Gender and Sexuality Commons^™

Is Agep Building Assets For Vulnerable Girls In Zambia? Preliminary Research Findings, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a randomized controlled trial that evaluates a multisectoral program intended to increase girls’ social, health, and economic resources. AGEP involves over 10,000 vulnerable girls aged 10–19 in Zambia. The girls participate in weekly girls’ group meetings (safe spaces), receive vouchers for health services, and open savings accounts. AGEP operates in ten sites—five urban and five rural—across four provinces in Zambia. The AGEP evaluation is based on the randomization of girls to participate in one of four arms of the program: 1) safe spaces only, 2) safe spaces + health voucher, 3) safe spaces …

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Coming Out In An Alcoholic Family, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This piece invites readers inside emotional and relational dynamics of coming

out as gay in an alcoholic family system. Taking an interpretive approach to

research, focused on how participants make sense of and make meaning

from their lived experience, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” offers a longitudinal and

narrative ethnographic account of family secrecy and disclosure.

A Deer In Headlights: The Supreme Court, Lgbt Rights, And Equal Protection, Nan D. Hunter

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this essay, I argue that the problems with how courts apply Equal Protection principles to classifications not already recognized as suspect reach beyond the most immediate example of sexual orientation. Three structural weaknesses drive the juridical reluctance to bring coherence to this body of law: two doctrinal and one theoretical. The first doctrinal problem is that the socio-political assumptions that the 1938 Supreme Court relied on in United States v. Carolene Products, Inc. to justify strict scrutiny for “discrete and insular minorities” have lost their validity. In part because of Roe v. Wade-induced PTSD, the courts have …

Cultural Capital In The Classroom: The Significance Of Debriefing As A Pedagogical Tool In Simulation-Based Learning, Bedelia N. Richards, Lauren Camuso

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Although social inequality is critical to the study of sociology, it is particularly challenging to teach about race, class and gender inequality to students who belong to privileged social groups. Simulation games are often used successfully to address this pedagogical challenge. While debriefing is a critical component of simulation exercises that focus on teaching about social inequality, empirical assessments of the significance and effectiveness of this tool is virtually nonexistent in sociology and other social sciences. This paper analyzes the significance of debriefing in a simulation game called “Cultural Capital in the Classroom” in order to address this lacunae in …

Community Opinion Leaders In Ghana Speak Out On Adolescent Sexuality: What Are The Issues?, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This policy brief reports on a study that is a component of a larger study that assessed the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in four slums in two regions of Ghana. The study’s focus on this perspective stems from the fact that there is a lack of evidence surrounding the outlook of community opinion leaders on adolescent reproductive health in this setting. Understanding what adults think about major adolescent SRH issues in their communities (including the SRH rights of adolescents, adult–adolescent communication about SRH issues, and service-seeking and sexual behavior outcomes) provides insight into how adults perceive …

Are Parents Talking To Adolescents About Sexuality? Evidence From Four Slums In Ghana, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This evidence brief summarizes the essential information from a part of a larger study that assessed the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in four slums in two regions of Ghana. The objective of this brief is to provide evidence to support and facilitate the improvement of parent–adolescent communication on sexuality. This study echoes several other studies by providing evidence that a majority of parents are not opposed to in-school sex education for their children and welcome the idea of empowering themselves (parents) to have productive discussions with their children. Nevertheless, there is a mismatch between the proportion …

What Are The Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents In Ghana’S Slums?, Selina F. Esantsi, Gloria Quansah Asare, Placide Tapsoba

Reproductive Health

To address the need for quality evidence on the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in slums, the STEP UP project conducted a study in four slum settings in Ghana. This policy brief highlights key points, including the need for a well-designed, comprehensive sex education curriculum; interventions that address sexual coercion and violence as an integral component of current adolescent reproductive health programs; and the need to involve all stakeholders including parents/guardians and community leaders in addressing adolescent SRH needs. Evidence from the study can be used to improve ASRH programming so that it better meets the needs …

