Yell!: GRU Women's Studies Magazine (2.1) by AUGWGST

GRU Women’s Studies Magazine SPRING 2014 - volume 2, issue 1

Women’s Studies Program Georgia Regents University 1

contents 3 4

About & Letter from the Editor Campus News: “Making Students Safer” by Margaret Kotson

Information on the new Safe Zone program at GRU.

5 6

Campus Resources Get Involved: Augusta Pride Volunteer info for the CSRA’s pride parade and festival.

7 8 10 11 12

Student Art: “Black Heels” by Rachel Hendrix

17 18 20 22 24 25 26 28

Campus News: Triota

33 34

Campus News: Lambda Alliance updates by Shawna Martinez

Campus News: WGST + GRU Students Attend SEWSA 2014 Poem: “Compensation” by Spring Robinson Poem: “scream.” by Jourdain Searles Feminist Scholarship: “Masculine Foundations: Typologies and Distancing Techniques in Men’s Cosmetics Websites” by Kirsten Fitzgerald

Campus News: WSSA updates by Julianna Johnston and Semone Sevion Student Art: “Siren No. 1” by Melissa Sommer Op-Ed: “College Graduation: A Feminist Killjoy Perspective” by Jessica Ballard-Monroe Campus News: GRU Equality updates by Tyler Galles Poem: “The Preacher’s Wife” by Leah Smith Student Spotlight: Women’s Studies Service Award Feminist Scholarship: “Conservative Christianity, Society, Economy, Gender, and Sexuality in Stories of Marginalized Men and Women” by Ryan McLay

Alumna Spotlight: Catching Up with Melinda McKew + State & Regional Resources

35 36 39 40

CSRA Resources Meet Our Contributors Fall 2014 Women’s & Gender Studies Course Offerings Credits

America: Two

about YELL! • • • “A cheer of support: a rhythmic word or phrase chanted by a group of people to give support or encouragement.” This elementary four-letter word seems so inadequate when put alongside its synonymic counterparts. Bellow. Vociferate. Holler. Exclaim. They all sound so dignified, so regal. But Yell! is a word of a very different caliber. Yell! describes our mission in a way that its predecessors cannot. To us, Yell! means to reclaim women’s voices, not only on the GRU campus but in the community. Yell! means to uplift and galvanize ourselves and everyone we interact with. Yell! is our rallying cry, and we fully intend to embody the vehemence with which it is described here. We are no longer satisfied waiting in the shadows. We will Yell! in solidarity, our mission and our goal. We are a unified front, ready and willing to step into the line of fire for social justice. We will approach our obstacles with intrepidness and pugnacity, never being afraid to fail. Because what is failure but an opportunity to improve? That is what Yell! means to us here in the GRU Women’s Studies Program. It is who we are, and it is what we do. Join us.

Megan Pugh

letter from the editor • • • In both my first and second runs as editor-in-chief of this magazine, I used the above quote, by former Women’s Studies Program student assistant Megan Pugh, to guide the mission of YELL! This statement has guided me through the initial vision of a full magazine, created by and for students, and through the process of yet another round of submissions and difficult editorial choices. I am grateful to Megan for her original creation and for providing the inspiration, to all our contributors for their talent and hard work, and to all our Women’s Studies associated faculty for their support in big ways and small. I am proud of the work we have done together and the role I’ve been honored to play in this project. I hope to see this magazine grow in the future, and I will eagerly await each issue, to see how far we can go. In the present, though, I am pleased and honored to share with you the wealth of talent, intellect, and passion that can be found on our campus.

Kirsten Fitzgerald Editor-in-Chief

campus news • • • safe zone MAKING GRU SAFER

afe Zone is a national initiative to foster inclusive environments for LGBTQIA identifying students, faculty, and staff on college campuses and make them an institutional standard. There is no umbrella organization running the movement so each school starts with a grassroots campaign that can work to fit the program to their school’s own needs. Recently I got to talk with Dr. Melissa Powell-Williams who is on the GRU Safe Zone Advisory Board to get a better understanding of what Georgia Regents University is doing to build this program. The Advisory Board consists of staff representatives from the different GRU campuses and has had major support from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The main goals of the Board are to foster awareness in order to grow a larger community of voluntary allies who might then go on to become advocates and student liaisons for the Advisory Board and between the GRU campuses. The Safe Zone program at GRU is still in its beginning stages. The Board is working at the moment to hold training sessions every semester that are open to students, faculty, and staff. The two the Board has already planned on doing every semester are an awareness training in order to give people the language they need to discuss important LGBTQIA issues and then an ally training to help people build a better understanding of the issues facing our communities and what people on the outside can do to help. After attending these two training sessions, professors can receive a Safe Zone sticker for their office doors to let students know that they can go to them for a safe and open environment. Eventually the Board would like to hold more specialized training sessions with a variety of speakers for the purpose of educating further on more specific communities and issues within the LGBTQIA sphere. Because the Safe Zone initiative at GRU is still so small, the main thing any of us can do is just spread the

word about it and get involved. Once the Advisory Board gains more volunteers and a visible presence on campus they will start to have much more influence and can start working on bigger projects that will have a lasting and positive affect across GRU campuses. Some of the potential projects brought up in my discussion with Dr. Powell-Williams were incorporating breast feeding stations and changing tables on campus, creating LGBTQIA safe study areas, and including gender neutral bathroom options. GRU also has the unique need of training medical staff to properly treat and communicate with LGBTQIA patients. The Safe Zone Advisory Board is already planning on working with GRU Equality at the Health Sciences campus and Lambda Alliance at the Summerville campus. If you would like to get involved, I advise joining one of these organizations or contacting a professor you know to be involved with the Safe Zone initiative. They look forward to your support!

Margaret Kotson Lambda Alliance President, 2014-2015

For more information on the Safe Zone initiative at GRU head to the Office of Diversity and Inclusions’s page here: http://www.gru.edu/diversity/safezone.php

on campus • • • resources RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY & STAFF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS GRU Equality — LGBTQ organization for Health Sciences students and staff Lambda Alliance — LGBTQ organization for Summerville students and staff Women’s Studies Student Association CAMPUS RESOURCES Safe Zone GRU Cares Whether a student, staff or faculty, if you or someone you know is in a distressing situation, support is available for you at GRU Cares. You will find helpful resources on a variety of issues including:  Emergency or crisis situations and safety concerns  Medical concerns  Multicultural, psychological and personal issues  Interpersonal conflict both in workplace and amongst students Are you worried about yourself or someone else? File a CARE Report here. GRU Counseling Center — Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM—5:00 PM Summerville Campus

Health Sciences Campus

Central Utilities Building Annex 2nd Floor

Student Health Center in Pavilion II 1465 Laney Walker Blvd.

To contact either counseling center or schedule an appointment, call (706) 737-1471. GRU Office of Diversity and Inclusion 1120 15th Street AA-2028 Augusta, GA 30912

Health Sciences Campus (706) 721-9265 Click here to contact online

GRU Public Safety Health Sciences Campus, Annex II 524 15th Street Augusta, GA 30912

Non-emergency phone: (706) 721-2914 Monday—Friday, 8:00 AM—5:00 PM

get involved • • • augusta pride VOLUNTEER INFO FOR THE CSRA’S PRIDE PARADE & FESTIVAL

his year is the fifth anniversary of the Augusta Pride parade and festival! Thanks to recent sociology graduate, women’s studies minor, and vendor coordinator, Elizabeth “Izzy-if-you’re-nasty” Black, we have the details for those who wish to volunteer!

Augusta Pride was founded in 2009, and in five short years it has grown enough to be recognized as this year’s recipient of the Phillip Rush Community Builder Award. This award is decided by the board of directors of Georgia Equality and, Izzy explains, is an annual award intended to “recognize work that brings diverse communities together in support of LGBT issues.” This year’s festival headliners will be pop artist Taylor Dayne, RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars Latrice Royale and Chad Michaels, and South Carolina’s own violinist duo, Synergy.

Volunteering If you’re interested in helping in our community, this is a great opportunity. Izzy reports that Augusta Pride is always looking for volunteers for a huge variety of tasks. While details are not currently available for all the jobs that may be available, they will certainly need ticket-takers, runners, and people to work some of the booths. As the festival gets closer, the volunteer coordinator will release a detailed schedule. Volunteers can then sign up based on their own skills, preferences and availability.

To become a volunteer, contact John at volunteer@prideaugusta.org. To become a vendor, contact Izzy at elizabethb@prideaugusta.org.

2014 Pride Weekend: June 27-29 Visit PrideAugusta.org or Augusta Pride on Facebook for updates and more information. Kirsten Fitzgerald

• • • student art

Black Heels by Rachel Hendrix

campus news • • • wgst MAKING THE SHIFT: WOMEN’S STUDIES TO WOMEN’S & GENDER STUDIES

e're excited to announce that you're going to notice a new acronym springing up this fall! The Women's Studies Program will be transitioning to the GRU Women's and Gender Studies Program. Where you've seen WMST in the course catalog in the past, you'll now start seeing

WGST. Adding "gender" to our program name reflects the inclusivity of conversations about gender that have been taking place in our Women's Studies courses for quite some time. Our program remains committed to ensuring that there is a dedicated academic space to study women's lives and experiences -- broadening our program's focus to include the study of masculinities, gender identities, and sexualities will only strengthen the important feminist, womanist, and social justice work happening on campus. Additional information will be forthcoming about what this transition means for you. Requirements to minor in Women's and Gender Studies will remain the same -- be sure to get in touch with Dr. Marie Drews if you are interested in the minor.

