Title: Where are we going, where have we been
1Where are we going, where have we been
Reflections and Recognitions
22009 WGS Graduates
3Kristin Burton
- Project description
- A critical view of sexual identity and the ways
the media creates norms for minority identities
such as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Also, the
project looks at how these media images present
ways you can act out these identities to be
visibly identifiable as a member of a specific
group. It will also touch on the ways these
norms are being challenged through scholarship
and queer and/or feminist theory. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has provided a great opportunity to study in
many of the academic disciplines I am interested
in while enhancing my knowledge of what it means
to be female and feminist in our culture.
4Kelly Frick
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-
- Project description
- My project is an attempt to look at the idea of
accessible feminism and what that concept looks
like. Using the work of bell hooks and Kurt
Vonnegut, I hope to show that humanism/feminism
as written through literature is a pivotal point
of accessibility for strangers to feminism. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has been important to me because it has
completely changed the way I view the world. I
feel more aware of issues, ready to embrace the
feminist agenda and the struggles that come
with being a feminist.
5Sarah Hamrick
- Project description
- Since I am going to graduate school to become a
dietician, I am very invested in connecting my
work within WGS to the field of nutrition. My
project examines the implications and importance
of nutrition in womens lives using a feminist
analysis. I also critique and examine nutrition
as a discipline and within the healthcare system
using this same analysis. I consider the ways in
which race, class, and gender influence access to
nutrition education and resources, as well as how
these issues affect womens relationship with
food and understanding of nutrition. Finally, I
propose changes that can be made within nutrition
as a discipline to make it more useful and
accessible to women. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has been important to me in that it has
taught me to think critically about everything!
I t has also informed my understanding of the
importance of feminism and how it affects
everyone on a daily basis. WGS has also given me
a better understanding of myself and ways in
which I operate in the world around me.
6Laurel Hopper
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- Project description
- I have chosen to conduct an interview with three
retired women to study the role of feminism and
the evolution of gender roles during their
lives. My purpose is to develop an understanding
of the ways they view these terms. I will also
answer the questions Why did I find a language
gap, and how do we distribute the language of
gender ideology and feminism to the mainstream
population? -
- How has WGS been important to me?
- I have found that WGS has helped me to discuss my
own identity as well as role in society. I have
a better understanding of the ways in which
society functions. Although this academic area
is always complicated, and there are never clear
answers to the questions, it is always
interesting.
7Chrissy Turpin
- Project description
- My project is concerned with defining female
characters within the teen horror genre and how
these definitions affect that audiences
perspective of feminism and feminist characters.
Additionally, I am analyzing ideas of sexuality
in regards to these female characters and how
these ideas also affect an audiences perspective
of feminism. I have chosen to focus on Sidney
Prescott from the Scream triology and Willow
Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has helped to define myself who I am, what I
am, how I think, feel and what I believe. Its
been a real source of emotion, energy, and pride.
8Erin Cowan
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-
- Project description
- My project is on black feminism. I focus on what
black feminist criticism is focused on, and how
this has evolved from historical black female
experiences. I am mainly focused on Joan Morgans
When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost and how she
describes black female identity and what black
feminists should be focused on. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS is important to me because it has taught me
to think creatively and critically. Whether I
have loved my papers or not, I have loved the
research and provocative thought.
9Taryn Cowart
- Project description
- My project this semester delves into the world of
feminist art, asking - questions about how differing identities can be
accounted for in works - inspired by normative white feminists. I continue
my argument forward into - a discussion of Social Practice art, which I
think provides a space for a - new way to think about describing art as
'feminist,' and for delineating a - way of thinking about identity in artwork that
aims to be collaborative. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS gives me a way to think about myself and my
place in the world in - such a way that I can feel both comforted by and
critical of it as an - intellectual movement. I am proud to be a part of
it!
