Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Organization Development

This study explores the lived experiences of Black women as they navigate(d) their corporate careers with aspirations of reaching senior leadership positions within their companies. Through this research, we sought to understand and characterize the barriers that exist to ascension, and what the consequences are for individual Black women. According to Becker (1970), we must understand how an individual perceives the situation as well as the obstacles she believes she faces. Through the study, we learned how some women achieved success, others' successes were derailed, and still others diverted to alternative paths, or are still striving. Such an internal or emic approach brought greater depth to the research with its detailed accounts of Black women leader experiences. The study aimed to explore evidence-based support for the challenges and impact of barriers to senior leadership ascension for Black women, and how Black women experienced the phenomenon at the intersection of their race and gender (intersectionality). The implications from this study encourage organizations to decrease barriers in a coordinated manner to help Black women leaders achieve their highest levels of success.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, Communication Studies (Communication)

As an African woman who was born in Cameroon which is in Western Africa then grew up in Kenya, an East African country, I have heard stories of different cultural practices that African women in any of the African countries that I have lived in and/or visited, face. One such practice is female genital cutting (FGC), which refers to the surgical altering or complete removal of the female genitalia. This dissertation study seeks to understand the perspectives that FGC survivors in Kenya have towards FGC and their attitudes toward the practice. 15 to 20 women who have survived FGC were interviewed over a 6-week period. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 4 million girls and women in Kenya have undergone one form or the other of Female Genital Cutting (FGC). This makes up 21% of the country's female population (UNICEF, 2020). Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the official medical term given by Western scholarship and organizations, to the intentional deformation or complete removal of the female prepuce without any medical justification. However, there has been resistance to the use of the word mutilation when referring to FGC, as that falls under the patronizing nature of the West over traditional practices from the Global South and is perceived as offensive by people who come from FGC-practicing communities. Past studies also argue that most women who have undergone FGC do not consider themselves to be mutilated. In agreement with these arguments and as an act of decolonizing the FGC discourse as well as respecting all those who are affected by FGC, I choose to use the term FGC in this study instead of FGM. I also choose to refer to girls and women who have undergone FGC as survivors instead of victims. As Njambi (2004) argues, so long as we view FGC through the eyes of the West as a barbaric and savage practice where those who undergo it are being oppressed, then we take away their agency. By referring to (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Business Administration

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to understand the experiences of dual leadership for African American women. The research question for the study is: What are the lived experiences of African American women leaders in ministry and the workplace? The homogenous sample consisted of nine study participants from the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States of America. The participants represented four generations ranging in age from 21-76. The participants had an average of 16 years in ministry leadership and 20 years in the workplace. Data collection involved face-to-face interviews using a video conferencing platform with an average interview time of 55 minutes guiding the data collection process. Eight principal themes containing subthemes relating to codes materialized from the data: leadership styles, experiences of microaggressions, systemic sexism, health impact, culture, perception of religiosity and faith, business and leadership relationship, and dual leadership. The study utilized the software instrument ATLAS.ti to organize systematically, code, identify and link research themes, and assist with data analysis.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2020, Communication Studies (Communication)

Refugees, particularly female Afghan refugees, are among the most vulnerable populations. For decades, previous research on displaced and refugee populations had a “nongendered” approach toward studying refugees' experiences and struggles: they either looked at refugees' experiences as a group, or in cases where they had a focus, they mostly looked at male refugees' experiences and challenges throughout the pre-flight, flight, and resettlement process. This dissertation, however, examined the personal narratives, experiences, and challenges of female Afghan refugees throughout their resettlement process in the U.S. Specifically, taking an ethnographic qualitative method approach, this study examined (a) female Afghan refugees experiences of the everyday routines throughout the early transitional period of resettlement, and (b) the advocacy work of local NGOs with refugees as they navigate and manage the new everyday routines. To address the research questions, I volunteered, worked, and drew the sample from a midwestern local refugee-advocacy NGO. I conducted participant observation for more than 24 months and 16 in- depth 1- to 2 hour-long interviews, with three female Afghan refugees, and 13 NGO staff, liaisons, and volunteers. Using Tracy's (2013) iterative paradigm data analysis yielded three emergent themes in regard to RQ1, (a) مرد و مدد (Mard va Madad), (b) illiteracy and English language (im-)proficiency, and (c) support of local NGOs. Following the same analysis approach, the relationship between liaisons and refugees was explained using parent-child relationship metaphor with one overarching theme of independence vs./and autonomy and two subthemes of fulfilling vs./and expectation and expectation vs/and reality. The result of this study provides a deeper understanding of refugee voices and experiences from their perspective and role of refugee-advocacy NGOs by pointing out the importance of considering refugees' cultural background, social gen (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, American Culture Studies

