Women's Studies Commons^™

Evolving An Intersectional And Equality Approach To Addressing Issues Of Abortion In Nigeria, Ibrahim A. Obadina

Journal of International Women's Studies

Anti-abortion regulation and criminalization in Nigeria raises questions about religious, societal, and cultural dispositions to abortion. If one defers to religious and cultural norms that are against abortion, what remains are concerns about discrimination based on gender, age, and economic status. At the regional level, the focus of abortion activism has consistently been on the legal justification for permitting abortion on recognized grounds, particularly under the African Women Protocol, known as the Maputo Protocol. This work analyzes socio-economic grounds for legal justifications for permitting abortion, focusing on how inequality and discrimination can shape the regulation and governance of abortion, especially …

Swiping The Norms: Feminist Dating Apps And Indonesian Women’S Dating Scene Realities, Anastasia Cindy Marco, Virienia Puspita

Journal of International Women's Studies

This research aims to investigate the dynamics of gender roles by focusing on the standpoint of women users of the feminist dating app Bumble. This app has emerged in Indonesia as one of the most popular platforms to meet potential partners, and it has provided a unique setting to examine how traditional and evolving gender roles manifest in online dating. By first analyzing women users’ behaviors, preferences, and interactions, this study sheds light on how gender roles and cultural norms influence the dating experience in the digital realm. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten dating app users to gain deeper …

#Arewametoo: Localized Resistance To The Abuse Of Women In Northern Nigeria, Ololade Afolabi, Hauwa Nuhu Shaffi

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article explores the development of the #ArewaMeToo movement in Northern Nigeria. The study is contextualized within the theory of transnational feminism to argue that digital practices among non-Western women are more than merely a technological advancement and are significantly attuned to the socio-political climate of their societies. Therefore, as the #MeToo movement which began in the West goes global, women in Northern Nigerian have found a space to effect social change by resisting socio-cultural practices that challenge their social agency. Using the interview method, we articulate the uniqueness of #ArewaMeToo as a movement that is rooted in specific sociocultural …

The Ban On Beauty Parlors In Taliban-Led Afghanistan: Deconstructing Antipodal Ideologies, Akshra Mehla

Journal of International Women's Studies

Recently, the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan banned all beauty parlors, stating cultural reasons that the existence of such parlors violates the tenets of Islam. They also cited another reason for shutting down beauty parlors: that it puts an unnecessary financial burden on a groom’s family during marriages. The paper analyzes the policy decision by the Taliban government in light of the public-private divide, theories of Islamic feminism, and feminist understanding of the beauty industry. The author argues that sole application of either a feminist critique of the public-private divide or a feminist critique of beauty ideals fails to provide a …

Women, Militarism, And Political Representation: The Case Of Armenia, Valentine M. Moghadam, Marisa Goolgasian

Journal of International Women's Studies

How does militarism affect women’s presence in the political process? Through a focus on the Republic of Armenia during the period 1990-2020, we examine the puzzle of women’s political representation. The country’s legacy of communist-era ideology of women’s equality, its democratic transition, women’s high levels of educational attainment and labor force participation, and the 2007 gender quota adoption should have served to place Armenia in the top 50 countries in women’s political representation. Yet for two decades, the country appeared low on international rankings of women’s political empowerment. To unpack this puzzle, we revisit two strands of the women-and-war literature—one …

Queering “Lesbian” And “Writing”: Facing The Mirror As “Arche-Writing” Of Indian Queer Women, Kasturi Das

Journal of International Women's Studies

Facing the Mirror: Lesbian Writing from India (1999), edited by Ashwini Sukthankar, anthologizes short personal writing and fictional pieces, memoirs, poems, essays, letters and more, all produced by Indian women-loving-women (WLW) (an umbrella term for women with queer sexualities and romantic interests in women). The back cover of the book is blazoned with the quote: “A groundbreaking book where lesbians found their voice for the first time.” Even more than twenty years after its publication, there is not much scholarship on this book despite it being one of the first few publications to assert and embody the existence of a …

Menstrunormativity In India: Deconstructing The Concealment Imperative And The Politics Of Social Respectability, Shahida Shahida