Dr. Marie Drews Program Director

media catalog • • •

id you know we have a whole media catalog devoted

to women's and gender issues and sexualities? The catalog, originally organized by student assistant

Megan Pugh and updated by Kirsten Fitzgerald, has been uploaded fully to the web, complete with links to Reese Library, GALILEO Films on Demand, TED Talks and PBS online. To see what women's, gender and sexualities studies materials are

available, you can click here to check it out. We have also created a separate page to feature links to free, online educational videos. To access this list, click here.

• • • campus news GRU STUDENTS ATTEND SEWSA 2014

everal Georgia Regents University students, as well as faculty Dr. Marie Drews, presented papers at SEWSA 2014: The Ebb and Flow: Navigating the Changing Landscapes of Feminism. The first panel, titled Bodies, Tropes, and Technologies: Interrogating Gender in Contemporary Culture, featured senior Political Science major Jessica Ballard-Monroe, senior Sociology major Kirsten Fitzgerald, junior Sociology/Criminal Justice double-major Jenelle Plotts, and alumnus Travis Wagner. The second panel, Housewives, Homesteaders, and Heroes: Examining Post-Feminism, featured senior Anthropology major Ryan McLay and faculty Dr. Marie Drews. Other activities at the conference included an art and dance exhibit, a lecture and Q&A with keynote speaker and poet Nikky Finney, and a film screening of Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, including a post-film discussion with the director.

Panelists for Bodies, Tropes, and Technologies: Interrogating Gender in Contemporary Culture, SEWSA 2014. Alumnus Travis Wagner, current GRU students Jessica Ballard-Monroe, Kirsten Fitzgerald and Jenelle Plotts.

Panelists for Housewives, Homesteaders, and Heroes: Examining Post-Feminism, SEWSA 2014. GRU faculty Dr. Marie Drews and GRU student Ryan McLay.

student voices • • • poetry Compensation by Spring Robinson Where had I known this need before

thumping downward, at the body’s tender core. Aren’t we eager for each other, but never keep— I don’t belong to you.

We like things this way because we are empty, you and I. We find refuge below wet anatomy, pink terrains overflow. We cannot manage any other way.

When you have forgotten the sound of my laughter

or my smell,

when I no longer fiend for your touch, or your boyish narratives, then, I’d say, we have forgotten each other well.

Down narrow streets—crowded with men—I shed off my other delicate selves, losing structure. How do women get back what’s lost to men?

• • • student voices scream. by Jourdain Searles I have heard the most intelligent women of my generation ranting and raving to deaf ears and soft minds (mushy), determined in their raw conviction to yell until their faces are blue and eye veins tangle like makeshift spider webs. No one can hear these women, high on their majestic soapboxes, because being high is the same as being high you know? And who listens to the left wing as it flaps, wafting the smell of hash down crowded hallways full of women with their noses in books, scandal. Women with their perky breasts, plump lips and warm, inviting vaginas. Women with their monthly gifts, burdened wombs and aching feet. Spanx that clutch and tighten, lipgloss, foundation, concealer and the like, pretty hose. Suffrage, slacks, anti-martial rape laws, scandal scandal scandal. No abortion, scandal, scandal. Can’t let the snatch snatch too much. They carry the wombs while the cock houses the remote deep in the shaft of patriarchy, control. Flaccid cocks flap wildly in the faces of these bored sister wives, eyes drooping, thinking about sippy cups and throw-up, soccer games, ballet, band, chorus practice, endless roads roads roads stretching into eternity with small screaming heads. And you, my progressive ladies. The bras no longer burn. The razor sits pretty, adjacent to the Skintimate, intimate soaps that lather and sooth, high heels shiny and smooth, yet you become a raging whore beast whenever you utter the word “feminist”. More vile than fuck, cunt, twat, dick and the like. Eve proved the ancient evil of women. Helen of Troy codified it and brought things down again, but oh Hillary, you are more human than legend, so they can’t get you yet. They! They the playground bullies with BB guns, grown to be scared earth ground bullies with real ones, that stand in for the dicks they think we robbed them of. Don’t they know that we’re fighters, not biters? The “angry” black woman with curved thighs and pained eyes, questioning the path she took. Staying in the race left her tired, panting. Last place. Statistic government cheese myths and stereotypical cosmetology dreams, but the right way is white, right? “Non-angry” black woman with infinite class, hair pressed nice like the white woman who touches her friend Shanice’s hair during break because it feels like cotton balls and oppression, after the death of the jive turkey it’s a novelty. Poke it. It’s a circus tent. You can’t win. The color gender wheel comes up cock every time, white, brown, (no biting). But we still can’t join our tired hands. We eye each other with envy, thirst to compete, distrust too wary of the yellow tape. You know he put up, don’t you? He sees us as ungrateful monsters with sharp, snapping teeth as if we should be glad just to be alive and breathing and his magnificent presence, his superior physique, clout, higher pay percentage. Sexy sexy sexy, our panties are wet. What if years of waiting have made them dry, the warmth chilled, the lips are pressed shut, no longer taking insertions, and the race dies out? Would cocks evolve to take other cocks, splitting from the pressure of evolutionary necessity? And would those mutated cocks produce women?

feminist scholarship • • • MASCULINE FOUNDATIONS: TYPOLOGIES AND DISTANCING TECHNIQUES IN MEN’S COSMETICS WEBSITES by Kirsten Fitzgerald, Sociology

eauty standards for men have become increasingly strict over the years. As men’s bodies have come under greater public scrutiny, they have been forced to adapt to these pressures. One such adaptation includes the rise of men’s cosmetics usage. Utilizing three specific types of masculinities found in advertising – muscularity, metrosexuality and laddism – this research uses content analysis of seven men’s cosmetic websites to examine the ways that these market makeup and nail polish to men. It also examines the use of language that justifies the products’ usefulness to men and protects masculinity by distancing it from the feminine. This research aims to supply a better understanding not only of how makeup websites understand and appeal to men, but also a broader understanding of the current negotiations of masculinities.

2012a; Harrison 2008; Ricciardelli et al. 2010). This has also led to a “negotiat[ion of] the current hegemonic male order” (Feasey 2009: 366). However, researchers point out that this negotiation is not a deconstruction of masculine power but an attempt to redefine which type of man may claim hegemony. As Hall et al. write, “conventional masculinities are not in decline, but are merely being reworked and repackaged in a more image-conscious consumer-oriented society” (2012a: 223). In their work on men’s lifestyle magazines, Ricciardelli et al. identify three competing masculinities, each of which fits several aspects of hegemonic masculinity: muscularity, metrosexuality, and laddism. Muscularity is typified by gym culture and the violent and aggressive aspects of hegemony, embodied through physical prowess and a specialized, hypermasculine physique that includes bulging muscles and sixpack abs (2010: 65). Metrosexuality emphasizes men’s fashion and expression, self-presentation, and a “cultivation of polished appearance” (Ricciardelli et al. 2010: 72), all of which rely on greater income to purchase and maintain (65). These generally align with the work ethic, business and leisure aspects to hegemonic masculinity. Ricciardelli et al. write that metrosexuality also includes a greater sensitivity and commitment to gender equity (65) and even sometimes encompasses “gay metrosexuality” (73). Yet men’s lifestyle magazines such as GQ and Details include advertisements that feature men surrounded by beautiful women (75), suggesting heterosexuality remains normative. Hall et al., in their research on men’s accounts of makeup use, note that many self-identified metrosexuals routinely make claims to heterosexual prowess or situate their cosmetic use as something women appreciate. They reference their heterosexuality to “dismiss any potential accusations of homosexuality and resultant recategorisation” (2012a: 219). Further, many define metrosexuality with an implied dichotomy: men who groom themselves are the “real” men, while the rest are behind the times (222). Laddism, by contrast, is defined as a backlash to and rejection of gender equality (Ricciardelli et al. 2010: 65). It emphasizes freedom as expressed through bachelorhood and hedonism, risk-taking through drinking, drugs and sexual promiscuity (65), objectification and “crassness to-

Literature Review Over the past few decades, masculinities have come under increasing examination as researchers have chosen to reconsider traditional or “commonsense” understandings of masculinity. Feasey writes that masculinity has until recently been regarded as hierarchical, with a range of “acceptable, unacceptable, preferred and marginalised models” of masculinity (2009: 358). The preferred or ideal masculinity is known as hegemonic masculinity; this is “culturally normative and influential” and comprises multiple aspects, including physical strength, “work ethic and emotional strength”, hetero-sexuality, violence or aggression, an emphasis on business or leisure (public) activities rather than domestic, and dominance over women and children (Ricciardelli, Clow and White 2010: 64-65). Other scholars conceptualize masculinities as horizontally related, rather than hierarchical, but still define hegemonic masculinity in opposition to femininity (de Visser and McDonnell 2013: 5). Many researchers note a “political-economic shift in the labour market” from which has emerged the “commodifi[cation] of the male body” (Hall, Gough and Seymour-Smith 2012a: 210). As a response to this commodification, men’s bodies are now increasingly scrutinized, and men must account for their physical shape and appearance. One way that they may do this is through consumption and grooming habits (Hall et al.