10Melody Heath
- Project Description
- Today disabled women are still fighting for the
equal right to reproduce if they choose to. Many
people in our society think that disabled women
should not be allowed to have babies because they
are afraid that more and more disabled people
will overburden and overpopulate our society and,
to them, that is not right. They view disabled
individuals as childlike and incapable of taking
care of themselves and making mature decisions. - In my research project I am going to explore this
idea and look at what disabled women face today
regarding their own reproductive rights. First, I
am going to try to define the term disability and
explain what it means to those who are disabled
and for those who are non-disabled. Then I am
going to look at a brief history of the eugenics
movement in the United States and how that
affected disabled womens rights to reproduction.
Finally, I am going to look at the feminist view
of abortion and how it affects todays fight for
the disabled womans right to reproduce.
11Erin Andrews
12Amy Brown
-
- Project description
- My final project covers the topic of the
oppressions that upper and middle class white
women have faced from the 19th to the 21st
century. I feel like this will be a way to
analyze the interpretation of women in society
through using the concept of white supremacy. I
hope to shed light on this issue and how it may
affect other women of other races also. - How has WGS been important to me?
- Womens and Gender Studies has allowed me to
question what is or is not real. I believe that
it has allowed me to look at the bigger picture
of everything in life.
13Clarissa Morency
- Project description
- My senior project is an exploration of the
Missing White Woman Syndromea term used to
describe the overreporting of missing white women
versus the underreporting of missing people of
minority races or classes. This is a very
important topic for me as it works to create not
only a culture of fear for white women regarding
their safety but also a culture of fear for
minorities whose stories are deemed unimportant
by the media. Missing White Woman Syndrome works
to show that no matter how far we have come as a
nation, there is still a large cultural bias
present that needs to be addressed. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has been important for me not only by
teaching me about the struggles that women have
fought and overcome so far but also about the
work yet to be done within our society.
14Seemab Urooj
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- Project description
- My project is about the instilled separation of
black and white. It focuses on the treatment of
women during slavery, the reasoning behind sexual
exploitation, and how it has affected America
until today. I discuss the manipulative ways
this society has shown us what feminism and
equality are on the surface. - How has WGS been important to me?
- Womens and Gender Studies has been extremely
important to me because it has taught me to
spread my passion and become aware of our
socialization. I have learned to question all
motives because tolerance and silence will not
protect or help me gain awareness.
15Shermunda Lawrence
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- Project description
- My project is on domestic violence and how the
media portrays it. Im focusing on the outcomes
the media brings to societys attention about the
different genders in their roles. Im also
researching important ways to look for signs,
and/or to prevent the issue. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has been important to me by allowing me to
focus and open my eyes to another perspective.
16Brittany Holt
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- Project description
- For my final project, I am analyzing how womens
body image is affected by the media and popular
culture. Using feminist theories, I am revealing
that most of the popular analyses of media
portrayals of the ideal body are not feminist
at all and in turn cause body dissatisfaction, as
women compare themselves to famous women and
internalize the notion of the ideal body. - How has WGS been important to me?
- WGS has been an important part of my life as it
has opened several windows for me to see who I
really am and the change I can offer to others.
172009 WGS Graduates
- Graduate Program
- Master of Arts
18Natasha Edwards
- Affects of Media in Forming Identity
- Hip Hop Rap and its effects on Race and Gender
Identities - Hip Hop and Rap are phenomenas that reach every
person in the United States and arguably in the
world. It has been said that we now live in a hip
hop culture, if that is so then this form of
media undoubtedly affects our psyche consciously
or unconsciously this media affects our daily
decisions from what we say, do, wear, and
(un)critically process the world around us. For
many, this media/culture is also a source of
valuable knowledge and skill for survival. - The object of my project was to try to understand
how people in the academy internalize the
messages of Rap and Hip hop, and what messages
the hear/see/believe about their race and gender.
More importantly how we can use hip hop as a tool
in the classroom, Social Justice Rap Education
Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy) and community to
empower people to be activist and critically
challenge oppressive hierarchies that are
barriers to equality.