This study looks at twentieth-century representations of fictional female U.S. presidents in film, television, and literature. Examining how these portrayals either reinforce or subvert existing ideas about gender may give some insight into why the U.S. has not had a female president yet, as well as how each wave of feminism may have its own corresponding backlash. This project employs a textual analysis method and uses a feminist methodology. After analyzing the primary texts under consideration, it becomes clear that the majority of twentieth-century fictional representations of female U.S. presidents reify hegemonic gender roles and do not portray the presidents as being fully capable and worthy of respect. It is only toward the middle of the 1990s and later that any real change is seen in these characters. The media framing of real-life women running for president is somewhat in line with how female presidents are portrayed in fictional texts. These women are not depicted as being fully capable to serve the office of the U.S. presidency, and it takes quite a few decades before content creators are willing to deviate from this norm. This study has broader implications, too, insofar as the U.S. presidency is symbolic of systems of power more generally, and thus the texts herein can offer insight into how women are received in many positions of political and economic leadership.

BA, Kent State University, 2018, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Political Science

Although domestic efforts have been made in the past to end the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) within practicing countries, the spike in NGOs post-WWII brought further attention to this issue and spurred government action. This study seeks to identify whether Ghanaian policies criminalizing the practice have been effective in the eradication of FGM, and if not, why civilians would continue to practice FGM even under the threat of imprisonment. In-person interviews indicate that for some, the traditional, sacred values attached to the practice outweigh the possible consequences. These interviews combined with a survey conducted among 61 students at the University of Ghana provide evidence indicating that the difficulties of policing rural areas within a developing country have also contributed to the continued practice of FGM due to the community's reduced faith in law enforcement agents outside of urban areas.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2015, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

This thesis examines the influence that female correctional officers have on the security of an institution. Using data from the 2005 Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities, different tests were run to test my three hypotheses. First, I hypothesized that lower security-level institutions will employ a higher percent of female correctional officers. This hypothesis was not confirmed based on the data and tests run. My second hypothesis was institutions employing a greater percent of female correctional officers will have a higher disciplinary reporting rate than institutions employing a lower percent of female correctional officers. This hypothesis was supported by the data from the census and the tests run. Third, I hypothesized that the greater the percent of female correctional officers working in an institution, the more violence will be present in that facility. This hypothesis was not supported by the data. This research is important because more and more women are becoming correctional officers with many leading the way for new policies and training protocols. It is time research is done in this area of study to discern the influence, good and bad, females correctional officers have on the institutions in which they work and improve upon morale and training for all correctional officers in an institution.

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2015, Educational Administration (Education)

