Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Through an analysis of the depiction of female protagonists in young adult dystopian and speculative works of fiction, this thesis establishes leadership studies as a theoretical framework for literary study. Leadership studies is a relatively young branch of academic inquiry, using interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the phenomenon of leadership. From psychology, sociology, and philosophy, to education, business, and history, leadership studies has both drawn from and provided insight into a variety of disciplines; however, these theories have not yet found their way into conversations about literature. My thesis pulls leadership studies away from its corporate connotations to establish it as a valid and valuable addition to our literary analysis repertoire through a demonstration of its potential to further conversations about texts. This analysis is positioned within the contexts of children’s literature, feminist theory, and practices of reading for ideology, anchoring leadership studies in already-established modes of inquiry while demonstrating how this field offers valuable insight into them. My focus on dystopian and speculative young adult novels reflects the recent surge in dystopic/postapocalyptic texts that feature strong female protagonists, presenting potential leadership strategies for young girl readers during an important stage of development. Thus, this thesis uses leadership studies to further our analysis of how agency, power, and gender are represented within children’s literature.

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Sweden is a country with high levels of trust in both state and the criminal justice system and also the most prominent country in the EU in regard to gender equality. This essay aims to examine the paradox of high female trust in the Swedish criminal justice system in contrast to the low propensity to report domestic violence and crimes of which women are the majority of victims. This is done by answering three main frames of questions; What factors can explain and therefore influence trust towards the justice system? What factors can explain and therefore influence the propensity to report domestic crime and how do these factors pertain to trust? How can factors that affect trust and propensity to report crimes in close relationships be affected and remedied by the state? To answer these questions, we utilise established theories of trust, feminist political theory, research about propensity to report and models of agency and a historical account of the Swedish government's policy in regard to the safety of women and domestic violence. This is utilised to examine 10 official documents regarding different aspects of propensity to report domestic violence and trust. The high levels of trust could be explained by a combination of high levels of basic trust owed to Sweden's universalistic welfare model, high conceptions of police availability and good treatment and also a symbolic value of the justice system as bearer of societal norms and of being good willed in nature. The low propensity to report crimes could in part be explained by the conflict of interests between the women and the government. The government's responsibility and governing works through their definition of women's encapsulated interests. These are shown to differ from a majority of the affected women's definition of their own interests which could invite a feminist critique.

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International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) play an important role in tackling gender based violence in many countries. Hundreds of reports have been written and thousands of recommendations made. Yet, rates of gender based violence are known to increase during conflict and post-conflict. Needing a vast multitude of needs addressed in attempt for INGOs to support survivors of gender based violence. This study sets out to understand the ways that INGOs support, empower and advocate for women concerning gender based violence in post-conflict countries such as Colombia. It further analysed how INGOs implemented preventions and interventions of gender based violence. Specifically, exploring aspects such as, empowerment, gender roles and overall service provision. The research takes an intersectional feminist perspective to consider what gender based violence interventions have been used by these INGOs and see how aligned these interventions are with intersectional feminist theory. Further, the research focuses on the involvement of INGOs in gender based violence and their view of women as displayed in that involvement. The study adopts a desk-based research design to explore the involvement of INGOs looking at gender based violence in Colombia. The material was analysed in relation to gender, intersectionality and feminist theory, specifically referencing back to values embedded in inclusivity and gender equality. A number of aggravating factors are identified that seem to critically evaluate the involvement of INGOs in regards gender based violence. Despite their best efforts to provide an inclusive approach, the study indicates that some INGOs perpetrate unequal power dynamics, depict survivors of gender based violence as victims and do not address other intersectional issues such as lack of inclusivity. Overall, the thesis is critical as to why gender based violence seems to be a lower priority for INGOs and local actors and recommends that more intersectional feminist values should be included within projects and programs.

A translation of a selection of chapters and passages from Dionne Brand's novel What We All Long. It includes translator's notes and the source text.

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Teolinda Gersão's debut novel, O silêncio, addresses two issues which several prominent feminist writers and critics have discussed: women's search for identity, and the difficulty women encounter when expressing themselves in a man's world. To this second point, this discussion has been varied but comes to a consensus around the need for women to vocalize as a means of asserting themselves. However, the approach that O silêncio brings to this matter is completely the opposite, revealing instead how silence-a form of controlled non-speech-can be more empowering than words. The novel comes to this conclusion as the protagonist Lídia-a headstrong young woman-attempts to discover and express her own identity. Her search leads her into a relationship with Afonso, a middle-aged man in a stale marriage, and also causes her to recall and reinvent images from her past in order to envision her future. Although the novel has received some harsh criticism due to its labyrinthine narrative structure, the complexity of the narrative causes the novel's relationship with its readers to closely mimic Lídia's relationship with Afonso. The novel seems to resist our efforts to understand it, just as she earnestly seeks to thwart his efforts to control and silence her.