• • • feminist scholarship ward women” (69), and grossout humor, “banter, ridicule and macho jok[es]” (72). The hegemonic aspects of laddism include the emphasis on leisure and physical and emotional strength, as well as the greatest concern with heterosexual desire. In her examination of advertisements, Feasey finds that men in advertising are often depicted as being rewarded for maintaining their hegemonic status (2009: 361). The Lynx ads she investigates exemplify the laddist masculine type. She writes that the ads “play… with dominant sex and gender stereotypes for comedic effect.” The marketing used suggests that men are “embarrassed by their own vanity” and must be reassured, usually through the use of humor to create distance (364). The men in the commercials are often “everyman” types, which Feasey argues is a “more recognisable image of contemporary masculinity” (366). Rather than promote an idealized or aspirational masculinity, the laddist type relies on a normative approach to hegemony. Men who enter into traditionally feminine domains have been found to redefine their roles as masculine to protect themselves from challenges to their masculinity and heterosexuality (Simpson 2005, as cited in Hall, Gough, Seymour-Smith and Hansen 2012b). When engaging in practices concerning diet or appearance, advertisements and men themselves similarly reframe these behaviors as masculine (Hall et al. 2012b). In her analysis of a men’s mascara advertisement, Harrison (2008) found that the ad attempted to distinguish men’s mascara from women’s and spoke to different concerns than women’s mascara ads. She found that the website emphasized the “corrective” function of makeup, or framed it as “addressing a health concern rather than a beauty issue” (Harrison 2008: 61). She further highlights an ABC News article in which a company executive suggested that advertisers must “reassure men of their masculinity” (as cited in Harrison 2008: 61). These findings suggest that while men’s increasing cosmetic usage may negotiate traditional notions of masculinity, men and advertisers must still account for feminine behaviors and practices and reframe them in a suitably “masculine” way.

selected seven: 4VOO, KenMen, Man Glaze, Male Species, Mënaji, the Men Pen, and MMUK Man. Within these websites were a total of 50 sections to analyze. All seven websites sold makeup, but five of these websites (4VOO, KenMen, Male Species, Mënaji, and MMUK Man) sold other skincare products as well. For the five that marketed skincare products, I was able to divide the sites into subsections: the main body of the site, the skincare and hygiene sections, and the makeup sections. The other two websites were smaller and sold only one specific product apiece: one sold nail polish, and the other a concealer/corrector. In order to determine what “type” of masculinity men’s makeup is aimed at, I conducted a content analysis using typologies of Metrosexuality, Muscularity and Laddism. The indicators for Metrosexuality were Luxury/Leisure, or language that emphasized luxury, pampering, or relaxing leisure time, Business/Status, or an emphasis on white collar work or high socioeconomic status, and Confidence, or language that focused on men’s self-esteem and confidence gained through their appearance. For Muscularity, the indicators were Physical Activities, such as sports or exercise, Aggression, or references to violence, competition, or domination, and Health, or an emphasis on dieting and other health concerns. For Laddism, I used the indicators Hedonism (references to nightclubs, partying or alcohol), Sexuality (any inclusion of sexual behavior or allusions to it) and Vulgarity, or foul language and “grossout” humor. I also examined the ways that these websites justified men’s use of their product or distanced the product from the feminine. The indicators for Justification/Distancing were “For Men”, repetitions of the phrase “for men” or justifications for why these were made for men’s particular needs, Manification, the use of portmanteaus such as “guyliner” and “manscara”, “Masculine” to measure the use of the word “masculine” or similar language such as “manly”, and Validation to measure references to testimonials, famous men’s makeup usage, or endorsements used to establish that other men use and enjoy the products. In my analysis, I focused primarily on the use of language, though I did make note of the contents of photographs as well. For all seven websites, I compared the three indicators of masculine types to find which was most prevalent. That is, I was able to determine whether the website was primarily using metrosexuality, muscularity or laddism to market its products. For the five larger websites, I was also able to compare the change in

Methodology I visited seven websites that market cosmetics exclusively to men; I chose to focus on men’s-only sites, as it could be assumed that men were the intended consumers. Due to the minimal availability of such websites, it was necessary to use purposive sampling. I

feminist scholarship • • • Fitzgerald indicators depending on the type of product, as well as any increase or decrease in justification/distancing.

defining a specific type of masculinity.

Data and Discussion Perhaps unsurprisingly, six of the seven websites selling men’s cosmetics could be characterized as metrosexual. Interestingly, the KenMen website had only slightly more indicators for metrosexuality than for muscularity, which may suggest a need to either retool the typologies or that there is a significant overlap between these masculine “types”. The only laddist website in the sample, Man Glaze, had zero indicators for metrosexuality. Figure 1 shows the percentage of indicators for each type of masculinity for each website.

It should be noted, however, that the Men Pen website is a single page with only one product, and the Man Glaze website is much smaller than the other three, which may skew the results. It is possible that the differences between Men Pen, Man Glaze and the five larger websites would become less drastic if the websites had a more equal distribution of sections and pages. As it stands with the data at hand, metrosexuality appears to have a greater stake than laddism in justifying its products and distancing itself from the feminine. On the other hand, if laddism is defined as “backlash” masculinity, it may well be that distance from the feminine is believed to be inherently established via objectification of women, vulgarity and hedonism, and so it does not need further defense. It should also be noted that with only one laddist website in the mix, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the distinctions between types of masculinity. Among the five metrosexual websites which could be divided out into subsections, an interesting pattern emerges. I had expected to find that the emphasis on metrosexuality would increase for the makeup pages relative to the general skincare and hygiene pages, given the beautifying nature of the products. However, indicators for metrosexuality decreased for two of the five, with four of the sites showing a shift in emphasis from “luxury” to “business/status” and “confidence” indicators. The justification/distancing indicators increased for all but one (Figure 3), especially the validation indicator (the use of testimonials, references to popular celebrities, etc.) and the “for men” indicator. The “for men” indicator became particularly interesting, as some websites so heavily emphasized this that no mention of makeup could be made without the qualifiers “for men”,

The metrosexual websites were characterized by an emphasis on “luxury”, especially, with some references to white collar professions and entertainment industry work, and to men’s increased confidence. Some of these also brought in elements of diet, exercise, and a healthy appearance (coded as muscularity) and men’s sexuality and mentions of late night partying (coded as laddism). Two in particular, Male Species and MMUK Man, included language such as “dominate the competition”, coded as the aggression indicator for muscularity. The laddist website emphasized risk-taking and partying, men’s sexuality specifically through the objectification of women, and vulgar language and grossout humor. The overlap with muscularity was found only in the aggression indicator; there were no mentions of health concerns or physical activities. The indicators for justification/distancing were by far the largest group of indicators, as shown in Figure 2. In all but one case, the websites spent more language to justify the product or distance it from femininity than they did

• • • feminist scholarship “men’s” or “male”. Broadly speaking, it seems that the more “feminine” the product is, the more focus is placed upon establishing opposition to femininity or reassuring men about their masculinity, rather than establishing a type of masculinity. As the MMUK Man (2014) website put it, “Let’s face it, masculinity is everything!”

where there were multiple kinds of products, the marketing of makeup (such as foundation, concealer, or eyeliner), as compared to other skin products, notably used more language to reassure the buyer that the products were for men, especially through the use of testimonials and examples of successful men who wore makeup, and through the labeling of products as “for men”, “men’s” and “male”. While this does not show conclusive results about the current negotiations of masculinity, it does suggest that it is still widely defined in opposition to femininity, and supports earlier research that men who enter into feminine domains must reframe their pursuits as masculine to fend off challenges to their manhood and sexual orientation. Due to the small sample size, the comparatively limited examples on two of the websites, and the presence of only one website that did not appeal to metrosexuality, it is difficult to draw broad conclusions about masculinity from this study. We do not know, for example, how other laddist websites or websites aimed at muscularity might change the results. We also do not know how the laddist website Man Glaze might advertise eyeliner, nor how the metrosexual websites might advertise nail polish. I made note of the presence and roles of women in my note-taking, but the limitations above apply here as well. Generally, women were barely present on the metrosexual website, and were most often referenced either through the products themselves (distinguishing men’s makeup from women’s makeup), or to reinforce to heterosexual men that women would find them more attractive with makeup. On the laddist website, women were more noticeably present not only through objectification, but also as potential consumers: the nail polish is for men and “really cool chicks” (ManGlaze 2014). Women’s roles, where they existed at all, served to reassure men of their heterosexuality and masculinity. I had also hoped to see how class, race and sexual orientation might be compared among these websites, but there was little data beyond an obvious emphasis on highend goods and a limited (fairly light) range of colors in the products for the metrosexual websites. A more in-depth analysis with a greater sample of men’s products – perhaps not only on men’s only websites, but also on general cosmetics websites – may reveal more accurate results, and would perhaps allow a better comparison not only of the typologies, but of the presence of women and the roles that class, race and sexual orientation might play. Finally, the typologies may do more to obscure these negotiations of masculinity than to clarify. Future research

To better demonstrate the emphasis on justification/ distancing, Figure 4 shows how much language is used to indicate metrosexuality vs. justification/distancing per page – that is, the average number of each instance per page in the skincare and makeup subsections. Viewed this way, it becomes clearer that while the percentage of language used to distance the product from the feminine does not increase on every website, the average amount of language devoted to distancing per page does.

Conclusion This research used typologies of masculinity to determine if there was a specific type of masculinity centralized in men’s cosmetics websites, and how this masculinity was used to market the product(s). Most websites emphasized metrosexuality, but in the websites

feminist scholarship • • • Fitzgerald might focus instead on the individual indicators, such as “business/status” or “aggression” rather than the broader types. My observations indicate that “guyliner” may require greater defense than foundation, and that the language changes to emphasize men’s heterosexual desire rather than their “healthy” appearance, but measuring this is beyond the scope of the current paper. It may therefore be fruitful for future research to analyze the change in justification/ distancing by individual product. Lastly, I believe it has been demonstrated that these justification/distancing techniques are present and increase to varying degrees based on the product, but further analysis might better reveal how and why these are used.