Journal of International Women's Studies

The issue of menstrual health management (MHM) is a significant concern that has garnered attention from menstrual activists due to its profound impact on the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of menstruators. This study delves into how menstruators navigate their SRH in India by examining how they adhere to traditional menstrual practices to uphold concealment norms and the politics of social respectability. The aim of the study was to analyze menstrual practices, explore the socio-cultural factors shaping the choice of menstrual products, and assess awareness regarding the toxicity of disposable menstrual products. The findings indicate that a product-centric approach to …

Executive Editors’ Introduction, Catherine Ndinda, Priyanka Tripathi, Kimberly Chabot Davis

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Neurodivergent, Madison Marshall

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Practicing Feminist Disability Pedagogy: Building Interdependence Through A Classroom Participation Menu, Kristen L. Cole

Feminist Pedagogy

Following the lead of Parsloe & Smith (2022), this article explains and advocates possible modes of participation that consider the disabled, chronically ill, and systemically vulnerable students and faculty who are fighting to succeed in higher education. The way participation is measured in college classes is often ableist in nature; thus, it is important to unpack the ableist assumptions that undergird how we arrange and assess participation. Utilizing Knoll’s (2009) explication of interdependency as a practice of feminist disability pedagogy, this article offers a semester long activity called a participation menu, which provides a framework for distributing the responsibility of …

Aging, Empathy, And Cinematic Metamorphosis: Through The Lens Of Agnès Varda, Nam Lee

Film and Media Arts Faculty Articles and Research

This video essay examines Agnès Varda’s intricate portrayal of aging, resonating with Simone de Beauvoir’s call to break the silence on this subject. Composed exclusively of Varda’s film clips, it highlights her enduring engagement with aging and invites viewers to see it as a space of freedom and creative expression.

Gender And Genocide: Rape As A Weapon Of War In Darfur, Ella Woods

Undergraduate Research Symposium

In instances of genocide, gender and ethnicity intersect in such a way that women of a persecuted group undergo a distinct experience from men. This is evident in the case of Darfur, where women of the region have been subjected to rape, forced pregnancy, and more by the Janjaweed and Sudanese government. This gendered violence is not unique to the genocide in Darfur, but examining its details reveals how the international community can better protect not only women in Darfur, who continue to face violence to this day, but also women who are victims of genocide throughout the world.

The Language Of Suffering: A Review Of Ghost Words And Invisible Giants By Lheisa Dustin, Jill Darling

Criticism

Ghost Words and Invisible Giants by Lheisa Dustin. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2021. Pp. 308. $133.00 hardback.

“And Each Day After They Did Likewise.” Looking At Life Together As The Fulcrum Of Éowyn’S And Faramir’S Love Story, Christian S. Trenk

Journal of Tolkien Research

The love story between Éowyn and Faramir in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is sometimes misunderstood as a patriarchal submission of the Rohirric shieldmaiden. This paper contradicts such interpretations, exploring instead how Tolkien subtly constructs their love as a liberating experience for Éowyn. In the looks they cast separately, at each other, as well as together, Éowyn's inner healing is expressed, enabling the love to Faramir, and both their eventual wholeness.

Sadomasochistic Sensations: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Black Ontology, Embodiment, And Transcendence, Sam Forrey

Master's Theses

Over the past fifteen years, feminists have challenged the notion that sexual sadomasochism perpetuates racial and gender-based violence, and instead claim that the practice can be a powerful site to control and subvert oppression. In this thesis, I contribute to this growing discourse and argue that sensations experienced during practices of Black sexual sadomasochism and attention to the feelings and affects that arise from them can be used to mediate Black being in a violently antiblack United States. Through applications of Black feminist thought, Black anti-humanism, and phenomenology, I claim that antiblack oppression denies Black people the experience of tactile …

“Get Out Of The House Before It Kills You”: Haunted Housewives And The Feminist Gothic In Ira Levin’S Rosemary’S Baby And The Stepford Wives, Sarah Jeffries

Master's Theses

Ira Levin’s works Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives have been cultural touchstones since their releases in 1967 and 1972, respectively, with their legacy as iconic American horror stories cemented by successful film adaptations. At the surface level, these stories can be read as tales about unfortunate housewives that face unusual horrors. Rosemary Woodhouse finds herself trapped in a gothic New York City apartment building, the Bramford, where her husband and neighbors collude to force her to carry and birth Satan’s son, like a perverse Virgin Mary. Joanna Ebert is similarly stuck in suburban Stepford, Connecticut where she discovers the …

