Thesis (D.Phil.)--University of Oxford, 2008. / Supervisor: Dr Peter Carey, Dr Cathie Lloyd. Bibliography: leaves 317-343.

In this study, I interviewed twenty-seven women who possessed same-sex desires and lived in rural areas in Kentucky, Tennessee and Southern Illinois. The women in the study had constructed these desires with various labels including "gay," "lesbian," "queer," "bisexual," or preferred no label. Each of the participants talked about growing up rural areas of the Midsouth in communities which often were based on traditional, patriarchal families, fundamentalist Christianity, and conservative politics. The women told stories of how they not only realized their same-sex feelings within this social context, but how they acknowledged, managed and negotiated their feelings within the setting. In this study, I examine the women's concepts of sexual identity and gender identity constructions within the context of their regional identities. Religion, socioeconomic status and race and ethnicity also influenced these perceptions and are included in their discussions. Finally, this study focuses on the sociological concepts of cognitive dissonance and its resolution, identity salience and master status.

Gender mainstreaming to promote gender equality and include persons with disabilities is important because it can bring a huge impact to the organization and the country. It is not easy to accomplish gender equality as long as there are barriers against women's participation in all spheres. As a result, achieving gender equality is a challenge for not only developed countries but also developing countries. This thesis evaluates the implementation of gender mainstreaming to promote gender equality and the inclusion of persons with disabilities of the Division for the Advancement of Women in Lao PDR. This thesis discovers the perception of gender equality, the barriers that prevent women from achieving gender equality, and the impact of gender equality and lastly examines whether the inclusive approach to include persons with disabilities is implemented in the ministerial organization.

Anecdotally, females with autism present differently from males. However, studies into autism tend to use a predominantly male sample, and make few gender-based comparisons. Hence, there is relatively little research on gender-specific presentations of autism. Furthermore, those studies that have been undertaken are equivocal in their findings. Should males and females with autism present differently, then the male preponderance in the research population may lead to a bias in our understanding of autism, and the diagnostic criteria it informs, creating circularity. This thesis aimed to investigate if and how females with autism present differently, while avoiding the problem of circularity. As diagnostic criteria for autism consider behaviour (potentially biased to favour males), the diagnosed samples of participants in studies will present with similar behaviours, regardless of gender. However, gender differences may persist in areas of cognition, such as block design. A literature review of gender differences among people with autism on the block design task revealed only one adequately powered study; this indicated a possible gender difference. To expand the data available, a meta-analysis of studies comparing people with and without autism on the block design task was carried out. Then, the ratio of males and females within autism and control groups was regressed as a proxy indicator of gender differences. This did not reveal any gender differences. An alternative approach was adopted within the research study. Through asking professionals highly experienced in diagnosing autism about gender differences in autism, it was hoped that they would express their own conception of autism, beyond the present diagnostic criteria, thereby avoiding circularity. A thematic analysis of interviews with 14 clinical psychologists with expertise in this area was conducted. Gender differences in presentation, but not underlying pathology, were noted by participants. Trans-diagnostic constructs such as social awareness and motivation were thought to drive the gender differences in presentation. However, although the presentation and constructs were gender biased, they were not gender-specific, suggesting a broader view of autism is needed beyond dichotomous gender differences.

abstract: ABSTRACT For almost a decade now, the Greek economic crisis has crippled the Greek nation and its citizenry. High unemployment rates as well as increased levels of homelessness and suicide are only some of the social repercussions of the collapse of the economic system. While we know much about the impact of this crisis on Greek citizens, the literature surrounding the crisis lacks a full range of perspectives and experiences. This project works to fill-in the gaps surrounding the Greek economic crisis and the specific experiences of undocumented, immigrant, domestic workers. Looking at the ways in which these women exist in a constant state of violence, fear, and suffering I identify normalized violence in two main arenas: state/institutional and quotidian/everyday acts. Borrowing from Cecilia Menijvar’s pillars of normalized violence (2011), this work identifies the ways in which state-sponsored bureaucratic violence leads to real suffering and fear exemplified in moments of quotidian violence. Understanding the unique experiences of these women, works to weave together a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of the Greek economic crisis. Along with these moments of violence, this ethnographic inspired project highlights modes of survival, resistance, and resilience employed by these women in response to their violent circumstances. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Gender Studies 2017