19Isabell Moore
- The Honest Living Project
- My culminating project, titled "The Honest Living
Project," is on how people find ways to make a
living while living their politics. Its about
how people who care about social justice figure
out issues of life path, jobs, vocation, and
livelihood and how all that connects with race,
class and gender. - For the project, I have 1) done reading and
research, 2) interviewed and had conversations
with folks, 3) started a blog (www.honestliving.wo
rdpress.com) which has had over 800 views, and 4)
done an online survey (www.honestliving.wordpress.
com/survey), which has had over 70 responses. I
plan on keeping the blog going after graduation
and perhaps doing some workshops/discussions on
the topic.
20Tamara Snell
- The Angry Black Woman Syndrome
- I chose to embark on an unusual project that
examined the Angry Black Woman (ABW) syndrome
because I found myself being labeled such a term
and I wanted to identify what this really means
for myself as well as my fellow sisters. The
Angry Black Woman syndrome presents a negative
image of the black woman as consistently being a
smart-mouthed, often loud, assertive neck-roller
determined to make the world around her
unpleasant. This stereotype is not only real but
inaccurate. Identity is something that I hold
very dear and I believe that it is important to
acknowledge that there is a lot for black women
to be angry about-we face a triple oppression
that can not be ignoredoppression from the white
man, the white woman and the black man. - For this project, I created a blog where
like-minded individuals could discuss this topic
and so much more, as well as designed a website
about the ABW.
21Kimber Heinz
- Queer Pedagogies
- My final project is an intervention into the
fields of Queer Studies and Critical Pedagogy,
looking at how identities play out in the
classroom in terms of teacher authority,
assumptions about expert knowledge, the ways
that particular bodies are read, and how we
teach about difference. - I also look at the field of Queer Studies as
situated in the context of the corporate
University in which minority discourses such as
queerness are often taken up as one among many
voices of difference within a multicultural
framework. I critique this framework for the ways
it focuses on inclusion instead of challenging
dominant constructions of culture and identity. - I call for a embodied queer pedagogy that is not
simply for people who identify as LBGTIQ or
queer, but one that is for anyone who is
interested in challenging dominant forms of power
in the classroom.
22Amy Bodsford
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- Young Women, Sexuality and Education
- My culminating project was meant address the fact
that women typically have very little, if any,
opportunity to learn about and discuss sexuality
openly. In public school sex education curriculu,
sexually transmitted infection (STI) statistics
are often exaggerated and much misinformation is
presented as fact. There is no space for open
discussion of sexuality. Due to the stigma
attached to female sexuality, girls often receive
even less information about their bodies in
relation to sex than their male counterparts. - The purpose of my project was to create a space
where young women could gather, discuss and share
their knowledge and experience, and hopefully
start thinking about sexuality in different ways.
I held 2 meetings/workshops on campus with young
women where we discussed sexuality and related
issues in an open manner. I sought to remain
reflexive of my positioning as a researcher
throughout the entire process. - I really enjoyed working with young women for my
project and hope to continue this work in the
future!
23Year in Review
24The Cone Sisters of Baltimore
25Love Your Body Week
26WGS Salon
- A year long series of
- Discussions
- Organized by MA
- students
27WGS Salon
28Fall WGS Signature Lecture
29The Linda Arnold Carlisle Distinguished
Excellence Professorship presents
30Silent Choices
31The Vagina Monologues
32(No Transcript)
33Womens History Month Lecture
34The Linda Arnold Carlisle Research Grant
35(No Transcript)
362008-2009
From the keynote address at UNCGs 117th
commencement May 15, 2009 The 21st century,
perhaps more than any other, will be defined by
innovation , and the leaders of this century will
be those who have the boldness to take on the
impossible, to raise new questions and to tackle
old problems from new angles. Beverly
Perdue Governor of North Carolina