Queer Futurity Needs Queer Grief: An Analysis Of The U.S. Public Response To Queer Loss, Jordan Nicole Mckinnon

Master's Theses

Grief is an inevitable part of the human experience. However, communities, especially those where a majority of members have disprivileged identities, experience disenfranchised grief, or grief that is not openly acknowledged, socially accepted, or publicly mourned. Members of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, plus other identities not encompassed in the acronym) community, and their allies can experience a type of disenfranchised grief known as queer grief. I argue that everyone, not just allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, should recognize and publicly acknowledge queer grief, because if queer lives lost are not recognized as worthy …

Effects Of Climate Change On Women’S Security Dynamics In Baragoi, Samburu County, Kenya, Rehema Zaid Obuyi

The Journal of Social Encounters

The paper unearths how climate change influences women’s security dynamics in fragile and conflict-affected contexts in Baragoi Samburu County Kenya. It provides an opportunity to rethink security. Security responses must be at par with evolving security underlying forces. One of the precursors is that individuals and groups that were traditionally excluded from combat both as participants and targets such as women and children have now become prime targets. This demands a shift in strategy by not only focusing on traditional threats but also getting more specific linking our approaches to gendered non-traditional security threats. Alternative soft power approaches to addressing …

Why Nigeria Needs A Femicide Law, Jessica Ojiugo Chinonye

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The Federal Republic of Nigeria does not have a law against femicide or comprehensive global femicide data. The numbers currently reported at the national level are questionable, especially with the prevalence of economic-motivated harvesting of female reproductive organs in the country. The lack of a legalized femicide law has exacerbated the underreporting of such activities in Nigeria and has made the severity of the crime less visible. This article aims to name the problem by defining and advocating for a femicide law encompassing the social realities of many Nigerian females.

Dante’S Volgare And The Pastoral Presence: An Analysis Of The Concept Of Language In The Divina Commedia, Paola M. Rodriguez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dante’s conception of the Italian vernacular, the “volgare illustre”, is a central concern of his work and one which catalyses and nurtures, both overtly and covertly, his creation of the Commedia. Although Dante positions himself in his writings as the continual defender and most prolific poet of the vernacular, isolating a specific linguistic use and structure, a coherent definition of what vernacular Dante privileges or what appropriate usage he adheres to, is a difficult and often confusing task. The existence of two eclogues, the only works by Dante to have been written after the majority of the Commedia had been …

Maternal Subjectivities In The 18th And 19th Century British Novel, Anastasia Vahaviolos Valassis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

How is the maternal subjectivity narrated in the pages of the 18th and 19th century British novel? This dissertation examines this question. The novel’s close connection to the child’s subjectivity and perspective is something woven into its very fabric, and so the mother is often a side character, an object in the story. She is an obstacle to be overcome, a distant idea, an absent figure, or even someone too perfect to be represented on the page. The novel often reflects or mirrors this culturally and psychologically accepted way of viewing the mother. The tracing of the narratives in which …

Reviving Hysteria: The Nineteenth Century At The End Of The Twentieth, Christina Quintana

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores popular and medical representations of female madness in two time periods: the late nineteenth and late twentieth centuries. I argue that 1990s American culture produced an abundance of texts, images, and narratives that revitalized the iconography and medical discourses of late nineteenth-century hysteria. Analyzing popular texts, films, and cultural touchstones of the 1990s, I explore how Victorian ideas about women’s minds—such as the inherent feebleness of the female brain and nervous system; the fatalistic, life-altering effects of female puberty; the association between hysteria and deviant female sexuality; and the implicit racialization of hysteria and female madness more …

Female Fandom In The Digital Era: ‘Alternative Universe’ For Promoting Thai Boys Love Drama, Monika Sri Yuliarti

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

Digital era has changed human’s life, including in the practice of fandom. It results in a much broader dissemination of fans-related products produced by the fans, such as alternative universe (AU) as part of fan fiction. In addition, nowadays, Thailand popular culture is rising, especially with the boys’ love drama series (Thai BL drama) which caught foreign viewers’ interest, including Indonesians. This study explores how AU can be considered as a tool for promoting Thai BL drama which goes to fandom actively involvement in the promotion of a foreign country's cultural product with taboo value. It is a qualitative content …

