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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 30 of 41
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
More Than Birds And Bees, Katie O. Estell
More Than Birds And Bees, Katie O. Estell
SURGE
Conversations about sex start as early as middle school, with preteens learning about “the birds and the bees,” sexually transmitted infections, and (hopefully) contraception and safe sex. These conversations continue into high school sex education, which has proven to be crucial in decreasing rates of unwanted pregnancies and STI’s. But something important is missing. These programs never mention, and certainly don’t include, LGBT/Q people. LGBT/Q teens are not taught how to have sex, and how to have safe sex. This leaves us to explore our sexuality on our own terms, which is both awkward and dangerous. If you’re a heterosexually …
Stop Pretending To Be Like Me, Brianna O'Boyle
Stop Pretending To Be Like Me, Brianna O'Boyle
SURGE
I was scrolling on my Facebook feed when I saw a post that appeared to be a proposal featuring two women captioned: “She said yes!!!!!!” My first thought was how wonderful it was to see a happy, loving gay couple, and how heartening it is that they can be open and out about their relationship. As a queer person, it is always nice to see people who share that part of myself being visible. However, upon closer examination it was obvious that it was two straight best friends, joking. [excerpt]
When "Straight" Is The Default Setting, Katie Estell
When "Straight" Is The Default Setting, Katie Estell
SURGE
Coming out was never something I pictured myself having to do. Did I plan on being in the closet my entire life? Not exactly. I hardly had a clue that I was gay until I was eighteen. My friends and family sometimes struggle to understand that I am “suddenly” gay, after having dated boys since I was a freshman in high school. Their common misunderstanding is one of many that result from living in a heteronormative culture. [excerpt]
Do You Really Want To Walk In My Shoes?, Anonymous
Do You Really Want To Walk In My Shoes?, Anonymous
SURGE
There is a problematic irony in the philanthropy event, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, which took place on campus this week. [excerpt]
Bystander Behavior In His Fucking House, Anonymous
Bystander Behavior In His Fucking House, Anonymous
SURGE
My first semester at Gettysburg, I was at a fraternity party with a group of friends from my floor. As a first-year who spent the majority of her Saturday nights in high school watching Netflix with friends, I was still growing accustomed to the utter chaos which defines our college’s primary social scene. Despite my inexperience, even I knew to be worried when a visibly intoxicated girl stumbled past, pulled behind a guy towards the stairs. [excerpt]
Claiming The Indomitable Wave: Masculinities, Sexualities, And The Realm Of Surfing In Costa Rica, Joseph C. Recupero
Claiming The Indomitable Wave: Masculinities, Sexualities, And The Realm Of Surfing In Costa Rica, Joseph C. Recupero
Student Publications
Examining the relationship between masculinity, sexuality, and the sport of surfing in the context of Costa Rica. Questions the nature of emergent counter identities in the hyper-masculine realm of the surfing subculture and the ways in which the emergence of counter identities changes the nature of the subculture. Focuses on the anthropology of sport, the anthropology of sexuality, and theories of territoriality.
This May Mean Doing Things A Bit Differently From Here On Out, Jerome Clarke
This May Mean Doing Things A Bit Differently From Here On Out, Jerome Clarke
SURGE
OccupyPennHall failed.
Embittered by a failed election and its hateful aftermath, students parked themselves in protest. The act precluded and followed an irruption of a faculty meeting. Therein, sitting professors tuned into pleas for student-teacher solidarity. Protesters then took to the campus fulcrum and braced themselves for a sneak-peak of winter. The supposed movement was spur-of-the-moment: a visceral stillness in the wake of an absurd, precarious life. [excerpt]
Fearless Friday: Tiffany Lane, Tiffany Lane
Fearless Friday: Tiffany Lane, Tiffany Lane
SURGE
This week, SURGE is highlighting the fearless work of Tiffany Lane, the new director of the Women’s and LGBTQ Resource Center on campus.
Although she is a new addition to the Gettysburg community, Tiffany has been working with issues of systemic injustice for much of her life. Her social justice journey began when she was an undergrad at Michigan State University (MSU), where she began to accept her identity as a queer woman. Tiffany was a student leader and activist at MSU and became so passionate about this work that she decided to make a career out of her activism. …
Fearless Friday: Julie Davin, Julie E. Davin
Fearless Friday: Julie Davin, Julie E. Davin
SURGE
In this week’s edition of Fearless Friday, SURGE is honoring all of the amazing work that Julie Davin ’17 does for our community.