M.A. / In this thesis I explore the use of the bible as a normative text with regard to sexuality (especially homosexuality). I start off by focusing on the Genesis creation myth (Genesis chapters one and two), using Robert Gagnon’s gender complementarity argument against homosexuality. I then argue, that essential to understanding how to interpret the creation myth, a person can use a theory developed by Martin Noth, called Deuteronomistic History. This theory helps us to understand that the scriptures (particularly the books from Deuteronomy through to II Kings) were compiled by a group of Jewish priestly redactors (employing retrospective theology) to form part of a continuous narrative that can be said to include the book of Genesis. As such, using the Gadamerian concepts of finitude and effective history, I assert that the creation myth is historically situated, and thus cannot be uncritically applied to contemporary issues, such as homosexuality. Nevertheless it played a central role against the background of a politics of survival in the formation of a Jewish national and sexual identity. It did this through functioning as a national grand narrative. How the biblical text played this formative role, as a national grand narrative, in creating and maintaining Jewish identity, will become evident as we explore, through Richard Kearney, the function that productive imagination can fulfil in the development of sexual identity. I will further highlight this function of the productive imagination through use of Judith Butler’s concepts performativity and interpellation. It will then become evident that using the biblical text (as though it reflected the reality of sexuality as it is), in the way that Gagnon does, to establish gender essences, constitutes a naturalistic fallacy. And so we will see that the creation myth cannot be used to establish normative principles with regard to notions of strict gender essences. Thus, in concluding the thesis, I will revisit the creation myth using the insights of Judith Butler’s queer theory to demonstrate how the biblical text itself, not only does not support notions of strict gender essences, but also undermines notions of strict gender roles or essences.

<p> Paulo Freire stated that there are two ways to be in this world: a "non-reflexive" one, which implies being an object of the history, and a "critical" one, which means being a historical subject. As part of his pedagogy, this Brazilian educator designed a transition methodology between one conscience and the other, in order to liberate the oppressed people. This proposal has been applied in a wide variety of contexts throughout the world, not only in populations with limited resources. However, there is little literature on these processes. This work is an ethnographic research that focuses on the experience of promoting indigenous women (factory workers, domestic workers, store sellers) with low schooling, who become teachers of high academic and human quality within a Freirean project of Popular Education and Local Development of INEPE (community-based organization from La Dolorosa de Chilibulo / Isoloma) in Quito - Ecuador. It is argued that the agency (conceived as the act of educating for freedom) is part of the development of critical awareness of these indigenous women; and also, that these are simultaneous, collective and spiral processes, driven by solidarity, participation and dialogue of knowledges.</p><p>

This paper outlines interview based, qualitative research that was conducted with six male youth who were previously students in my Social Studies 11 class. Within two separate, semi-structured interviews, participants were asked to discuss student resistance to anti oppressive pedagogy that focused on gender, and their understanding of masculinities. The initial purpose of this research was to find a relationship, if any, between acts of student resistance and the construction of masculinities. Participant perceptions of masculinities evolved as the dominant theme within the interviews. These discussions revealed that student understandings of masculinity were often entrenched in hegemonic language, yet contradictions were exposed between their rote definitions and personal narratives. Further, the use of media as a discourse became a venue for complicating essentialist understandings of masculinity, and for exposing multiple, fluid, versions of masculinities. Within these discussions of multiplicity, race and sexuality became two intersections of identity that took precedence. Also the intersection of teacher identity and the reading of identity terms emerged as a salient interpretation for gender discussions in the classroom. Throughout this write-up of the research are methodological considerations surrounding power, the construction of masculinity and race, and the further entrenching of heteronormativity, in the form of methodological interludes. Finally, within the conclusion, I consider the implications for practice and future directions for research in masculinities. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Throughout history women’s participation in the male-dominated sporting atmosphere has been fraught with tensions. Many researchers have sought to bring light to the experiences of sportswomen walking the fine line between acceptable gender representation and successful sport performances. Rodeo is one such male dominated sport in which one event of seven is allocated for women’s participation. Ladies barrel racing showcases a rider and her horse racing through a cover-leaf pattern attempting to attain the fastest time. This thesis examines how barrel racers make sense of their sporting experiences. Drawing on Foucault’s notions of power, discourse, and knowledge a discourse analysis was performed to showcase how barrel racers become subjects. The results showcase two separate, yet interconnected, themes. The first analyzes how the barrel racing subject interacts with discourses of gender. It was found that contextual discursive fragments were (re)produced by the barrel racers that defined a code of professionalism that serves to discipline a barrel racer’s body and dress in order to represent an authentic cowgirl image separating her from the deviant, non-authentic ‘others’: groupies and wannabe’s. Further, when examining the inter-species interaction in barrel racing it was found that the racer and horse co-exist between three intertwined subjectivities: the athlete, the team member, and the trainer. Overall, the importance of context is showcased in the results as the specific cultural discourses actively engage with dominant gender discourse to create a nuanced knowledge base through with the barrel racers make sense of their subjectivity.

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