Rural Cervical Cancer Survivors’ Experiences Of Gender Roles: An Application Of Social Constructionism, Olivia K. Pointer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural cervical cancer survivors, or individuals with a form of cancer that originated in the cervix of the reproductive system, may be uniquely impacted by socially constructed gender roles. The present study utilized the term “females” to describe those who self-identify as having a cervix, which may include cisgender, transgender, intersex, and non-binary gender identities. Rural females have been indicated to hold salience in traditional gender expectations as partners, mothers, community members, and more, which may add survivorship complexity for cervical cancer survivors within this population by to attempting to fulfill gender roles to the pre-cancer level. Moreover, rural cervical …

Lessons From A First Year Seminar: Teaching “Mean Girls” To Become “Nasty Women”, Elif S. Armbruster Phd

Feminist Pedagogy

This essay explores what happened in a First Year Seminar on "Nasty Women in American Literature" when a group of students, instead of embracing the strength and independence that the phrase "nasty woman" came to embody, turned into a group of "mean girls"--led by a "queen bee"--and dominated the course through alliance-building, gossip, and distraction. The Suffolk University English professor teaching the course explains the challenging environment that ensured and what she learned from the experience, enabling her to make important changes in her teaching of the course the following semester.

Economic Empowerment Of Young Women In Southern Uganda: An Embedded Mixed-Methods Dissertation Study, Josephine Nabayinda

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Prioritizing economic empowerment of young women is necessary for achieving gender equality and promoting sustainable development, as it is intertwined with sociocultural, familial, legal, political, and psychological practices that foster gender equality. Empowering women economically can help them gain control over their financial future, break free from the vicious cycle of poverty and inequality, and achieve autonomy and agency over their lives. Guided by the asset theory and the theory of gender and power, this dissertation employed an embedded mixed-methods approach to examine the economic empowerment of young women in Southern Uganda focusing on three aims. Aim 1 examined the …

Conservation Decision Making And Agricultural Land Leasing - An Experimental Investigation Of The Role Of Gender, Diya Ganguly, Simanti Banerjee, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

This research investigated the impact of landowner gender and of the different types of contract leases offered by them to a male tenant, on the conservation (or non-conservation) choice made by the tenant. Specifically, we investigate if a) female and male landowners offer different rental contracts and b) whether tenants choose different actions based on the landowner’s gender. For this purpose, we implemented a controlled, gender-context-loaded economic experiment with university students, in which we tested contract and land use choice under different treatments for three types of rental contracts – fixed rent, fixed rent with penalty, and fixed rent with …

Ua94/6 Pershing Rifles Company B, 3rd Regiment Reunion Album, Stewart Wade

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Reunion album created by Stewart Wade for the 2024 Pershing Rifles & Rebelettes reunion.

Investigating The Leaky Pipeline: Gendered Effects Of Caregiving Policies On Academics, Molly Simmons

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite implementation of caregiving policies in universities, women remain underrepresented in high faculty ranks in academia, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. This study investigates the gendered effects of caregiving policies at regional comprehensive universities by integrating the Work-Home Resources (W-HR) Model and feminist economics. Using survey data and interviews, the research examines how caregiving responsibilities relate to work-life conflict and academic responsibilities, revealing nuanced influences on career trajectories. Hypotheses tested include the negative relationship between caregiving demands and research, the moderating effect of institutional support, the association of work-family guilt with research, and variations across faculty …

“Not Like Your Abuelos”: A (Fe)Minist/Autoethnographic Approach To Vernacular Religious Belief And Traditionalization, Ciara Bernal

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis I explore how vernacular Mexican Catholicism is practiced, explained, and passed down within my family. I look at vernacular religious belief and traditionalization as an integrated process that impacts the practices, beliefs, and stories of my family. I include myself as a subject of this research, conducting autoethnography within each chapter. I utilize reflexive and vulnerable writing practices to accomplish this.

My overarching research questions for this thesis are: How has Mexican-Catholicism shaped the relationships, stories, and beliefs of my family members? What can Chicana feminist perspectives add to the study of vernacular religious belief and family …