The ratio of African American females in the position of high school principal in the State of Ohio is disproportionate to the number of credentialed, willing candidates. The central focus of this study was to examine whether or not gender and racial barriers exist when obtaining the position of high school principal. This study also posited to identify perceptions of gender and racial barriers, which could also inhibit access to the principalship for African American female assistant principals. Nine African American urban female principals and assistant principals were interviewed to ascertain their beliefs regarding barriers, supports, race and gender to the position of high school principal.This study found that African American female principals and assistant principals identified several barriers to the high school principalship of which race and gender were the most influential factors.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one killer of women in America, yet barriers to lifesaving healthcare increase (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Incidence of sexism in medicine proves to be a leading cause of these barriers including underrepresentation of female patients in crucial research studies, lack of understanding and education of female specific cardiac symptoms, and the underutilization of advanced diagnostic imaging tests for female patients who could produce suboptimal results in lesser diagnostic testing causing misdiagnosis. Feminist critical theories were used to challenge the gender gap within the medical field and research along with the communities of practice theory, showing how embedded sexism to the medical field creates an unconscious social learning upholding norms. Practical action research was used to conduct this study due to the direct connection between testing and diagnosis of patients, having the potential to make an impact on patient care on a larger scale. Research was conducted utilizing HIPAA compliant cardiology patient data obtained to observe the ordering patterns of physicians within cardiology practices. An anonymous Physicians' Knowledge of PET Eligibility and Symptoms for Female Patients scale survey was used to collect data from practicing cardiologists to view opinions, attitudes, and education around female specific cardiac symptoms. This data was analyzed using Chi-square tests to understand the relationship between various factors such as qualifying ICD-10 (diagnosis) codes, sex of the patient, and qualification for a cardiac PET scan. The results show that there was no significant relationship between sex and if the patient qualified for a cardiac PET scan, showing that physicians have a lack of understanding of the incredible benefits of cardiac PET for female patients, who are exceptional candidates for PET due to attenuation artifacts. Results also show a positive statistical rela (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Sociology

This study analyzes factors associated with female circumcision in Southern Kurdistan through the feminist lens Kandiyoti (1988) described as ‘bargaining with the patriarchy'. Comparing sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, Kandiyoti (1988, 1998) argues that patriarchal power is spatially and temporally specific and, to deal with gendered patriarchal power women develop different resistance strategies to secure themselves a position. She suggests that while women in the prior context refuse male dominance and resist patriarchal power, the latter show subservience and utilize manipulation of men inside the household. Based on Kandiyoti's theory, it can be expected to see differences among dynamics of FC in the Middle East, such that we can expect women to resist the norms within their familial context, or spousal relationship rather than via resisting publicly to the norms. Building on this framework, this study will test women's bargaining power within their spousal relationship and investigate how it impacts the risk of daughters' FC using Southern Kurdistan as a case. This project uses the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey for Iraq, with an analytical sample focusing on currently married women with daughters who live in Southern Kurdistan. The study employs a multilevel regression with the dependent variable of whether any of the daughters of the respondent had FC. To test for women's spousal bargaining power, I use the independent variables age at first marriage, spousal age difference, consanguineous marriage, and number of sons alive. Additionally, I control for factors associated with modernization and community effects. The results suggest that when women are in relationships in which they can possibly exert their power, they are less likely to carry on circumcising norms. While age-first marriage and consanguineous marriage variables are significantly negatively associated with the daughter's risk of FC, having a younger husband and having more sons' (open full item for complete abstract)

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

In today's society, an accurate representation of female minority leadership is needed. This study explored the (a) leadership development of African American women, (b) means and hindrances that African American women leaders met on their pathway to success, and (c) role of resilience among African American women. The current research was guided by the Smith (2010) study; Smith completed research on this subject matter using African American males. The current research used women rather than men but maintained the same methodology. The Consensual Qualitative Research Method (CQR; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997; Hill et al., 2005) was used to analyze archived interviews of two past African American female presidents of a national diversity mental health association to identify themes and constructs that emerged from the interviews. The themes and constructs were used to identify the leadership development, the means and hindrances, and the role of resilience among African American women. The results of the current study also indicated that (a) positive feedback/success experience, (b) mentorship, (c) good educational experiences (d) early leadership involvement, and (e) attendance at conventions were instrumental for the participants' leadership development. The results of the current research are consistent with the Smith (2010) findings.

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

An educational leadership position can be conceived as a position occupied within the hierarchy of an educational organization. This study aims at examining current and prospective Senegalese female high school principals' perceptions of the position of high school principal. It highlights the barriers they associate with the position of high school principal, the solutions they propose, and their perceived influence on their current and future school community. Using a multiple case study of one female high school principal and three prospective female high school principals, this research is grounded in feminist theory. Analysis of findings yield that the position of high school principal is attached to the following main barriers: lack of training, family responsibilities, lack of autonomy, and security issues. Mentoring, pre-service training, family assistance and self-organization, freedom to make decisions, and security infrastructure are proposed as solutions to these barriers. A management style based on participation, communication, and caring emerged as the study participants' main perceived influence on their current and future school community. This finding reinforces feminist theory's view that women have something to contribute to the world, notably in the field of education.

