Fleuri (1968), and Maman (1999), I argue that these sculptures show amorph, ambiguous, and hybrid modes of embodiment. All three examples thus illustrate the lived polymorphy of the subject’s …

Social Reproduction Theory: On Regulating Reproduction, Understanding Oppression And As A Lens On Forced Sterilisation, Lydia Glover

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper considers Marxist feminism’s two main schools of thought – ‘dual systems theory’ and ‘social reproduction theory’ - and brings those theoretical perspectives into dialogue with a topic that is often neglected in feminist discussions of reproductive rights: forced sterilisation. The two material examples explored here are the historical forced sterilisation of Black (cisgender) women in the USA and the current coercive sterilisation of transgender men and women in the USA.

Looking first to the theoretical understandings of oppression, social reproduction theory will be distinguished from the dual systems approach. The dual systems reading of Marx understands gender and …

Intimate Partner Femicide In The Serbian Mainstream Media: Maintaining The Patriarchal Narrative Through Online Newspaper Readers’ Comments, Jovana Čvorić

Journal of International Women's Studies

Femicide represents the most extreme form of male violence against women (MVAW) and a growing problem in contemporary Serbian society. Despite the long-term struggle of the feminist movement to turn (lethal) MVAW into a political issue, it has remained in a private domain, out of the public eye. Due to the lack of official statistics on cases of femicide, news reports are the only source of information on this phenomenon. However, media reporting on this topic is problematic. From a feminist standpoint, this paper seeks to show how the maintenance of the patriarchal narrative about MVAW in the Serbian media …

Queering History With Sarah Waters: Tipping The Velvet, Lesbian Erotic Reading And The Queer Historical Novel, Naoise Murphy

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay outlines how Sarah Waters’ Tipping the Velvet (1998) illuminates the challenges involved in doing queer history. Waters’ lesbian historical novel queries the ‘official’ historical record and reflects on a fundamental tension in queer historical research; the distinction drawn between social constructedness and essentialism, alterity and continuity. Through playful re-enactment of the work of the academic researcher, the novel protests against being read as an authentic depiction of Victorian lesbian sexuality. Instead, it offers a postmodern metafictional response to the field of queer history, which broadens the questions we ask of the discipline. By enacting the process of historical …

The Post Pandemic University, Possibilities, Practices And Pedagogies: And New Writings In Feminist And Women’S Studies—Winning And Short-Listed Entries From The 2020 Feminist Studies Association’S (Fsa) Annual Student Essay Competition, Carli Rowell

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Misrepresentation Of Victimhood During The Victorian Period, Elizabeth Davidson

Graduate Student Research Symposium

The sensation novel in the Victorian period often portrayed female victims as “fallen women.” These women encompassed those who suffered from addiction, engaged in prostitution, changed their identities, or were otherwise homeless. However, “fallen women” were generally misrepresented in both novel and reality. Anne Catherick, the female victim in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and the victims of Jack the Ripper are all represented as ending up in precarious situations resulting in their deaths by their own accord. However, these sets of victims traversed a multitude of missteps and unavoidable tragedy before their untimely deaths. The women who …

These Are My People: An Ethnography Of Quiltcon, Kristin Barrus

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis presents the first ethnography of QuiltCon, the annual fan and artist convention for quiltmakers who identify with and participate in a social phenomenon called the Modern Quilt Movement (MQM) within the 21st century quilt world. QuiltCon (QC) is one product of this movement. This study considers the following questions: What kinds of people attend QC, and what types of experiences and encounters do they expect at the convention? What needs are met at QC for this subset of quiltmakers who attend and for the greater community of Modern quiltmakers? What role does QC play in cementing the identity …

Pornography, Its Harms, And A New Legal Strategy: Research And Experience In Japan, Seiya Morita, Caroline Norma

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

In this article we describe pornography’s harms in Japan, which are known about from surveys and research, and from the outreach and consulting activities of Japanese feminist-abolitionist groups. Among these are the Anti-Pornography and Prostitution Research Group (APP) and People Against Pornography and Sexual Violence (PAPS). We then propose a renewed classification scheme for pornography’s harms that centrally considers the experiences of victims in Japan. Lastly, we consider various legal approaches to addressing the myriad harms we describe and suggest possibilities for a new legal strategy. The article’s research comes from Japanese-language materials produced by the above-mentioned activist groups, as …

Holistic Analysis Of Global Feminism Publications: A Bibliometric Evaluation Of Feminism Literature Between 1975 And 2017, Engin Şenel Dr, Seher Doğruer Şenel Dr., Ghouse Modin Nabeesab Mamdapur Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Bibliometrics is a relatively novel statistical branch investigating academic publications in a certain field. Although there has been an increasing popularity of bibliometric studies in recent years, scientific literature lacks a holistic analysis of feminism literature. To the best of our knowledge our study was the first bibliometric analysis of the publications in feminism literature. All data of this study was obtained from Web of Science databases. All documents produced in feminism literature between 1975 and 2017 were included. A total of 44,920 published articles were found. The peak year of feminism literature was 2017 with 3378 articles. English was …

Welcome To The New Dignity, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Effects Of Work-Family Conflict, Family-Work Conflict, And Work-Life Balance On Saudi Female Teachers’ Performance In The Public Education Sector With Job Satisfaction As A Moderator, Adel Ismail Al-Alawi, Eman Al-Saffar, Zahra H. Almohammedsaleh, Hessa Alotaibi, Ebtesam I. Al-Alawi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of work-family conflict, family-work conflict, and work-life balance on female teachers in the public education sector in Saudi Arabia as well as to analyze the impact of job satisfaction as a moderator for the independent variables.