Understanding The Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents In Selected Slums In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

Over the past decade, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) concerns have increasingly been on the development agenda of the government of Ghana. This concern has been driven by such factors as early age of sexual debut, early childbearing, and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among this subgroup of the population. The overall objective of the study was to generate evidence on the knowledge, perceptions, and practices regarding ASRH among slum communities in Ghana. The findings of the study indicate a need for intensifying efforts to inform and educate adolescents living in the slums about responsible and healthy attitudes toward sexuality, delaying …

Education Sector Response To Early And Unintended Pregnancy: A Review Of Country Experiences In Sub-Saharan Africa, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Ian Mackenzie, Anne Katahoire, Francis Obare, Patricia Machawira

Reproductive Health

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), early and unintended pregnancy leads to a colossal loss of educational opportunities for girls. Existing studies that show associations between early/unintended pregnancy and school dropout lead to critical questions about how the education sector is responding to the issue in SSA. Conducted from August 2014 to April 2015, this review was devoted to an examination of such responses across six countries: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The review focused on several key issues, including: education-sector policies for pregnant students and adolescent mothers; integration of pregnancy prevention into sexuality education curricula; the school environment as …

Fertility Transitions In Kenya And Ghana: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programs, Ian Askew, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Francis Onyango

Reproductive Health

The literature on fertility transitions in the sub-Saharan Africa region suggests that an early transition was observed across nearly all age groups, socioeconomic groups, and countries. This workshop report analyzes fertility transitions in Ghana and Kenya which are influenced by a multiplicity of factors, with marked similarities and differences between each country. Paradoxically, these analyses and critiques of policy and programming experiences suggest that, if enabling women and couples to achieve their wanted fertility rates within a rights-based approach that reduces inequities as well as reducing TFR toward replacement level are the goals of a national family planning program, then …

Understanding Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health-Seeking Behaviors In Ethiopia: Implications For Youth-Friendly Service Programming, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

In Ethiopia, significant attention has been given to improving youth sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including the establishment of youth-friendly services (YFS). Yet high rates of child marriage, unmet need for family planning, and adolescent childbearing persist, particularly in rural areas where over 84 percent of the population lives. Reaching rural youth with timely SRH information and services that are relevant to their varying ages and life stages remains a challenge. The Evidence Project is examining the coverage and reach of public and NGO-supported youth SRH services in several rural regions of Ethiopia. As this activity brief notes, the …

How Law Shapes Experiences Of Parenthood For Same-Sex Couples, Nicholas K. Park, Emily Kazyak, Kathleen S. Slauson-Blevins

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) parents are increasingly common and visible, but they face a number of social and legal barriers in the United States. Using legal consciousness as a theoretical framework, we draw on data from 51 interviews with GLB parents in California and Nebraska to explore how laws impact experiences of parenthood. Specifically, we address how the legal context influences three domains: the methods used to become parents, decisions about where to live, and experiences of family recognition. Law and perception of the law make some pathways to parenthood difficult or unattainable depending on state of residence. Parents …

Examining The Nuance In Public Opinion Of Pro-Lgb Policies In A "Red State.", Mathew Stange, Emily Kazyak

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The red-blue state and urban–rural narratives— which depict that people living in red states and rural areas oppose pro-LGB policies—are popular frames for describing variation in public opinion of LGB policies by geographic re- gion. In a test case of a red state, we examine public opinion of pro-LGB policies to assess the accuracy of the red–blue and urban–rural narratives. Using data from a survey of Nebraskans (n = 1608), we found that public opinion was more nuanced than the red state narrative allows but that urban and rural respondents reported significantly different opinions of pro- LGB policies. Rural people, …

Early Maladaptive Schemas In An Australian Adult Alcohol Dependent Clinical Sample: Differences Between Men And Women, Diana Lanie Janson

