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.

Committee: Jeffrey Brown Dr. (Advisor); Angela Nelson Dr. (Committee Member); Esther Clinton Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: American Studies; Film Studies; Gender; Gender Studies; Mass Media; Religion; Womens Studies

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

This research study examines the empowerment perceptions of Black female secondary school administrators, emphasizing the impact of gendered racism. It investigates how induction practices can enhance their empowerment through competency, meaning, self-determination, and impact. This social justice study employs an explanatory mixed-methods design, incorporating the theories of intersectionality, gendered racism, Afrocentric feminism, and psychological empowerment. It identifies three key themes: the creation of safe spaces, differentiated mentoring, and culturally responsive professional development. These insights guide a strategic action plan for an induction program for Houston-area school districts, aiming to foster the empowerment and success of Black female administrators.

Committee: James Olive (Committee Chair); Shirley Rose-Gilliam (Committee Member); Rochonda Nenonene (Committee Member) Subjects: Black Studies; Cultural Resources Management; Educational Leadership; Gender Studies; Secondary Education; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2021, Educational Administration (Education)

The main goal of this study was to understand the perceived influence of the Income Generating Activities (IGAs) on women's empowerment in The Republic of the Sudan. The study raised questions about the empowerment process, the project output and the impacts of JASMAR project for Female Sex Workers FSWs in White Nile State in The Republic of the Sudan. To address the research questions, the study utilized a qualitative inquiry combined with a multi-disciplinary theoretical framework. The data were collected using multiple methods including observation, document analysis, and qualitative interviewing. The data were analyzed using manual coding. The results show mixed influence of the JASMAR (IGAs) program on the sex workers status of empowerment.

Committee: Emmanuel Jean-Francois (Committee Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2008, Latin American Studies (International Studies)

This thesis analyzes Pasos bajo el agua (Steps under Water) and Bosquejo de alturas (Impressions of Heights), texts from the Argentine writer Alicia Kozameh, as examples of an embodied l'ecriture feminine. The reading of the literary texts through the theories of French feminists Helene Cixous and Luce Irigaray, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Michel Foucault, responds to the main arguments of the thesis. First, women empower themselves through language within power relationships established in patriarchal societies; the empowered female language is written through the female body. Second, l'ecriture feminine is a style of writing not exclusive to women; it is part of heteroglossia and can be written by any person, regardless of the sex. Third, l'ecriture feminine is a legitimate voice in social discourses, deconstructs the male/female dichotomy, and establishes a horizontal and dialectic relationship between different discursive voices. Finally, heteroglossia contributes to the reconstruction of gender relationships.

Committee: Nicole M. Reynolds PhD (Committee Chair); Jose Delgado PhD (Committee Member); Patrick Barr-Melej PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Gender; Latin American Literature; Literature; Womens Studies