References 4VOO. 2013. “4VOO Distinct Man.” Stoney Creek, Ontario, CA: Marek Cosmetics, Inc. Retrieved on December 5, 2013 (http://www.4voo.com/). de Visser, Richard O. and Elizabeth J. McDonnell. 2013. “‘Man points’: Masculine capital and young men’s health.” Health Psychology 32(1): 5-14. doi: 10.1037/a0029045 Feasey, Rebecca. 2009. "Spray more, get more: masculinity, television advertising and the Lynx effect." Journal of Gender Studies 18(4): 357-368. Hall, Matthew, Brendan Gough and Sarah Seymour-Smith. 2012a. "'I'm METRO, NOT Gay!': A Discursive Analysis of Men's Accounts of Makeup Use on YouTube." Journal of Men's Studies 20(3):209-226. Hall, Matthew, Brendan Gough, Sarah Seymour-Smith and Susan Hansen. 2012b. "On-line constructions of metrosexuality and masculinities: A membership categorization analysis." Gender & Language 6(2): 379-403. doi: 10.1558/genl.v6i2.379 Harrison, Claire. 2008. “Real men do wear mascara: advertising discourse and masculine identity.” Critical Discourse Studies 5(1): 55-74. doi: 10.1080/17405900701768638 KenMen. 2013. “KenMen.” Montréal, Quebec, CA: KenMen-BC/ONE, Inc. Retrieved on December 5, 2013 (http:// www.kenmen.net/). Male Species. 2014. “Male Species: Skin that Wins!” Las Vegas, NV: Male Species. Retrieved on January 17, 2014 (http://www.malespecies.com/). ManGlaze. 2014. “ManGlaze: Original Matte Nail Polish.” Retrieved on December 3, 2013 (http://www. manglaze.com). Mёnaji. 2014. “Mёnaji: Skincare for the Confident Man.” Southport, CT: Mёnaji Worldwide, LLC. Retrieved on December 5, 2013 (http://www.menaji.com/). Men Pen, The. 2013. “The Men Pen: Concealer for Men.” Holland, MI: The Men Pen, Inc. Retrieved on December 5, 2013 (http://www.themenpen.com/). MMUK Man. 2014. “MMUK Man.” Hastings, East Sussex, UK: Makeup for Men UK. Retrieved on January 18, 2014 (http://www.mensmake-up.co.uk/). Ricciardelli, Rosemary, Kimberley A. Clow and Philip White. 2010. "Investigating Hegemonic Masculinity: Portrayals of Masculinity in Men's Lifestyle Magazines." Sex Roles 63: 64-78. doi: 10.1007/s11199-010-9764-8

Outstanding Women’s Studies Student Award It was for this paper that Kirsten Fitzgerald was awarded Outstanding Women’s Studies Student. Versions of this research paper were presented at the 32nd annual Southeastern Undergraduate Sociology Symposium at Emory University, 15th Annual Phi Kappa Phi Research and Fine Arts Conference here at GRU, at which it was awarded Best Presentation for Session 2, and at the Southeastern Women’s Studies Association Conference 2014 at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

triota • • • campus news IOTA IOTA IOTA HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTIONS

ota Iota Iota, or Triota, is the Women's Studies Honor Society, named after the goddesses Isis, Ishtar and Inanna. This honor society and its members seek to encourage and honor feminist activism and scholarship. The three values central to feminism and Triota’s mission are egalitarianism, inclusiveness, and celebrating the diversity of women’s experiences. Members who are inducted have demonstrated both a high quality of academic work and a firm commitment to these values. The Beta Theta chapter was pleased to induct the following students on May 8, 2014: Electra Bush, Macy Knowles, and Katina Michaels. This year's Triota board included President, Julianna Johnston; Vice President, Shawna Martinez; and Secretary, Ryan McLay. Triota kindly sponsored the students who attended SEWSA 2014, including Secretary Ryan McLay, and members Jessica Ballard-Monroe, Kirsten Fitzgerald, and Jenelle Plotts.

Kirsten Fitzgerald

To learn more about Triota at GRU, visit our webpage: http://gru.edu/colleges/pamplin/wmst/triota.php

New inductee Katina Michaels with her Iota Iota Iota certificate and Women’s Studies honor cords.

New inductee Electra Bush and Iota Iota Iota President Julianna Johnston.

campus news • • • wssa

he Spring 2014 semester with the Women’s Studies Student Association flew by in a flurry of activities, events, awareness raising, and inclement weather. WSSA kicked off the semester In February by helping to promote the GRU Lyceum Series event featuring the Urban Bush Women. These amazing women refused to let the damage from the ice storm keep them from performing for the Augusta community. WSSA members, GRU students, and members of the community were treated to an amazing presentation by the Urban Bush Women, free of charge, and despite the fact the entire campus did not even have power back yet. In April, WSSA partnered with the Cinema Series at GRU and The Life of the Mind Series to present the movie Wadjda at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theater. Wadjda was not only the first feature length movie shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, but it was the first feature film by a female Saudi Arabian director. WSSA rounded out the end of the semester by participating in and volunteering with Sexual Assault Awareness Month events including the Take Back The Day 5k, the It Was Rape film screening, and leading the candlelight walk around campus during Take Back The Night. On May 8th, WSSA, Triota, and the Women’s Studies Program gathered to reflect on their accomplishments over the past year and recognize those students who made outstanding contributions to the Women’s Studies Program. I am so proud of the work we accomplished over the past year, and I am excited to hear about all of the accomplishments WSSA’s new president, Semone Sevion, has in store for next year.

Julianna Johnston WSSA President, 2013-2014

Left: GRU alumni Mickey Lay & Julianna Johnston pose after Mickey “Walk[ed] a Mile in Her Shoes” for one of our Take Back the Day events. April 2014. Above: In--progress TBTN 2014 banner, which features the handprints of our community’s survivors & supporters.

wssa • • • campus news

or the 2014-2015 school year I plan on continuing the traditions of what WSSA is known for, such as Love Your Body Week and Take Back the Night. I hope to implement some new traditions, such as acquiring t-shirts for new members. I want to work to include everyone on campus and expand in the community so everyone will know who we are and what we represent. I plan to put a lot of focus on recruiting new members to further grow and expand our group so we can continue to work toward the goals and aspirations this student association has established. I have good ideals and hope to make everyone proud.

Former WSSA President Julianna Johnston presents a gift to new President Semone Sevion at the Triota Induction and Women’s Studies graduation celebration. May 2014.

Semone Sevion WSSA President, 2014-2015

Congratulations and good luck, Semone!

From left to right: Jessica Ballard-Monroe, Ryan McLay, Mike Lepp, Julianna Johnston, Kirsten Fitzgerald (with her child Sean), Jourdain “Jodie” Searles, Electra Bush, and Jenelle Plotts, at the Triota Induction and grad celebration, May 2014.

Siren No. 1 (front), sculpture by Melissa Sommer

Siren No. 1 (back), sculpture by Melissa Sommer

student voices • • • opinion COLLEGE GRADUATION: A FEMINIST KILLJOY PERSPECTIVE

“I experience feminism as a critique, an approach, a lens and a guide for understanding and navigating the political, social, and cultural world. For me, feminism is a question: what truths are missing here? The feminist thinker and organizer should always be asking this question. What are we missing? Who are we excluding?” Melissa Harris-Perry in a Q&A with Jezebel readers

am not sure I have ever read or heard a more accurate summation of what feminism means to myself than this quote. I will admit that my judgment may be clouded by the full admiration I have for Dr. Harris-Perry. Still, as someone who aims towards that type of personal feminism, I am grateful for what such an interpretation asks of me. Feminism of the form she describes requires that one reject passivity; that one go beyond the act of holding the feminist label and towards an active practice of it. Feminism, in this sense, is as much a verb as it is a noun. I also appreciate that she points specifically to feminist thinkers and organizers in her description – as it reminds us of her status as an academic professional who identifies as such. That she notes this prompts us to acknowledge that the status of those engaged with feminism (specifically, through academic work and/or organizing) influences the shape with which our own feminism takes hold. Consequently, participation in these positions as feminists obligates that one commit themselves to asking the questions which Dr. HarrisPerry poses. On a previous episode of her television show, I had heard her express this viewpoint before. The weekend following Thanksgiving she held a panel discussion on the myths that surround the American holiday season. Particularly, this segment was concerned with how various socioeconomic constraints influence participation in what has come to be understood as ‘regular’ holiday traditions and how the perpetuation of myths conceals experienced disparities. Dr. Harris-Perry shared her ‘missing truths’ question, but followed it by expressing a sentiment feminists are continuously confronted with: “I also always wonder about the ways in which feminism, in asking that question, ends up being the killjoy; the girls at the party who don’t want to have any fun, because you can’t enjoy Thanksgiving or Christmas – you’ve got to bring all this inequality into it.” Myself, I am one who has a strong tendency towards “killjoy”, and as such, have felt

Photo by Chris Granger for Tulane Productions CC BY-SA-NC 2.0

the disapproval that attempts to express “missing truths” is often times received by. In response to Dr. Harris-Perry’s comment, guest Chloe Angyal responded “I think to say to kill the joy at the party by bringing the inequality into it is something that you get to say when you don’t experience inequality every day. The idea of bringing inequality in, as if isn’t woven into your everyday life, is a privilege.” It likely goes without saying, but I absolutely loved this exchange. Not to negate from the legitimacy of the topics they discussed that day, but for other reasons, I do find myself coming back to it increasingly as graduation approaches. This piece is being written a week prior to the May graduation ceremony, and I will be among the many wearing a cap and gown that day. As time grows closer, like most others, I have found myself getting sidetracked in reflection. I’ve sat with the “missing truths” question more times than I can count. Particularly as both a nontraditional student and a firstgeneration college graduate, I find that the story I am being told about myself and my achievements is not in line with my own interpretation of events. I am proud of myself, and I’m proud of many fellow graduates. Yet still, I must acknowledge that pride coincides with the