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2020, Communication

Women in the political sector struggle to find their place. Though the number of female representatives has increased in recent years, it has been a slow climb often complicated by the socially prescribed importance of their image to the public eye as represented through media. In the impeachment of President Donald Trump, two female senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, were prominently featured on news coverage outlets. As it is not historically common for female politicians to be at the center of major debates, this case allowed for valuable analysis of how the media portrays women in politics. Through this work, three questions are explored: 1) How did cable news media frame Senators Susan Collins' and Lisa Murkowski's roles in the impeachment process of President Donald Trump? 2) How did Senators Collins and Murkowski frame themselves in their self-representations through the impeachment process? 3) How have Collins and Murkowski engaged in self-representation for their overall identities as senators?

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Popular Culture

This thesis investigates the relationship between the body of the witch in popular culture and attitudes and assumptions about the female body. This study was conducted through textual analysis of several popular films and television shows about witches. This analysis is structured around three core archetypes of femininity: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone, examining how each of the three archetypes preserve stereotypes about women and how witches can subvert or reinforce those stereotypes. Using the theory of abjection as a foundation, this thesis argues that witches have a strong relationship to abject femininity and can therefore expose the anxieties and fears about female bodies in a patriarchal culture. This is not a comprehensive study of witches in popular culture, and further research into the intersections of gender and race, sexuality, and ability is needed to form any definite conclusions. This study is merely an exploration of female archetypes and how the female body is conceived through the witch's body in popular culture.

Master of Arts in English, Cleveland State University, 2020, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Inaugurated in historical fiction by Sir Walter Scott, the dichotomy of the virgin/whore or wife/spinster has long been ingrained in culture and continues to be perpetuated throughout literature. In contrast, two contemporary female historical novelists, Suzannah Dunn and Tracy Chevalier created female protagonists who break from that binary and present an alternative version of womanhood in The Queen of Subtleties and Remarkable Creatures respectively. The heroines in these two novels demonstrate personal agency through successful professions, and with the support of older, female mentors, their characters offer a representation of women and femininity that is not dependent upon men or marriage. Further, these two novelists use metaphorical imagery and visual punctuation to narrate interiority for their heroines and subsequently reclaim feminine identity for this third type of woman in history.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Film Studies

Although the trilogy of 1933 Warner Bros Great Depression movie musicals have been examined by many scholars who specialized in dance, music, women and gender studies and film studies from various angles, none of them draw attention to Ruby Keeler's star image in the three films, 42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933, and Footlight Parade. This study examines Keeler's on-screen characters in those three films alongside fan magazine articles, biographical accounts of her life story – especially as they relate her marriage with Al Jolson – by using star theory, in order to put into place Keeler's anti-star status. These considerations are taken up in the broader context of 1930s Hollywood female stardom to find out how her crafted star image connected to a traditional American morality, as well as the contemporary Hollywood labor practices. This research demonstrates that Keeler's star image was constructed around institutions of marriage not only to promote traditional American family values and rehabilitate a male identity perceived as in crisis, but her unique star image signaled a change in 1930s female stardom altogether, commenting on labor unrest in Hollywood.

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2020, Educational Leadership

Since the beginning of American education in the U.S., women often have been left out of educational prosperity. First, by excluding females from learning and working, and later by disregarding their capacity for educational leadership. The superintendency of American Schools is perplexing because women dominate the field of teaching whereas men hold the majority of superintendent roles. Although we are in the modern world of the twenty-first century, where women have gained the legal right to equality, gender discrimination exists. A great body of literature exists regarding female superintendents; however, there is a significant gap concerning female rural superintendents. Six female superintendents from rural school districts were invited to participate in this research study. Their stories paint unique portraits of their professional, gendered experiences as rural female superintendents. The purpose of this research study was to explore women's experiences in the rural superintendency, add female voice to history, and illuminate the prevalence of the feminine social injustice, often silenced by society's perception of the American superintendent. Each female rural superintendent's story was unique and intertwined with intersections of gender, leadership, and rurality. Through this narrative inquiry five common themes emerged: 1) The District Must be the Right Fit; 2) Other Women (Female Saboteurs); 3) The Good Old Boys' Club; 4) Loneliness; and 5) An Ethical Fighting Spirit of Determination, Grit, and Resilience. This research found that there are several challenges due to one's gender and those are amplified in the rural setting where a superintendent must wear several hats, manage a lack of resources, and survive the unique value system and culture established by each rural community. This study revealed that gender discrimination endures in the twenty-first century for female rural superintendents by both men and women, stemming from hist (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