Julie, originally from Newtown, Connecticut, is currently a senior at Gettysburg College majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and minoring in English and Philosophy. Over the course of her college career, Julie has been involved with the Gettysburg Anti-Capitalist Collective (GACC), Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), Outerspace (formerly Friend or Foe), SURGE, Gettysburg Cares, and the annual Vagina Monologues. This long list of activities does not faze Julie; she cares deeply about each and every cause …
A Targeted Existence, Melissa J. Lauro
A Targeted Existence, Melissa J. Lauro
SURGE
Over the summer, I visited a friend from Gettysburg who was having a party. The party was fun for the first half, and I was having a good time, so I decided to stay the night instead of walk in the dark to the bus. This is what parents and educators and older sisters and women everywhere had taught me: stay with people you know; clutch your keys in your hand; don’t walk alone. I was staying with my friend from school; I was safe. [excerpt]
In God We Trust, Andrew C. Nosti
In God We Trust, Andrew C. Nosti
SURGE
Almost everywhere I turn I can hear someone saying, “America is a Christian nation!” likely yelled or grumbled with impressive, and sometimes concerning, aggression. I can’t go through a week without this phrase popping up, usually closely accompanied by the notion that America’s founding has roots in Christian principles. [excerpt]
Liberation Through Domination: Bdsm Culture And Submissive-Role Women, Lisa R. Rivoli
Liberation Through Domination: Bdsm Culture And Submissive-Role Women, Lisa R. Rivoli
Student Publications
The alternative sexual practices of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism (BDSM) are practiced by people all over the world. In this paper, I will examine the experiences of five submissive-role women in the Netherlands and five in south-central Pennsylvania, focusing specifically on how their involvement with the BDSM community and BDSM culture influences their self-perspective.I will begin my analysis by exploring anthropological perspectives of BDSM and their usefulness in studying sexual counterculture, followed by a consideration of feminist critiques of BDSM and societal barriers faced by women in the community. I will then address the …
Consensual Violence: A Cultural Contradiction, Lisa R. Rivoli
Consensual Violence: A Cultural Contradiction, Lisa R. Rivoli
Student Publications
In American culture, violence is typically understood as inherently negative; no one would want to be personally subjected to violence because violence by its very nature is undesirable. Thus, the idea of seeking out violence seems paradoxical. In cases where a person actively pursues violent treatment, the question arises: can violence be consensual? This question is included in discourse on sadomasochism (SM), or an attraction to giving or receiving pain in a sensual or sexual context, which many argue is a form of violence. Through a critical discourse analysis of legal statutes regarding interpersonal violence and interviews with women involved …
Fearless Friday: Chelsea Broe, Chelsea E. Broe
Fearless Friday: Chelsea Broe, Chelsea E. Broe
SURGE
Consistently speaking up for social justice issues around campus, finding innovative ways to promote peer understanding, and making our campus a more welcoming, accepting, and open place, Chelsea Broe ’14 is a fearless leader who advocates for others.
Bending The Binary, Chelsea E. Broe
Bending The Binary, Chelsea E. Broe
SURGE
Friend: “Are you going to the Gender Bender Dance?”
Me: “I think so. I probably won’t dress up though; I figure I already bend gender enough every day.”
Friend: “What do you mean? Like you’re not feminine?”
Me: “Yeah!”
Friend: “No, Chelsea! Of course you are!”
Wait, what? I understand that this person meant no harm; if anything, my friend probably interpreted my remark as a self-deprecating comment uttered with the hopes that someone would reassure my femininity. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Fearless: Josh Griffiths, Joshua M. Griffiths
Fearless: Josh Griffiths, Joshua M. Griffiths
SURGE
Continually a strong voice for the underrepresented on campus, working with other students and faculty to take initiative in changing campus policy and culture toward the LGBTQ community, and serving as a leader in multiple groups and organizations on campus, Josh Griffiths ’14 fearlessly advocates for members of our campus community, making Gettysburg a more open and welcoming space. [excerpt]
I Watch Porn, Chelsea E. Broe
I Watch Porn, Chelsea E. Broe
SURGE
I started watching porn when I was 16.
The first thing I noticed was the porn actresses’ vulvas. They were hairless, perfectly symmetrical, with beautiful folds of labia. This being my only venue to see other female bodies, I assumed what I saw was normal (after all, they all looked pretty similar to each other) and that my own body, not looking like those of these women, was flawed. [excerpt]
Paradoxes Of Porn, Jessie M. Pierce
Paradoxes Of Porn, Jessie M. Pierce
SURGE
So I have a confession: I’m kind of obsessed with porn. Which is weird considering that I have never actually seen any. [excerpt]
Fearless: Emily Hauck, Emily G. Hauck
Fearless: Emily Hauck, Emily G. Hauck
SURGE
Beginning with an interest in Spanish language that led her to Argentina and Spain, Emily decided to use the language skills she acquired during her gap year after high school and time spent studying abroad to get herself connected to the Latino community in Adams County. Volunteering with different organizations and programs like the LIU #12 Migrant Education Programs, Casa de la Cultura, and El Centro, Emily started seeing the big picture—making connections between the immigration stories, people she was meeting, and the greater national dialogue on immigration issues. [excerpt]
Maybe I'M The Problem, Chelsea E. Broe
Maybe I'M The Problem, Chelsea E. Broe
SURGE
Being raised in the United States, I internalized racist, sexist, transphobic, heterosexist, classist, ableist, and faithist ways of thinking. And by this, I do not simply mean that I was taught to hate people of color, queer individuals, working class people, or people of different religions. This indoctrination runs much deeper than that. [excerpt]
Fearless: Kaleigh Sosa, Kathryn E. Bucolo
Fearless: Kaleigh Sosa, Kathryn E. Bucolo
SURGE
Fearlessly organizing events on campus addressing issues of sexual assault, serving the campus community by raising awareness of gender, bias, and violence issues, and helping first-years and sophomores as part of Residence Life staff, Kaleigh Sosa ’14 passionately leads her peers toward understanding. [excerpt]
Twice As Likely To..., Adrienne M. Ellis
Twice As Likely To..., Adrienne M. Ellis
SURGE
TRIGGER WARNING!