• • • student voices more somber feelings of guilt, disillusionment, and grief. Once I hold that Bachelor’s degree, I’ll be assigned a different socioeconomic status and gain access to a wealth of newfound privileges. This isn’t to be naïve to the abhorrent circumstances many recent graduates in this country are faced with, but it is to be very realistic about the nature of privilege and educational attainment. As the only college graduate in my family, my new socially-defined ‘value’ is going to be different from the one that is attributed to members of my family. This thought causes me considerable unease, especially as I view it to as a wholly inaccurate measurement. I feel the strong need to respond and to redefine what first-generation graduate means within a family structure. In no possibly distinguishable way that I can envision am I better or more deserving than any of them. It is right alongside any satisfaction I receive from my accomplishments that I also have resentment towards any characterization of those accomplishments as being deciding factors in my general worth relative to that of any another person. Even though I am the only member of my family to graduate from college, I have strong convictions that both my brother and my sister were (and are) just as capable of achieving this milestone as I have been. (And also that this milestone is not, in any way, more substantial than others.) I am sure there are more appropriate times to call into questions one’s aptitude than a week before finishing undergraduate school and months before beginning graduate work, but I cannot help but feel it to be necessary to assist us with revealing those “missing truths”. When I suggest that my siblings are equally capable as myself, I do so acknowledging the large discrepancies in our own post-secondary schooling and how that has contributed to our current skills and abilities (pertaining to college-level academics). That I have been able to obtain such does not suggest that I am in any way more competent than them, but rather is due to very specific opportunities and experiences in my life. Which begets the question, when we talk college graduation: “what truths are missing”? How is it that I got here? Why is that I’m the first? Why have others been excluded? Briefly stated, the answer to these questions is combination of undeserved privileges and luck. Also, related to my own life, I would be remiss to not

acknowledge the contributions of specific people. It is from the assistance given to me by my greatest mentor at a time when I was both uninsured and terrified. It is the chance opportunity that I had to work on a ranch in Texas and my unfathomable luck of meeting the most impressive women that I have ever come across in my life. It is a group of women in California who first truly convinced me of my worth. It is a handful of specific feminist professors who have continuously assured me that I am both smart and capable, regardless of the years of training I’ve had in believing neither of those to be true. It has been through the sacrifices my partner has made for our family that have enabled me to pursue college. This will always be the kindest gift I have ever been given. It is through the never-ending struggle of my parents, whose selfless commitment to their children has rarely ever paid off. I wish more than anything that they both received just compensations equal to that of their efforts, so that they would be able to attend the upcoming ceremony. For graduation day is much more theirs than it is mine. I share this all to further drive home that these particular advantages and others contributed to paving the path of my college career. When we frame college graduation narratives, whether in casual conversations or commencements addresses, we must remain ever cognizant to the “missing truths”. The myths are that graduation is a direct result of the hard work one has put in and that a college education is something that one has ‘earned’. If we say these things, we must acknowledge the flip-side of those words is that college graduation is only obtained by ‘deserving, hardworking’ individuals. The conventional way in which we speak of this topic misses several truths. In doing so, it allows for the perpetuation of a social structure that allocates certain accesses to a privileged few and restricts us all from addressing issues of secondaryeducational attainment disparities more honestly and more correctly. As those of us graduating do rightly reflect upon our accomplishments, I simply hope that we will be able to make space on that day for those truths that our experiences both reveal and exclude – and that we’ll commit ourselves to employing both our Women’s Studies education and our new privilege towards the means of carving out additional “missing truths” spaces, as we move forward.

Jessica Ballard-Monroe

campus news • • • gru equality

RU Equality is an independent group of employees, faculty, and students within the Georgia Regents Medical Center and University who are have joined together to improve the experience of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community throughout GRU, including patients. We welcome involvement from anyone passionate about this cause regardless of sexual or gender identity. No participants are required to disclose anything they do not feel comfortable sharing. GRU Equality partners with MCG Office of Student & Multicultural Affairs, GRU Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and other GRU departments to achieve this mission. We collaborate with regional groups such as GA Equality, SC Equality, and the Health Initiative. We also participate in the Augusta Pride festival that happens each June. Other events held throughout the year are a Drag Cabaret fundraiser in early November, an LGBT Film festival, and social events such as bowling and dinners. Our main event is Come Out for Health Week which occurs each spring. Next year’s week is already being planned for March 23 – 27, 2015. The mission is to develop engaging programming that raises awareness of LGBT health issues and enhances the knowledge and skills of clinical providers. Our hope is to improve healthcare experiences for LGBT patients. We host nationally recognized keynote speakers as well as engage the local community through a patient-provider discussion panel. Safe Zones trainings are offered to help improve the cultural awareness at GRU of the concerns facing the LGBT community, especially students and patients. GRU Equality is developing a directory of LGBT friendly clinical providers of all disciplines, and would love to hear from clinical providers (doctors, nurses, allied health, etc.) who would want to be included. Another goal is for GRHealth to participate in the Human Right Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index. We are also in the early stages of planning a clinic that specializes in LGBT patients care.

Tyler Galles GRU Equality President

Bowling was one of GRU Equality’s many social events this year!

Tyler Galles and Alexis Rossi during Come Out for Health week, March 2014.

CONTACT GRU EQUALITY: GRUEquality@gmail.com gruequality.weebly.com www.facebook.com/gruequality

• • • student voices The Preacher’s Wife by Leah Smith Wild horses are unreliable,

nearly impossible to break, their faith in man is least resilient, like death, hard to predict. She is one of them, aiming to shatter men; luring them in with rounded hips, full lips and disloyal eyes that hold the truth about her: she is afraid. Hosea has to see who she is— dichotomy, ever existing in her heart and head, faithful follower of neither. He rides the unbridled back of her impulses, digs his spurs into her infidelity—she’s a rebel for any reason, hyper vigilant. Her sin is the bit that tears gums from her teeth. She is misunderstood. The woman who grew weary of being ridden and threw

her husband to the ground.

student spotlight • • • WOMEN’S STUDIES SERVICE AWARD

very year, the Women’s Studies Program accepts nominations for students who demonstrate exceptional leadership and advocacy in women’s and gender related causes. Recommenders and the Women’s Studies committee look for students whose contributions go beyond scholarship into physical action. It is with great pleasure that we announce that this year, two students embodied the values of GRU Women’s Studies through their commitment to community building, inclusivity, and activism: Shawna Martinez and Julianna Johnston. Both women have worked tirelessly, often at the expense of their personal time, to expand their respective organizations, provide opportunities and safe spaces to other students, and promote student involvement both on and off campus. Both Shawna and Julianna exemplify the ideals of inclusive feminisms and social justice activism. I am honored to provide a list of some of their recent contributions. Kirsten Fitzgerald

Shawna Martinez

nder Shawna’s leadership, this year’s membership in Lambda Alliance grew rapidly. They partnered with GRU Equality for a Drag Cabaret in spring 2013 and again in the fall, staffed a table at Augusta Pride, hosted a film festival for National Coming Out Week, adopted two Angel Tree children from Salvation Army, hosted a lecture from a Georgia Equality representative, took on bullying against LGBTQ students, hosted a screening of Two Spirits to educate and bring awareness to trans* and non-binary gender issues, hosted a prom for LGBTQ individuals, and generally raised visibility of LGBTQ peoples and issues on campus and in the community.

I cannot think of a more deserving person for this award. Shawna’s service goes above and beyond; she exemplifies the role of “advocate” and I’m sure will continue to do so as she graduates from GRU and proceeds with her plans to obtain her master’s degree in social work. — Dr. Laura S. Wheat

From left to right: Shawna Martinez, Lindsey Cope, with Justin Neisler performing as Ivy Dripp. GRU Drag Cabaret, November 2013.

[Shawna] is a recognized social justice advocate on campus. As president of Lambda Alliance, she has shown unwavering commitment to the group's values and mission; additionally, she has served as an invaluable intern for the Safe Zone Program, aiding the program’s launch earlier this spring. — Dr. Marie Drews

• • • student spotlight WOMEN’S STUDIES SERVICE AWARD

Julianna Johnston

s president of both the WSSA and Triota, Julianna was responsible for planning and executing events for both organizations, including Love Your Body Week, the Miss Representation film screening (at which she was also a discussant), the Wadjda film screening, the Urban Bush Women performance and lectures, and various Violence Awareness Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month volunteer activities. Her biggest contribution, however, comes from her multimedia work including a vlog series for the WSSA and Women’s Studies program, promotional and informational videos for both Violence Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness Months, and her help filming these events for future material.

To view Julianna’s video projects, visit vimeo.com/gruwmst!

[Julianna] has used her talents and her time to create a series of outstanding advocacy-centered videos that bring awareness to women's studies causes at GRU, as well as violence prevention and outreach initiatives in the CSRA. […] Julianna has contributed dynamic leadership and a lot of energy to the WSSA and Triota at GRU—her contributions have helped strengthen the visibility of Women’s Studies on campus and energized the organization with new methods of highlighting feminist opportunities on campus. — Dr. Marie Drews Julianna with her award at the 2014 Pamplin College Graduation and Awards Reception.