Methodology: This paper is based on quantitative research methods that included a survey of employees. The constructs of work-family conflict, family-work conflict, and work-life balance were formed using the bivariate and correlation analysis done in SPSS. A scatterplot was used to identify the relationships between the moderating factor of job …

Hagar And Potiphar’S Wife: A Representation Of Egypt In Judaism And Islam, Nardine Attia

Capstone and Graduation Projects

As a nation and land, modern Egypt has gradually been depicted as a female. Considering Egypt’s prominence in Judaism and Islam, from a close reading of Jewish and Islamic texts pertaining to two Egyptian women—Hagar and Potiphar’s wife— various similarities could be noted between these female figures and Egypt as portrayed in the two Abrahamic religions. While Potiphar’s wife seems to be more representative of Egypt in Judaism and Islam, the different portrayal of both women across religious texts provides each with a space to reflect different aspects defining Egypt in each religion.

Who's Looking: Listening For The Hidden Story Of Women's Peace Leadership Learning, Robin Neustater

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

Globally, women engage in a multiplicity of agentic roles advocating for peace in their communities. Their involvement comes from an experienced or perceived need and the desire to do something about it. Women are recognized as crucial and competent actors in building peace, in post-war, and post genocide, and, in peace processes and negotiations and women’s community peacebuilding. In communities, women have proven themselves as leaders, bringing socio-cultural, economic and political positive change, while facing significant challenges and obstacles Yet, their expertise and efforts are seldom recognized or translated into positions of decision-making power. We do not know a great …

The Importance Of Black Love In Romance Novels, University Marketing And Communications, Julie Moody-Freeman

DePaul Download

For Julie Moody-Freeman, reading Black romance novels isn’t a guilty pleasure - it’s an area of study. Moody-Freeman is the director of DePaul's Center for Black Diaspora and a faculty member in the African and Black Diaspora Studies Department. On this episode, she discusses the history and importance of Black love in romance novels, which inspires her work as the host of The Black Romance Podcast. She also reflects on her conversations with Black romance writers, editors and scholars and the importance of their oral histories.

Book Review: Lori D. Ginzberg. Women And The Work Of Benevolence: Morality, Politics, And Class In The Nineteenth-Century United States. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990., Merritt A. Morgan

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Lori D. Ginzberg's 1990 work, Women and the Work of Benevolence: Morality, Politics, and Class in the Nineteenth-Century United States, focuses on the ideas and socially benevolent practices of Protestant women of the prosperous middle and upper-middle-class during the 1820s to the 1880s in the northeast region of the United States. The author analyzes how contemporaries affirmed these values in women's benevolent work, which also promoted their status and brought about significant social changes in American culture.

The Challenges Of Lesbian Senior Leaders In The Army Branch Of The Department Of Defense, Ella Nunley-Spaights

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of lesbian senior leaders and the types of challenges they experience while serving in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies lesbian senior leaders employ to overcome perceived challenges while serving in the Army Branch of the Department of Defense.

Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of seven lesbian senior leaders serving in the Army who were retired from service within the past five years. Convenience and snowball sampling were utilized to identify women who …

A Life Boat, Shahd A. Nahel, Manal Al-Natour

Journal of International Women's Studies

“Creating a Lifeboat” is a story of a Syrian refugee woman who rises from the ashes to build a life for herself and family. The story reveals Adeebah’s agency and role in adapting to the new life in USA as a refugee. It depicts how Adeebah steps outside her comfort zone to challenge gender norms and engage in economic activities such as working in restaurants and catering food. Adeebah exerts her agency as active participant in shaping her life as well as her family’s. She uses her talent of painting and finds herself an artist who sells her paintings in …

Title: Out Of Time: The Queer Politics Of Postcoloniality. Author: Rahul Rao. Publication Year: 2020. Publisher: Oxford University Press. City: New York. Number Of Pages: 262 (Including Bibliography & Index); 223 (Excluding Bibliography & Index). No Illustrations Or Photographs; No Appendix; Index (Pp. 255-262). Hardcover: $99.00; Paperback: $29.95; Available As Ebook On Kindle, $19.99., Shraddha Chatterjee

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight For Sex Workers Rights. 2018. Molly Smith And Juno Mac. London: Verso (278 Pages Inclusive Of An Index). No Illustrations Or Photographs Included. Paperback ($22.61-$27.65). Isbn-13: 978-1-78663-361-3., Evania Pietrangelo-Porco

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.