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How has the concept of masculinity been revised and adapted by different writers over the course of the early to mid-20th century? How and why did the authors respond to the question of masculinity differently? To answer these questions, this dissertation navigates the contested nature of masculinity in works spanning the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries. I juxtapose two to three writers and their selected works in each chapter divided by the authors’ race and ethnicity: William Dean Howells’ The Rise of Silas Lapham and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby; Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Richard Wright by focusing on Up from Slavery, The Souls of Black Folk, and Native Son respectively; Mike Gold’s Jews without Money and Nathanael West’s A Cool Million: The Dismantling of Lemuel; Younghill Kang’s East Goes West: and Carlos Bulosan’s America is in the Heart. The writers I examine present masculinities that deviate from hegemonic masculinity, challenge and/or reinforce the definition and parameters of hegemonic masculinity, and develop models of masculinity that meet the needs of their specific historical moments. I argue that juxtaposing different modalities of masculinity construction and exploring the multifaceted treatment of American masculinity afford a more comprehensive perspective about the avenues through which masculinity is made manifest. My examination of multiple masculinities reveals the processes of establishing, maintaining, and contesting hegemonic masculinity. Moreover, tracking historical changes in masculinities uncovers how a set of essentialized traits, though changing, have transformed into and manifested as a privileged form of masculinity. / English

Disparities in healthcare exist in the U.S., particularly between different racial categories. This study investigated the frequency of COVID-19 cases and hypertension cases among five different racial groups (White, Black, Asian, Native American, and Native Hawaiian). The study also examined the correlation between COVID-19 and hypertension. It was hypothesized that, because of genetic predisposition to certain diseases and existing socioeconomic barriers, Black populations would have the highest rates of both COVID-19 and hypertension. It was also proposed that a positive correlation exists between COVID-19 and hypertension frequency. To test this, the Kaiser Family Foundation's data for COVID-19 cases and race were used in conjunction with Census population data to determine if COVID-19 case frequency means differ by race. The America's Health Rankings data for hypertension and race were used to determine if hypertension frequency means differ by race. The statistical analysis used for both aims was one-way ANOVA. Lastly, the correlation between hypertension and COVID-19 was found by calculating the Kendall's Tau-b Coefficient. For each ANOVA procedure, there was a statistically significant difference between the means of each dataset. The Kendall's Tau-b Coefficient for COVID-19 and hypertension was a small positive number. It can be concluded that the percentages of both hypertension and COVID-19 cases differ by race and that there is a slightly positive correlation between hypertension and COVID-19. As expected, Black individuals had the highest mean rates of hypertension; however, the highest COVID-19 case frequency was found in Native Americans. On this basis, it can be proposed that, though a correlation exists between hypertension and COVID-19, other factors also contribute to increased infection with COVID-19, and that they should be investigated.

This paper focuses on how the Swedish social code known as The Jante Law plays a role in the prevalence of racism in Sweden, both on the individual and societal levels. Its core message that no one is superior to another fundamentally contradicts racism and informs government policy, but also reinforces institutionalized discrimination. I use literature review, ethnographic observations and interviews to examine the ways in which racism is understood and experienced in Sweden. This paper also investigates how concepts of sameness and community have changed over time and how the shifting of these concepts have resulted in greater inclusiveness in Swedish society. I first overview the history of Sweden’s interactions with non-Swedes and the shift in attitude regarding them. I then discuss the origins and nature of the Jante Law and how it functions as a hegemonic system as well as promoting certain behaviors as a component of governmentality. Furthermore, I analyze the trend of new cultures and ideas entering Swedish society and how such changes are causing the Jante Law to decline. I investigate how a culturally engrained notion of being modest and inconspicuous alters overt and covert racist discourse in Sweden. Additionally, I include an ethnographic account of my experience in Sweden as well as those of interviewees of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I conclude the paper with a discussion of the implications for Swedish society as immigration increases while the Jante Law loses its influence over Swedish culture.