The subject of this study is contemporary Saudi women's literature and art between 2005 to 2017. In this research, I examine a selection of novels written by Saudi women and paintings composed by Saudi women artists to discuss how women negotiate their individuality, independence and rights to personal decision-making. This research argues that Saudi women have used literature and art to transform the way their society thinks about women. Novelists intertwine love stories, a traditionally taboo topic, with social issues on which there is broad agreement, for example the critique of terrorism, thus hoping to mute criticism. Saudi women artists, on the other hand, focus on portraying women's faces and figures in ways that show emotion and reveal depth of feeling. The key themes in these novels and works of art contribute to the authors' and artists' goals. Both the novels and the paintings focus on depicting some intimate aspects of women's lives in order to create empathy and make their society think differently, thus act differently. This dissertation highlights the importance of including Saudi women's literature and art in discussions of world literature and arts. It contributes to our understanding of Saudi women's shared challenges and seeks to establish that although Saudi women struggle with some sociopolitical issues, as do other women throughout the world, they do not allow these obstacles to prevent them from having open conversations about their position within society. They create conversations by confronting the power structures that women face and using techniques that foster audience engagement. This research was designed to describe Saudi women's concerns as told through their own literary and artistic expressions, in hopes that it may also inspire women in other societies who may share similar social circumstances.

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2019, French, Italian, and Classical Studies

Women are still invisible in most canons, whether these concern the arts or history. In order to understand the difference of treatment concerning men and women in European societies, Luce Irigaray, a Belgian philosopher and a feminist, developed the concept of sexual difference. This concept asserts that men's and women's experiences are neither equal nor reducible to a hierarchical homogeneity: they are diverse. Sexual difference is a limit that allows to construct a feminine point of view that questions the traditional male-oriented philosophy. The question of limits is therefore central to Irigaray's thought, aiming at establishing women as female subjects. On the one hand, limits were imposed onto female subjects to reduce them to a passive role; on the other hand, from the female point of view, limits might be hard to draw. Irigaray challenges patriarchalism as she suggests to subjects of both sexes to symbolize their own limits. One such case of new sexed symbolization is the writing of the contemporary French poetess Sophie Loizeau, who explores the limits of female subjects but also of literary genres and of language in general. Loizeau exemplifies many of Irigaray's propositions for change in our social symbolizations.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Females can vary in their mate choice decisions and this variability can play a key role in evolution by sexual selection. Variability in female preferences can affect the intensity and direction of selection on male sexual traits, as well as explain variation in male reproductive success. I looked at how consistency of female preference can vary for a male sexual trait, song length, and then examined context-dependent situations that may contribute to variation in female preferences. In Chapter 2, I assessed repeatability – a measure of among-individual variation – in preference for male song length in female American goldfinches (Spinus tristis). I found no repeatability in preference for song length but did find an overall preference for shorter songs. I suggest that context, including the social environment, may be important in altering the expression of female preferences. In Chapter 3, I assessed how the choices of other females influence female preference. Mate choice copying, in which female preference for a male increases if he has been observed with other females, has been observed in several non-monogamous birds. However, it is unclear whether mate choice copying occurs in socially monogamous species where there are direct benefits from choosing an unmated male. I found evidence for mate choice copying and suggest that copying occurs when choosing extrapair mates. In Chapter 4, I examine how social relationships among females influence copying. A female may be more likely to copy another female if they are familiar with one another due to shared environments and experiences. I found that females are more likely to copy familiar rather than unfamiliar females, which has not been shown in this context. The latter two chapters show that social context is a source of variation that can cause a female to alter her preferences. This suggests an important potential role of female-female social relationships on male reproductive success and the evol (open full item for complete abstract)