To see more information about the Women’s Studies Service Award and to view a complete list of winners and esteemed nominees, visit http://gru.edu/colleges/pamplin/wmst/service.php To see more information about and winners of the Outstanding Student in Women’s Studies Award, visit http://gru.edu/colleges/pamplin/wmst/outstanding.php

feminist scholarship • • • CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY, SOCIETY, ECONOMY, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY IN AMERICA: TWO STORIES OF MARGINALIZED MEN AND WOMEN by Ryan McLay, Anthropology

hile individuals have a myriad of reasons to enter or leave a religious sect, when a class of people choose to resume or cease their religious practices, their social structure is often a large influence in their decisions. In the United States, particularly since the 1970’s, the conservative Christian church has been a pivotal force in American’s religious practices. While droves of people were drawn towards the church for moral and political reasons, others were driven away due to religious politics that left them marginalized. With this paper, I will apply ethnographic research to examine the various reasons two classes of people, women and homosexuals, often ascribed second-class status in the conservative Christian church in the United States, have chosen to identify with or move away from this American institution. Additionally, I will close with how the conservative Christian movement’s missionary work is affecting women and homosexuals in foreign countries. First, I will begin by describing themes from Shaunna Scott’s field work with an Appalachian Pentecostal church in Small Branch, Kentucky and the pastor’s attempts to bring women back into the congregation. Likewise, I will use Tanya Erzen’s ethnography Straight to Jesus to help explain why people who identify as ex-gay would want to be part of the conservative Christian church. While the Pentecostal church emerged as a political religious force, unifying working-class coal industry employees in 1938 in reaction to oppressive company policies which exploited miners and their families. Social and economic forces were also responsible for a majority of women from the Small Branch Pentecostal Church abandoning their congregation in the shifting society of the 1970’s and 1980’s (Scott 1994). The church at one time unified the men and women of the Small Branch community to fight for unions and welfare programs in opposition to institutionalized poverty (Scott 1994: 229). According to proscribed roles, men’s production was outside of the home, while women’s production was based in the home, despite an otherwise spiritually “egalitarian” society (Scott 1994: 229). According to Scott, though the Pentecostal church generally considered women to be spiritual equals with men, in practice the church afforded leadership or preaching roles to women in much less frequency compared to men, further

reinforcing their second-class status in a patriarchal system (1994: 229). However, if Pentecostalism considered women to be equal theologically, the church depicted “women as ‘weaker vessels’ and [commanded] them to remain ‘under submission’ to men” (1994: 229). This submission, integral to the church’s philosophy, was traditionally mirrored elsewhere in Small Branch. Scott wrote, Historically, Appalachian households have been patriarchal, with men functioning as “household heads,” owning land, directing production, disposing of income, and making decisions … Patriarchal dominance was reproduced and amplified in the main domain of coal mining; at work, where foremen doled out choice assignments to “good sons”; in coal camps, where paternalistic coal companies provided necessities for their employees; and in the union, where leaders exercised authoritarian control over a loyal membership (pp. 230-31). Furthermore, the coal mining industry, the primary employer in the Appalachian town, was the overwhelming force keeping this system in place until key changes emerged in the mid-20th century (Scott 1994 230). With the onset of the 1960’s, signs of the modern era, such as new highways, began to manifest in this community and women began to negotiate their social status. Scott notes that, despite the overwhelmingly patriarchal nature of towns like Small Branch, women’s power and production in the home economy had traditionally been valued both by the family unit and within the community (1994: 231). Ironically though, the coal mining industry, the institution responsible for reinforcing women’s domestic role, had such a great impact on the local economy (likely because of the prounionization efforts on behalf of the Pentecostal church congregation) that by the 1970’s new opportunities in retail, health care, education, and service industries became available to women in the areas surrounding Small Branch (Scott 1994: 231). While they began leaving the home to take advantage of these economic and educational opportunities, men remained in their coal mining jobs, as they were still considered to be the “breadwinners,” earning higher wages than the women in

• • • feminist scholarship their households (Scott 1994: 231). In the feminist discourse taking place at this time, traditional roles posited women closer to the home. However, the changing social and economic structure began moving them further from the traditional realm of the home, and thereby the Pentecostal church, despite remaining subject to patriarchal institutions, which continued to undervalue women’s production by placing them in low-wage positions (Kelly 1997 [1994]: 112-119, Scott 1994: 230-231). Kelly wrote in “Feminism and Power,” “Because the oppression of women is so deeply embedded in our societies and our psyches, it continues to be invisible, even to those who are working to overcome other forms of injustice” (1997 [1994]: 112). Arriving at the time Scott conducted her field work in the 1980’s, she was performing participant observation at a Pentecostal revival, an event the church had organized in reaction to the steep decline in numbers of congregation members, especially women (Scott 1994: 233-241). In the decade following the town’s women migrating away from Small Branch for economic opportunities, divorces had increased; domestic production decreased; local unity dissipated; and unemployment was rampant due to layoffs in the mining industry (Scott 1994: 231). The “saintly”, or those who had remained in the church, placed a great deal of blame on the women who entered the workforce, women they called “the sinners” at the revival, as the determining factor for the declining nature of the Small Branch community. Symbolically, these “sinner” women who otherwise would have traditionally been part of the congregation shirked the identity their mothers and grandmothers embodied. They wore fashionable clothing, rather than modest attire; they frequented bars, rather than church services; and they gambled, rather than giving testimony to the congregation (Scott 1994: 231). By carrying out a “worldly” lifestyle, the

Photo by Trey Ratcliff / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

saints considered the “sinners” to be further away from God (Scott 1994: 231). This closely resembles Ortner’s analogy of women being closer to nature, while men are closer to culture (Ortner 1974). Applying this theory to Small Branch, God and the church, being the primary patriarchal influence in the town, are equated to culture and “the good” in the minds of the “saintly,” while the “sinners” being worldly, and thereby less close to God, are closer to nature. Again, the patriarchal structure is reinforced. However, despite having left the church, “sinners” attended the revival to express their opposition to the preacher and his point of view. According to Scott’s description, the “sinner” women she observed expressed opinions of the revival preacher as ignorant due to his bad grammar, mentally troubled because of perceived “personal and financial stress”, uncomfortable around women because he would not make eye contact with them, and foolish because of his incorporation of poisonous snakes during the revival event (1994: 234). Beyond this, they were turned off by the Pentecostal service because of their conception of the snake being handled as a phallic symbol, yet another reminder to them of the patriarchal nature of this small, isolated community (1994: 234). This idea was reinforced by the fact that only men were allowed to handle the snakes during the revival ceremonies, according Scott’s observation (1994: 235). Also, because the Pentecostal church considered these women to be “sinners”, they were relegated to their own area and banned from participating in the revival’s testimonies or receiving spiritual gifts (Scott 1994: 234). While the preacher may have wanted to use the revival to increase the size of the congregation, which had dwindled from 120 to 30 by the time Scott conducted her field work, his focus on the traditional mores, which had unified the Small Branch community in previous generations was in diametric opposition to the nonPentecostal women’s modern-era frame-of-mind. Despite living and working in an economy that continued to give them less status and secondary wages, they seemed to value the individualism they were able express through their style of dress, their social activities, and their educational pursuits. They readily recognized the patriarchal nature endemic to the Pentecostal church, especially because the preacher openly and adamantly condemned and ostracized the “sinner” women. Additionally, the lack of active roles for women throughout the revival further discouraged the Small Branch women Scott observed from joining the Pentecostal church. By categorizing the preacher as

feminist scholarship • • • McLay mentally unstable, ignorant, foolish, and irrational, these women, in the very public setting of the revival, symbolically and verbally expressed their contempt for the traditional role of the Pentecostal church in their community. The reasons they chose to remain outside of the Pentecostal church, based on Scott’s field work, has several themes. These women saw themselves as skilled and educated by institutions outside the home. As such, they had begun to trust those institutions more than the church in informing their worldviews. They saw the traditional roles of women in the home and in the church as being backwards in relation to their modern concepts of women being able to determine their roles based on their own desires and abilities, as opposed to what the church deemed as appropriate for women. They were willing participants in the hegemonic American capitalist economy, while the men who had previously benefitted from the once thriving local mining industry were left with few options and resources in the wake of an evolving economy. The Ex-gay Movement

