This thesis is an historical study of efforts which have taken place in English speaking North America to preserve records bearing on women's experience. It has been found that efforts have centered on two positions: separation from traditional archives and reform of traditional archives. Approaches have varied and changed according to the political ideology of the women's movement at different historical moments. In the 1930s, efforts were made to develop separate "Women's Archives" to complement the records held by traditional archives. In the 1960s and 1970s, some feminists, primarily radical and lesbian feminists aimed at the establishment of independent women-centered archives that were separate from traditional archives and were operated according to feminist principles. Other efforts by liberal feminists have concentrated on the reform of traditional archives through the development of preferential acquisition policies for records bearing on women's experience. In the 1980s and 1990s, while earlier efforts continued, challenges of racism and classism have been made to traditional archives and the women's archives movement by women of color and other minorities. Most recently, feminist scholars have argued for the integration of women's history with that of men. This has influenced a growing trend towards integration of women's records with those of traditional archives. The women's archives movement suggests that appraisal for acquisition in traditional archives has discriminated against the records created by women. Although archival theory and methodology of appraisal for acquisition are not inherently biased, in practice acquisition of private records takes place in a haphazard manner according to the value system of the ruling political ideology. Because of structural and societal discrimination women have not been part of this ruling elite and interest in the preservation of their records has been minimal. To ensure the preservation of women's records archivists must develop national, systematic and comprehensive acquisition strategies which acquire records from all spheres of human activity, improve intellectual access to women's records, and recognize and respect efforts which have taken place outside of traditional archives. The role of the archivist must be expanded to provide consultation and outreach for creators of records bearing on women's experience and the women-centered archives which preserve them. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

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The majority of research on wife abuse and dating violence neglects women's personal experiences and focuses on the extent and nature of physical abuse. Feminist researchers, however, stress the significance of both recognizing women's voices and acknowledging all forms of abuse against women. The purpose of this study was to enhance the understanding of women's personal experiences of being in an abusive, heterosexual relationship by asking women to write narratives describing their experiences. Nine women, between the ages of 27 and 46 years and who had left their abuser, participated in this study. The relationships had become abusive within 2 weeks to 2 years of their beginning, though most became abusive within several months and one was always abusive. All but one of the women reported receiving help in leaving the relationship. The themes that arose from the stories are important because they indicate what these abused women deem important or relevant to their experiences. While valuable, much of past research has neglected to focus on what abused women deem significant. The five themes that emerged from their stories are abusive aspects of relationships, characteristics of the abuser, respondents' reactions to abuse, abuse as a private act, and support and advice. / Master of Science

This thesis attempts to trace, on an archetypal level, the reasons behind certain recurrent character types in twentieth century American literature about women. Because of his emphasis on the "collective unconscious," the theories of psychologist Carl Jung are used as the basis for this study. The basic feminine archetype, herself complex, always retains her primary qualities, but shifts form slightly, according to the particular time and society in which she appears. Therefore, her various appearances in American literature can be linked to social as well as psychological phenomena and must be traced carefully from the literature of early America, through the literature of four distinct geographical and social regions--the Northeast, the West, the South and the Midwest--to twentieth century American literature, which is often violent and extreme, but which shows promise of growth and awareness. The word "development" is important to the study, which concentrates on the archetypal process of "initiation," or becoming a complete, aware, mature human being. Few female characters in American literature have undergone this type of initiation, just as American women in general have often failed either to recognize their archetypal roots or to move from those roots into "individuation" or Selfhood. Men and women are first basically human, then male or female, then individual; to be fully aware of themselves, both men and women must come to terms with all three identities, learning who the are alone and in relation to each other. / Master of Arts

The purpose of is dissertation is to bring together theories of gender, religion and the mass media in an analysis of the representation of American Catholic women religious in popular culture from 1950 till 1971. In so doing, I argue for the development of research frameworks in feminist cultural studies which acknowledge those women who sought alternatives to dominant positions of marriage and motherhood, but who did not reject outright traditional notions of femininity. Furthermore, I suggest that claims to religious virtuosity have been a source of moral and political authority for women in the past. Through such claims, women have gained greater access to educational and professional opportunities during eras of incipient feminism. I link the reform efforts of sisters in the fifties and sixties to two concurrent movements: the rise of the second wave of feminism, and the modernization of the American Catholic church according to the initiatives set forth by the Second Vatican Council (1962--1965). Together, these three areas provide a context for the analysis of the meanings and values mediated by the representation of nuns in films, television, popular literature and music. The wide-spread interest in the religious life for women by all areas of the mass media occurred at a time when American society was undergoing massive shifts not only in gender relations but also in terms of how religion was valorized. Images of nuns seemed to help audiences negotiate the changes in the discourses surrounding gender, religious and national identity. At the same time, American sisters were struggling with their own sense of identity as women and as members of the Catholic church. This conflict between images and identity for women religious highlights a number of issues within feminist cultural studies. Not the least of which is articulating the relationship between history, agency and ideology in theories of women's cultural representation in ways which can take into ac

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The earnings gap between men and women, an apt indicator of women's status relative to men's, was roughly constant for the thirty-five years between 1950 and 1985. During this period women earned about 60 to 65 cents for every dollar earned by men. The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of this wage gap. Because much existing research suggests that a large portion of the gender gap in pay results from the segregation of women into low-paying jobs, the present study focuses on the role of gender segregation in the workplace. Other potential contributors to the earnings gap are also examined (women's domestic obligations, educational attainment, women's labor force participation rates, and the industrial mix in Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas). The position of women as a group in the labor market is of primary interest in this research. Accordingly, the analysis was conducted on an aggregate level across labor markets. The data were drawn from the Bureau of the Census Census of the Population: 1980—Detailed Population Characteristics. The project uses a cross-sectional research design, the primary statistical technique used being multiple regression analysis. Findings reveal that workplace segregation and the industrial characteristics of SMSA labor markets have the strongest effect on the size of the gender-based earnings gap. Specifically, workplace segregation is positively related to the size of the earnings gap between men and women. The presence of above average levels of manufacturing activity in an SMSA is associated with a larger earnings gap while the presence of above average levels of service sector and government employment opportunities in an SMSA is associated with smaller earnings differentials between men and women. This study enhances the understanding of the effects of structural variables on the earnings determination process for men and women and provides insight into the collective situation of women in the labor market.

Zina ray Peirce (1336-1923), the first wife of Cnarles S. Peirce, America’s great philosopher, was a woman who devoted her life to cause of improving the position of women in America. This study examines her specific accomplishments as a reformer; attitudes about women in nineteenth-century America and the effect such attitudes had on a woman of strong intellect and character; and the influence that she and her husband had on each other.Her early and conditioned interest was to promote the idea of freeing women from domestic drudgery so that they could pursue their own talents and make themselves economically and politically independent. Although not a suffragist or a believer in the equality of the sexes, she believed that women had their own spheres of abilities and interests, as men did. Therefore, she promoted the concepts of cooperative housekeeping and of women voting for other women to represent them in a separate legislative body. The first of these ideas led to the establishment of a cooperative laundry in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1870; the second, to her participation in a Woman’s Parliament which met in New York City in 1869. Both of these endeavors are examined at length, as are her views on abolition, marriage, immigration, education, and sexual mores.The sources of information include numerous letters which she wrote; letters written by others about her; and her published works, which include a novel, pamphlets, and journal and newspaper articles.

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services