This study investigated whether ethnic identity, financial and educational resources, and social support predicted levels and trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms above and beyond racial and ethnic categories. A sample of Black, Latina, and White working class mothers were interviewed at five time points during the first year of parenthood. Findings indicated that Latina mothers experienced significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to Black mothers at the final time point. There was a significant interaction between race and ethnic identity in predicting symptoms such that Latino mothers saw an increase in the growth rate of symptoms compared to White mothers. Perceived social support from family was associated lower levels of symptoms at Time 5. Additionally, occupational prestige moderated the relationship between race and depressive symptoms. Compared to Latina mothers, Black mothers with high occupational prestige experienced a significant decline in depressive symptoms across the first year of parenthood and this change occurred more rapidly than for Latina mothers. There was also a trend for the interaction between ethnic identity and education predicting maternal depressive symptoms Mothers with high ethnic identity and more education experienced a rapid decline in depressive symptoms across the transition to parenthood compared other mothers. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the unique experiences of people of different racial and ethnic groups.

This qualitative study explores the self-identification of young Black Surinamese Dutch women in the racialized context of Dutch society, how family and school contribute to identity formation, and how identity shapes the everyday lives of young women of color in predominantly white institutions in the Netherlands. Eight online in-depth interviews were conducted with Black Surinamese Dutch college women in the Netherlands about how they understand their identities, how they perceive the process of learning about their identities, and how their identities shape their everyday experiences in Dutch society. Findings illustrate the influence of family in shaping ideas about identity, the complexity of these women’s multiple layered identities, and their unique insider/outsider position in navigating everyday life in the Netherlands. This study illustrates empirically and theoretically the importance of using intersectional approaches when studying identity formation and contributes to ongoing scholarly work on racism and racial identity in Dutch society.

This ethnography of white farmers and industry workers considers the interconnections of privilege and property through farming and how white farmers and industry workers justify and explain existing disparities in who farms and who does not. Data for this ethnography is from semi-structured interviews with white farmers and industry workers, participant observation at agricultural events, and analysis of relevant materials published by agricultural organizations. The stories that white farmers and industry workers tell and share to explain white rural wealth related to agriculture and whiteness in farming ignore the ways in which property was and is distributed in the U.S. from the arrival of the first white Europeans until now and instead rely on individually centered explanations rooted in the ideology of the American Dream and colorblind racial ideology.

This study examined the relationship between social structures and crime among rural white and urban black males in North Carolina through the theoretical framework of Merton's Anomie. Using demographic information on the state's inmate population provided by the North Carolina Department of Corrections, the subjects' individual characteristics were studied alongside community level conditions to establish whether anomic conditions did coincide with specific types of crimes and whether individuals from each group would commit the same types of crimes. The study population came from the rural counties of Graham, Alleghany, Swain, and Mitchell and the urban communities within Charlotte of Mecklenburg County. Univariate and Bivariate analysis were used to establish the significance and strength of any relationships between the variables. The findings indicated that while the category of offense was different for each group, the implied intent was the same. Both committed crimes that would benefit them in a pecuniary manner.

The thesis examines the relevance of the state-supported historically black universities of North Carolina and their impact on the growth of the African American community within the state. As plans were proposed to either consolidate or close the institutions over the decades, the governors of the state and presidents of the institutions compromised and found ways to provide funding to each of the respective universities. That funding, along with private and public contributions, and the restructuring of the institutions' curriculum, enabled these historically black universities to survive during the Great Depression and the current Great Recession. Overall, the thesis provides an understanding of the hardships and disparities these institutions saw in the past and continue to see today. But as they continue to serve the underrepresented populations in the United States, the relevance of these institutions will continue to come into question.

Our nation has made great strides since 1954's Brown v. Board of Education, 1963's I Have a Dream speech, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, Jeannie and other minorities continue to endure in a struggle for true equality. A debate exists as to whether race issues are improved by discussion, or if they improve by ceasing these types of discussions and not even mentioning race. The purpose of this qualitative biographical narrative is to vicariously relive Jeannie's Journey and ascertain what relevance her life story has to our historical timeline. The sole participant in this study was Jeannie Hodges. Data for this study were collected through 3 in-depth interviews using an interview protocol based upon a conversational interview process. Who we are is a direct manifestation of where we have been and the journeys we have taken. Jeannie's journey shows us that we can look at the past and discuss history without hate, pointing fingers, or laying blame. We benefit from gaining a deeper understanding of where we as a people have been as opposed to as individual races of blacks and whites. Understanding our combined histories provides an appreciation for where we are today as well as guidance for the future. The point is to gain a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of our individual histories, like threads in a tapestry. It is crucial to our continued progress that we not cease discussions about race or about this part of our historical timeline. Can we as a nation, acknowledge our past, embrace our future, and continue the journey together?