Theses : Honours

Recent literature suggests that there are widespread differences between men and women’s Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs) and that EMSs are highly prevalent in alcohol dependent populations. The present study examined differences between men and women’s EMSs in an Australian clinical sample who had sought treatment specifically for alcohol dependence. A total of 111 men and 114 women completed the Young Schema Questionnaire – Long Form (YSQ-L3) between 2012 and 2015 in order to assess them on 18 EMSs. Despite previous findings suggesting that women report higher levels on a number of EMSs the present study found that women only scored …

Syphilis: The Forgotten Sexually Transmitted Disease. A Brief Case Report, Amy Burnett, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Syphilis has declined significantly over the last 30 years. Due to that success, many physicians no longer have the skills to recognize its symptoms. We present a case of syphilis as a demonstration of this fact.

“Rip It!”: A Juxtapositional And Critical Discourse Analysis Of Gender Violence In 3 Tyler Perry Films, Avina Ross

Graduate Research Posters

This qualitative study uses juxtapositional, intersectional and critical discourse analyses as one composite framework to assess Black female victimness and matriarchy in three Tyler Perry films. Findings exposed a transitional archetype model consisting of 5 domains (Victim, Bitterfruit, Matriarch, Forgiver and Princess) whereby victimized characters are portrayed using racist and sexist stereotypes. Additionally, rich juxtapositions in the films with regard to Black female victimness and matriarchy were also revealed. These juxtapositions play out in the transitional archetype model and reiterate a harmful racist gendered stereotype: strong, Black women (matriarchs) are not and cannot, by way of their strength, aggressiveness and …

When Security Dominates The Agenda: The Influence Of Interstate Rivalry On Women's Status, Theresa Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

The overarching theme of my dissertation is the effect of interstate rivalries on women’s status. Specifically, I investigate the influence of rivalries on the election of women, the adoption of a gender quota, and the overall level of gender equality. National security is a prime concern in states involved in an interstate rivalry, which can influence women’s lives in a number of key ways. Through the actions of individual voters and rational parties, I find that being in an interstate rivalry leads to lower levels of female representation. In addition, I theorize that rivalries lessen societal pressure to increase female …

The Germ Theory Of Dystopias: Fears Of Human Nature In 1984 And Brave New World, Clea D. Harris

Scripps Senior Theses

This project is an exploration of 20^th century dystopian literature through the lens of germ theory. This scientific principle, which emerged in the late 19^th century, asserts that microorganisms pervade the world; these invisible and omnipresent germs cause specific diseases which are often life threatening. Additionally, germ theory states that vaccines and antiseptics can prevent some of these afflictions and that antibiotics can treat others. This concept of a pervasive, invisible, infection-causing other is not just a biological principle, though; in this paper, I argue that one can interpret it as an ideological framework for understanding human existence …

The Curse Of The V: Contemporary Feminist Movements And Performative Dichotomies In The Plays Of Caryl Churchill, Meredith A. Connelly

Honors Program Theses

Caryl Churchill mixes historical setting with shallowly defined characters and dissociative references to the contemporary within her vast body of work. She seeks to deny her audience the opportunity to blindly accept the entertainment of narrative theater, forcing them instead into a realm of discomfort where they must identify the unsavory elements of history with their own lived experience. This research began with the questioning of previous critical models which examine characters as autonomous beings rather than as personified themes, and asks how Churchill responds radically with theater as a medium to events pervading her own experience as a woman …

Privilege And Marginalization In Drag Communities In The United States, Dustin Satterfield

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Within the gay and lesbian community, there is a smaller community of drag performers. These entertainers make a performance of gender stereotypes. Non-male performers have observed that male privilege is reproduced in this community despite a hyper awareness of oppressions and gender status. Using an online questionnaire I examined male privilege and non-male marginalization in United States drag communities. I asked drag performers about their perceptions of themselves and their perceptions of other performers within their local drag communities. I find that self-perceptions of privilege are highest for male performers and self-perceptions of marginalization are higher for non-male performers. I …