Despite living in a modern era where modern sensibilities are often held up as a social norm, for men and women in the ex-gay movement in American traditional roles, particularly traditional gender roles, are upheld as the norm. Robinson, Spivey, and Erzen describe this subculture in their writings, which deconstruct the ex-gay worldview. In Tanya Erzen’s ethnography Straight to Jesus, University of California Press she used interviews and observations of residents in an ex-gay Christian program in California to help formulate a culturally relative explanation of why otherwise homosexual men would want to censure themselves in this community. As she concluded, the men she observed at New Hope, a residential program designed to reform ex-gays into a heteronormative way of life, placed religion, rather than sexuality, as central to their identity (Erzen 2006: 13). The founder of the program, Frank Worthen, a man

who had once lived as a practicing homosexual in San Francisco, abandoned his gay identity after he heard God saying to him “I want you back” (Erzen 2006: 22). Worthen, who had been molested by a clergyman 30 years prior, returned to the church because of a godly mandate, not necessarily because he was a practicing homosexual (Erzen 2006: 22-23). However, his sexual behavior was not congruent with the binary construction of gender roles within the conservative Christian church. Erzen wrote, “The ex-gay movement is wedded to the idea of a binary system of gender roles in which heterosexuality connotes masculinity for men and femininity for women” (Erzen 2006: 15). This idea is applied as the central theme in ex-gay programs, which emphasize “gender deficits” caused by role models in early childhood (Erzen 2006: 16). According to the theories of Worthen, and others like him, “Men and women become homosexuals because of a gender deficit in masculinity or femininity as children, an overbearing mother, an absent father, or familial dysfunction. They also argue that a person may develop attractions to someone of the same sex because of trauma” (Erzen 2006: 16). In Robinson and Spivey”s article “Politics of Masculinity and the Exgay Movement,” they describe ex-gay theories in the Christian church which particularly implicate women for imposing “effeminate attitudes” on their sons and discouraging them from identifying with their fathers or father figures (2007: 657). Likewise, fathers are blamed for failing to lead their sons and taking on “absent, weak, and detached” attitudes (Robinson and Spivey 2007: 657) In programs such as Whorthen’s, in order to “repair” these gender deficits activities will often be centered on traditional American gender roles as a way of training the residents to become more heterosexual. For instance, men may play sports, while women will learn how to apply makeup (Erzen 2006: 16). For those who willingly and actively decide to join the ex-gay community, the sense of community and religious fervor align closer to their ideal way of living. For them, a life as a homosexual may feel deviant. Erzen wrote, “These overlapping accounts about how a person’s sexuality develops enable the movement to explain huge variations in the life stories and experiences of people who come to a ministry, oftentimes conflating morality, disease, and addiction” (Erzen 2006: 16). Even more, she says that the community and religious experience of residents in Worthen’s program seem to outweigh their sexual conversion (Erzen 2006: 17). As people who were

• • • feminist scholarship often alienated from their families because of their sexual identity and from gay communities because of their own moral perspectives, which condemned a homosexual lifestyle, the ex-gay community can provide a sense of belonging for those who have experienced the program. Erzen wrote, “Individuals remain affiliated with ex-gay ministries for years because they offer religious belonging, acceptance, and accountability” (Erzen 2006: 17). Also of interest, rather than an induction into the mainstream conservative Christian church, the men and women in programs like Worthen’s have a liminal identity (Erzen 2006: 14-15). Victor Turner discusses this liminal period as a period of transition, rather than an achieved state (2009 [1964]: 92). Erzen compares their experience to that commonly shared in 12-step recovery programs in that individuals receive transformation through personal testimonies and also in that “relapse” into homosexual activities or thoughts is to be expected and true salvation is found in repentance and return to the ex-gay community (Erzen 2006: 13-14). She wrote, “Their narratives of testimonial sexuality are performances that, while sincere, point to the instability and changeability of their own identities rather than serve as a testament to heterosexuality” (Erzen 2006: 14). While the ex-gay individual no longer identifies with the homosexual community, and is thereby separated from it, it may take a great deal of time in transition, or in liminality, before they achieve heterosexual status according to the church along with their own self-identities and before they are reintegrated as a fully-functional Christian in society (Turner 2009 [1964]: 92; Erzen 2006: 14). The concept of sexuality being a cultural construct, rather than a biological truth, is central to ex-gay programs and their clients’ idea that sexuality can be changed through performing binary gender roles (Erzen 2006: 15). Erzen argued that, without this concept, the idea of sexual conversion would be “irrelevant or impossible” (2006: 15). However, Worthen’s program also emphasized individual’s powerlessness over their own sexuality, and rather impressed upon his clients that only through “offering problems up to Jesus” through testimony and prayer could they be saved from their homosexual thoughts and behaviors (Erzen 2006: 12). Erzen wrote that in one of New Hope’s prayer rooms hung a plaque of the following.

Jesus will enable you to overcome temptation Your part: Repent (2006: 6) From an etic, or outsider, perspective the ex-gay community is more of a political movement than an aspect of religious identity. In Gender and Society’s article on the subject, the authors argue that the goals of ex-gays along with the conservative Christian church are to “enforce gender polarity, hegemonic masculinity, and compulsory homosexuality; and to institutionalize male power and privilege through social policy and global expansion of Christian organizations” (Robinson and Spivey 2007: 656). They also make the argument that souls are considered gendered in the ex-gay community, another spiritual mandate for Christians to adhere to traditional binary gender roles. “God intends and equips males to be husbands, fathers, protectors, leaders, and authorities, whereas women, as wives and mothers, are divinely and naturally designed to obey their husbands’ authority and nurture children” (Robinson and Spivey 2007:658). Conclusion The two examples I’ve included to explain reasons why certain classes of people, particularly women and heterosexual males, experience the push away from the church and also the pull back into it, because or in spite of having secondary status in the conservative Christian church. While women in the Small Branch community benefitted from the shifting economy fueled by the mining industry, they were exposed to modes of production outside of the home and outside their community, yet also to modern worldviews. In this instance, they began to consider the Pentecostal church as traditional and oppressive of women in relation to their lives outside of Small Branch, despite also being subject to patriarchal institutions, such as their corporate employers. In this way, they were complacent of their continued subjectivity. For ex-gay men at New Hope, deciding to enter the ex-gay program was an expression of their moral framework, which categorized homosexuality as antiChristian. However, despite the gender training personal testimonies used to help men become heterosexual, many of the men Erzen interviewed and observed continue to remain in a liminal state, remaining “ex-gay” instead of ultimately achieving “heterosexuality.” In the end, however, through New Hope these men developed a closer relationship with God, which they ultimately found most rewarding, despite their original goals to change their sexuality.

Some Facts from God to You: You need to be saved You can’t save yourself Jesus has already provided for your salvation

feminist scholarship • • • McLay Works Cited Tanya Erzen (2006) Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-gay Movement. Berkeley, Los Angeles: The Regents of the University of California. Petra Kelly (1997[1994]) Women and Power. In Ecofeminism: Women, Culture, Nature. Indiana University Press: Bloomington, Indianapolis. Sherry B. Ortner (1974) Is Female to Male as Woman is to Culture? In Woman, Culture, and Society, pp. 67-87, Stanford University Press: Stanford. Christine M. Robinson and Sue E. Spivey (2007) “The Politics of Masculinity and the Ex-Gay Movement,” Gender and Society 21: pp. 650-675 Michelle Zimabalist Rosaldo (1974) Woman, Culture, & Society: A Theoretical Overview. In Woman, Culture, and Society, pp. 17-42, Stanford University Press: Stanford. Shaunna L. Scott (1994) “”They Don't Have to Live by the Old Traditions": Saintly Men, Sinner Women, and an Appalachian Pentecostal Revival,” American Ethnologist 21: 227-244 Victor Turner (2009 [1964]) Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Period in Rites de Passage. In Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion, P. Moro et al, ed., pp.91-101. McGraw Hill: Boston.

connect with gruwmst • • • VISIT US ON THE WEB!

isit our official website at gru.edu/ colleges/pamplin/wmst for information on classes, access to our media catalog, official updates and links to campus and online resources. Check out gruwmst on the following social media sites to stay up to date on current events, read and submit links to feminist news and discourse, and join the conversation!

If you’re following us on the web, keep an eye out for any changes from gruwmst to gruwgst!

lambda alliance • • • campus news

uring Spring 2014, Lambda Alliance was very busy on campus. In February, we had a representative from Georgia Equality come speak on campus about the their campaign to have sexuality and gender orientation added to the enumerated categories that are protected under public schools’ anti-bullying policies. Dr. Darla Linville requested that these categories be added in Richmond County at the Richmond County School Board meeting on April 17. In order to raise funds for on-campus activities, Lambda Alliance held our first bake sale on February 27. We hosted a film screening in April of Two Spirits, a documentary about the murder of a gender-variant teenager and the intersection of Native American culture and gender-variant individuals. The screening featured an introduction by Dr. Jennifer Trunzo. We also hosted the first LGBTQ Prom on campus in the JSAC Ballroom on April 18. Many students, faculty, and community members attended Lambda Alliance’s *Under the Stars* LGBTQ Prom. It was a great success and we look forward to hosting this event again next year! We would like to congratulate Meggie Kotson on her election to President of Lambda Alliance for the 2014 – 2015 academic year. Congratulations to Lindsey Cope, who was re-elected as Lambda Alliance’s Secretary. Meggie, Lindsey, and other members of Lambda Alliance will be sharing a table with GRU Equality at Augusta Pride on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28. Stop by to say ‘Hi’ and get more information about Lambda Alliance’s plans for the upcoming year at GRU.

Shawna Martinez Lambda Alliance President, 2013-2014

From the “Under the Stars” LGBTQ Prom. All photographs by GRU student Kendall Gomez.

alumna spotlight • • • CATCHING UP WITH MELINDA MCKEW

fter graduating from Augusta State University with my BA in English Literature and Women’s Studies, I pursued my MA in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Georgia State University. Upon graduating with my MA, I secured a full-time position as a legal assistant for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., the nation’s largest and oldest organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people (LGBT), and those people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. On a professional level, my background in Women’s Studies has provided me with the analytical tools and lenses necessary for my employment in social justice settings. Women’s Studies’ concepts, like patriarchy and intersectionality—to name just a couple—are staple vocabulary terms at my current organization, and most, if not all, of my coworkers are intimately familiar with critical theories of oppressive systems (e.g., feminist, queer, critical race, etc.). In fact, my comfort with and knowledge of these terms and ideas have been critical components of my professional success in a variety of non-profit organizations committed to social justice. On a personal level, my background in Women’s Studies has given me a way to speak about things that I had once thought unspeakable. Through Women’s Studies, I was forced to confront, to challenge, and to change those deepest, darkest parts—the bits swept under the proverbial rug—about my world and myself. Women’s Studies empowered me to speak out and to act against systemic oppressions and injustices, prompting me to pursue a career in social justice work. In truth, I would not be who or where I am today without Women’s Studies.