I am white. I am bisexual. I am female. I have been sexually assaulted. Three times. [excerpt]
Fearless: Sexual Assault Survivors, Kathryn E. Bucolo
Fearless: Sexual Assault Survivors, Kathryn E. Bucolo
SURGE
TRIGGER WARNING!
Raped, abused, molested, assaulted. Every other day on this campus.
Grabbed, touched, hit, down. Not a person. Skirt going down, shirt coming up.
Led behind locked doors, poured another drink.
“Not sure if it counted as assault.”
Every. other. day. [excerpt]
Gay After Graduation, Laura J. Koenig
Gay After Graduation, Laura J. Koenig
SURGE
I first went public with my sexual orientation over Surge last spring–my last semester at Gettysburg before graduation. I was scared, but ultimately lucky to be met with support from my friends and family. People generally accepted my sexuality and then moved on. Actually, life went on so quickly that it took me some time to catch up. [excerpt]
Bi The Way, I'M Queer, Chelsea E. Broe
Bi The Way, I'M Queer, Chelsea E. Broe
SURGE
363 days ago, on October 11, 2012, I came out as bisexual.
Every year, the queer community observes October 11th as National Coming Out Day, a day when queers of all kinds can openly acknowledge and celebrate their sexual orientation and gender identity. [excerpt]
I Don't Want To Save Second Base, Chelsea E. Broe
I Don't Want To Save Second Base, Chelsea E. Broe
SURGE
Tomorrow kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have one request: This October, let’s not save second base.
I know, I know, you probably think this month is a good thing. If not for all of those T-shirts demanding every female-bodied person to feel their boobies, or the bracelets simply proclaiming “I love boobies,” people with breasts might forget that they even have them, or at the very least might start to think that their breasts are their own business. But the female body seems to be an object owned by the public, so we must always be reminded …
Brooks Better Not Come Back, Helena E. Yang
Brooks Better Not Come Back, Helena E. Yang
SURGE
Every time a new season of the Bachelorette starts, I tell myself that I won’t watch this season—that I won’t give in to the trashiness and the petty drama which is the Bachelor. But I can’t help it. Season after season I’m hooked and 17 seasons later… here I am. [excerpt]
Does My Hair Bother You? Part 2, Adrienne M. Ellis
Does My Hair Bother You? Part 2, Adrienne M. Ellis
SURGE
I stopped shaving my legs in May. The decision to quit shaving was part social experiment, but a lot of it had to do with NOT HAVING TO SHAVE MY LEGS ANYMORE.
Honestly I didn’t make the decision to stop shaving my leg hair as some sort of feminist statement. I really just found it stupid how society pressures women to have smooth “sexy” legs. How did this pressure begin? Historically women didn’t shave their legs or underarms in the United States; however, hair removal was a common cultural practice in many other parts of the world such as …
Does My Hair Bother You? Part 1, Nadejiah Z. Towns
Does My Hair Bother You? Part 1, Nadejiah Z. Towns
SURGE
“It’s AMAZING that it’s considered revolutionary to wear my hair the way it grows out of my head…” – Tracie Thoms
I don’t wear my natural hair because I want to join the “revolutionary movement” that has recently swept across our nation. I’m not desperately seeking to get in touch with my roots. Nor do I desire to be acknowledged as the soulful “sista” that eats, sleeps and breathes “Black Power“. I wear my natural hair because I was naive enough to ignore warnings of the effects that Gettysburg’s harsh water would have on my “black hair”. So …
I Don't Want To Save Your Children, Katherine M. Patterson
I Don't Want To Save Your Children, Katherine M. Patterson
SURGE
A few weeks ago, the moment that I’ve been dreaming of for almost half of a year finally arrived. I started the Heston Summer Experience as an intern in Gettysburg. An embarrassing amount of my winter break was devoted to writing and rewriting my applications. After receiving an invitation for an interview, I convened my roommates to help me choose an outfit and ask me practice questions, which is not something I do…ever. Getting my acceptance letter in the mail was the ultimate highlight of a long and difficult year. When I was home for the first few weeks of …