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Gendered power relations in sport pose important problems for mainstream feminist and ethical arguments for the alleviation of gender-based oppression. Though mainstream feminist theorists and applied ethicists have largely left sport undertheorized, some multi- and inter-disciplinary scholarly attention has been devoted to analyzing gender and sport. However, this scholarship encompasses disparate lines of thought with a range of philosophical, political, disciplinary, methodological and theoretical commitments, which translate into conflicting and competing normative views on how to best conceptualize, theorize, and practically navigate gender relations in sporting contexts. My dissertation remedies the tensions between these conflicting normative views by excavating and critically evaluating the political and philosophical assumptions that ground these views of gender relations in sport. I define 'sport feminism' as the normative views and consequent practical strategies that are concerned with interpreting, navigating, and eliminating the unjust restrictions on women's freedom in sporting contexts. I identify and critically evaluate four sport feminist views: liberal, radical, somatic, and post-structuralist. These views are distinct from one another as they differ in their conceptualizations and interpretations of three elements: (1) the nature of gender and the significance of physiological difference; (2) the function of sport and fitness practices; and (3) the ethical grounds and strategies for defining and alleviating gender-based oppression. Drawing from the merits of these views, my project develops a feminist framework for ethical action with regard to unequal gendered power relations in sport. / Philosophy

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This qualitative study examined how 14 young women's sexual desire and agency was influenced by the messages communicated from their parents and the quality of the parent-child relationship. Previous research results were supported, such as: parents do not communicate about sex frequently, or only about limited topics; mothers communicate more frequently than fathers, and peers communicate more sexual information. Utilizing a postmodern, feminist position, themes of parental transmission of patriarchal social controls were found, such as: fear of being viewed as a slut, gender roles that demand female passivity, sex is scary, and young women are not to have sex, or only in the context of committed relationships. Implications for parenting practices and the importance of developing sexual agency are discussed. / Ph. D.

Although subclinical eating disorders are more common than clinical eating disorders, they have received significantly less empirical attention. Subclinical symptoms of eating disorders often surface during adolescence and young adulthood and are far more common among females than males. Despite knowledge that the larger sociocultural context may contribute to the development of eating disorders, few studies have examined feminist-informed factors that may serve as protective mechanisms for young women who are influenced by Western capitalist culture and exhibit some symptomology, but do not develop clinically disordered eating. Using the feminist-relational model (feminist-relational Model (Jordan, 1997; Maine and Bunnell, 2008; Surrey, 1991) as a guide, this study sought to fill this gap. Informed by feminist grounded theory methodology, this study qualitatively examined socio-relational and socio-political contexts as potential protective factors for young women ages 18-25 whose subclinical eating disorder symptoms had not yet developed into a clinical eating disorder. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, an emerging model was developed which demonstrates how participants spoke of their eating disorder symptoms in an externalized way. This was termed the "eating disorder voice." Findings highlight how feminist-informed protective factors helped participants resolve the tension between their genuine voice and eating disorder voice, and act in accordance with their preferred values. Participants were then more likely to be open about their symptoms and invest in their relationships. The main protective factors that emerged included, support people who provide emotional and tangible support, support people who challenge the eating disorder, a personal sense of agency, and community activism and involvement. The present study adds to the feminist theory and the feminist-relational model by providing a conceptualization of the symbiotic relationship between feminist-informed protective factors, suggesting through supportive relationships, individuals experience increased empowerment and agency. Clinical findings indicate that protecting symptoms, misperceptions regarding subclinical symptoms, and stigma served as barriers to seeking treatment. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. / Ph. D.

In times of war, women are subjected to sexual abuse that is largely ignored by military organizations, media outlets, and international courts. Existing literature has illustrated how wartime rape was accepted or dismissed in the past, and how today, while this practice continues, international courts are beginning to identify the harm being done to women, making explicit how rape is used as a tool of genocide. In this thesis I argue that wartime rape serves as a means of genocide, a way to eliminate a group of individuals and their culture. A recent example of how rape worked as genocide is seen in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Rape was used as a systematic policy to destroy a group of people, the Tutsi, through torture and the spreading of AIDS. The purpose of this research is to examine genocidal rape from the perspectives of women who were raped in Rwanda during the genocide. The focus is on gaining insight to wartime rape as a form of genocide and the aftermath of rape on the women and the culture within which it occurred. Qualitative, feminist analysis was used to answer the following research questions: How do women raped in the Rwandan genocide describe and explain their experiences with rape and its aftermath? How did the intersection of gender and ethnicity contribute to violence against women during the genocide? What are the implications of rape for the women who experienced it and for their families, communities, and their cultural group? / Master of Science

The feminist movement of the last two decades decried the dominance of hierarchical structures in public and private organizations. This thesis scrutinizes the differences and overlappings of three major feminist "schools" in regard to their advocacy of non-hierarchical forms of organization. The three strands examined are 'radical feminism', ‘cultural feminism' and ‘difference feminism'. The theoretical positions of two of them (radical and difference feminism) are evaluated through the example of two feminist, egalitarian organizations. The discussion focuses on the problem of maintaining egalitarian structures and achieving a certain level of efficiency and effectiveness in such groups. / Master of Arts

Today, feminist theory, instead of accompanying a movement or being generated by a movement, is out there on its own. There is no large-scale social movement to complement it and to act on it. The energy and excitement of collective action is what many feminists miss and what is implied through critiques of contemporary feminist theory. The lament is for unity, for what was conceived of as “sisterhood” and what emerges as a myth. Many feminists share a nostalgia for a time that was filled with the potential for and intensity of social revolution. When we look at the theory of early second wave feminism and the theory of more recent years, the differences are negligible. What is different, and glaringly so, is the social climate. Theory is not to blame; we are. Theory is not the culprit. Theory is just as impacting and politically useful as it ever was, but it is missing its partner. This realization should be no cause for alarm, however, because there still exist many opportunities for activism, albeit different sorts of activism, based on different sorts of political issues that complement our present needs and abilities. / Master of Arts

Caregiving to the elderly in both the paid and unpaid spheres involves a crucial component, emotion management, that is often invisible despite its importance to the delivery of care. As well, little is known about how caregivers’ emotion management in one setting is related to its expression in another. This thesis is an exploration to gain a greater understanding of the ways in which the contexts of caregiving shape the emotion management involved, in hopes of contributing to the knowledge of an important dimension of caregiving and women’s work in the two spheres. Based on the narratives of women who work as caregivers in both the paid and unpaid spheres simultaneously, I use a socialist-feminist perspective to analyze the ideology and structure that shape contexts in which emotion management occurs in caregiving. I explore how these contexts affect the experience of emotion management, and how the contexts might impact one another and the emotion management performed in each. / Master of Science

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