Melinda McKew Women’s Studies Student Assistant, 2009-2011 Outstanding Student in Women’s Studies, 2011

resources • • • state & region GEORGIA         

SOUTH CAROLINA

ACLU of Georgia Georgia Equality Georgia NOW Georgia Reproductive Justice Access Network Georgia WAND Georgia Women for a Change PFLAG CSRA Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective

   

ACLU of South Carolina Cumbee Center PFLAG Aiken Planned Parenthood Health Systems Action Fund REGIONAL

 

Every Woman Southeast Lambda Legal Southern Regional Office

community • • • resources LOCAL RESOURCES Augusta Pride — see page 6 for more details! CSRA Peace Alliance The CSRA Peace Alliance was formed in July 2008 to organize the efforts of diverse groups of people in the Central Savannah River Area working for peace. The group distributes several newspapers and other resources, as well as hosts events and organizes around the CSRA. Current issues in focus include drones, military recruiting, and peace education. Click here to visit website. Follow CSRA Peace on Facebook.

Hope House Hope House, Inc. is a residential treatment facility that serves women 18 years and older who suffer from the disease of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. Hope House serves three populations of women: homeless single women, pregnant women, and women with children, many who are seeking to regain custody of their children. Click here to visit website. Facebook Twitter

Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services Rape Crisis & Sexual Assault Services provides help at no cost for survivors of sexual assault and child sexual abuse and their families regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred and whether it was reported or not. Rape Crisis serves residents of over 13 counties, and provides direct services to all hospitals in Richmond, Burke, Columbia, Jefferson, and McDuffie Counties in Georgia. 

Click here to visit website.

24-HOUR RAPE CRISIS LINE

Facebook

(706) 724-5200

Twitter

SafeHomes Domestic Violence Intervention SafeHomes is committed to ending domestic violence in our community as well as in the lives of individuals. If you are being abused or know someone who is, we can help. We provide a safe haven to all victims of domestic violence and our services are completely free. Any contact with SafeHomes is strictly confidential. We can help you break the vicious cycle of domestic violence.

24-HOUR HOTLINE

1-800-799-SAFE



(706) 736-2499 or 1-800-33-HAVEN



Click here to visit website. Facebook Twitter

meet our contributors • • • Jessica Ballard-Monroe Having recently graduated in May 2014, Jessica now holds a degree in Political Science with a minor in Women's Studies. In the Fall, she plans to attend graduate school to further pursue Women's and Gender Studies, but is currently awaiting admission decisions. To build further upon the base she was able to build at GRU, she is hopeful that she'll be able to maintain an academic focus on gender and public policy, particularly anti-poverty programs and familyassistance policies. She's looking forward to relocating this summer with her partner, 2 dogs, and 2 horses.

Kirsten Fitzgerald Kirsten is the Women’s Studies Program student assistant and editor-in-chief of YELL. She recently graduated with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Political Science. Her on-campus activities have included the National Model United Nations, the Political Science Club, Violence Awareness Month planning, and various Women’s Studies events. She was the 2014 recipient of both the Outstanding Sociology Senior and Outstanding Women’s Studies Student awards. She plans to pursue her passion for research in collective identities, political sociology and gender at the graduate level. She recently accepted an invitation to become a pre-doctoral fellow at the University of Florida, where she will begin in the fall.

Julianna Johnston Julianna Johnston recently graduated from Georgia Regents University with a B.A. in Communications on the Television and Cinema Track and a minor in Women's Studies. She served as president for both the Women's Studies Student Association and the Iota Iota Iota Women's Studies Academic Honors Society during the 2013-2014 school year. She was a recipient of the Women's Studies Service Award in May 2014, and she is currently spending her post-grad life working at NBC 26 as an Associate Producer.

• • • meet our contributors Margaret “Meggie” Kotson Margaret (Meggie) Kotson is an upcoming junior at GRU majoring in History and minoring in Women's Studies. She identifies as a queer woman and is the newest president of the Lambda Alliance. She has a passion for feminism and social justice and hopes to start a teaching career in which she can incorporate what she's learned through being an ally and activist. Her favorite color is pink, her favorite drink is strawberry milk and in her free time Meggie enjoys fashion, web comics, and tabletop roleplaying, among similar pastimes.

Spring Robinson My name is Spring Robinson. I am a senior, Biology major at Georgia Regions University, pursuing a minor in Creative Writing. I am especially interested in forensic science, but my passion is writing. I believe that writers see the world in a different light, and it is our responsibility to reveal the particulars, opening a closed mind or eye to the beauty of not just being alive, but conscious. I also believe that women are the fabric of society, and The Home. We must assume our position with authority, diligence, and femininity. The question of what came first, the chicken or the egg, is not only a question of evolution, but a reflection of the power of Woman, in her ability to give birth. Women are the source of life-- remember parthenogenesis.

Jourdain “Jodie” Searles Jourdain Searles is an alumna of Georgia Regents University. She has a BA in Communications with a concentration on Television & Cinema. She also minored in Creative Writing, which allowed her to explore the craft of poetry. As a student, she was a member of the Woman's Studies Student Association. She has been previously published in Yell! and will also be featured in the upcoming issue of the Sandhills magazine. In the fall, she will go on begin her MFA in Dramatic Writing at New York University. After graduate school, she plans to pursue a career in television writing and producing. Jourdain hopes to create media that has equal gender and racial representation as well as a nuanced understanding of feminism.

meet our contributors • • • Semone Sevion Semone Sevion is the new President for the Women’s Studies Student Association. She is a junior at Georgia Regents University majoring in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. She is also minoring in Women’s Studies. She has been a member of WSSA since she transferred to GRU back in 2012. She joined because she wanted to be a part of something bigger and she loves everything about WSSA and what it stands for. She is honored to be the new president.

Leah Smith Leah Smith, a senior creative writer at GRU, is a poet whose influences range from socially conscious rapper Talib Kweli to metaphysical poet John Donne. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in Religious Studies in Fall 2015. Leah recently completed her third collection of poetry entitled Pleroma, which attempts to make the Bible more accessible to those who do not come from a religious background. “The Preacher’s Wife” is a persona poem that offers an alternative perspective of the biblical character Gomer in response to traditional narratives that surround her in the theological world. “The Preacher’s Wife” can be found in Pleroma.

Want to become a contributor? Keep an eye out for our next call for submissions, coming Fall 2014! We welcome submissions of art, creative writing, essays, and research, as well as suggestions for other types of content. We also appreciate tips for any campus or community news or events! Alumni and current students alike are encouraged to submit!

courses • • • fall 2014 WGST 1101: Introduction to Women’s Studies Dr. Marie Drews / MW / 1:00—2:15pm An interdisciplinary course designed to provide a foundation for the women’s studies minor. Prerequisites: None.

WGST/HIST 4021: Gender & Family in World War II Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent / TR / 8:30—9:45am This is an in-depth look at the relationship between men and women with particular emphasis on their roles in the family. The course will look at childhood, marriage, work, and cultural practices during World War II. Primary and secondary sources will provide comparisons between men and women in both the elite and common sectors of society. Students taking the graduate level course will be required to complete additional work. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: HIST 1111 or 1112 or permission of instructor.

WGST/SOCI/CRJU 4336: Gender & Victimization Dr. Allison Foley / TR / 4:00—5:15pm A sociological analysis of crime victims and victim-service agencies. Traces the historical development of the field of victimology. Examines the influence of gender on victimization experiences and practices of criminal justice and victim-service agencies. Prerequisites: WGST 1101 or SOCI1160; SOCI 1101 or CRJU 1103.

WGST/SOCI 4442: Gender & Society Dr. Melissa Powell-Williams / TR / 11:30—12:45pm Sociological insights and concepts will be employed in observing, interpreting, and analyzing the social processes creating, reinforcing and changing gender roles and the statuses of women and men in society. Prerequisites: WGST 1101 and SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1103/PSYC 1103.

DID YOU KNOW? WGST 1101 counts as an Area F elective for majors in: English, Foreign Languages, Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and History Contact Dr. Marie Drews (mdrews@gru.edu) for more info about upcoming courses or the minor.

FALL 2014 REGISTRATION WILL BE AUGUST 12-15

credits Editor-in-Chief

Art & Photography Credits

Kirsten Fitzgerald

Page 7

Program Director Dr. Marie Drews

Credit: Rachel Hendrix Title: “Black Heels” Page 20-21

Contributors

Credit: Melissa Sommer

Jessica Ballard-Monroe

Title: “Siren No. 1”

Kirsten Fitzgerald

Page 22

Tyler Galles

Credit: Chris Granger for Tulane Productions / CC BYNC-SA 2.0

Rachel Hendrix Julianna Johnston

Original image: https://flic.kr/p/drZYsd Title: “melissa_2c copy”

Margaret Kotson

Page 29

Shawna Martinez

Credit: Trey Ratcliff for Stuck in Customs / CC BY-NC -SA 2.0

Melinda McKew Ryan McLay Nicole Ratliff Spring Robinson Jourdain Searles

Original image: https://flic.kr/p/6wxotx Title: “This Way to the Holy Ghost Revival”

Page 30 Credit: University of California Press

Semone Sevion

Original image: http://www.ucpress.edu/img/covers/ isbn13/9780520245822.jpg

Leah Smith

Title: “Straight to Jesus”

Melissa Sommer

Special Thanks Elizabeth Black

Page 33 Credit: Kendall Gomez Untitled photographs from Lambda Alliance’s *Under the Stars* LGBTQ Prom.

Kendall Gomez Julianna Johnston Dr. Melissa Powell-Williams Jourdain Searles