WGST Colloquium Series Schedule 2012-2013
Fall 2012
Ponytails and Diamonds: The Female Apologetic in Collegiate Softball Media Guides
Dr. Brenda Riemer, WGST & Health Promotion and Human Performance
Friday, October 26 11-noon, 319 Pray Harrold
Intercollegiate softball has changed over the past 20 years. Players have gotten bigger and stronger
with the help of better nutrition and weight training at the high school and collegiate levels. Statistics
indicate more home runs (and strike outs) as an indicator of the players getting bigger and stronger
(Howard, 2010). Although the skill level and popularity has increased over the past 20 years, the
perception of softball as “masculine” and players as "lesbian" has been slow to change. Metheny (1965)
was the first to document how certain sports are labeled "masculine" and "feminine". Feminine sports
are those which require grace and a barrier between opponents, such as gymnastics and tennis.
Masculine sports are characterized by possible physical contact between opponents such as basketball
and softball. Metheny’s work has been replicated numerous times (e.g. Kane & Snyder, 1989; Riemer &
Visio, 2003). But it was the work of Felshin (1974) that introduced the idea that women athletes
engaged in apologetic behavior. Apologetic behavior refers to a female athlete emphasizing femininity.
The perception of sport as masculine has led to female athletes to engage in apologetic behavior (e.g.
Wughalter, 1978, Pilver, 2008). In a recent study, Davis-Delano, Pollock, and Vose (2009) determined
that softball players engaged in more apologetic behavior(s) than soccer and basketball players. The
purpose of this study was to review the media guides of softball programs (across NCAA Divisions) to
determine the amount of "feminization" of the athletes (i.e. the increase in pony tails and make-up on
the playing field).
A Black Woman’s Journey to the 21st Century
Dr. Betty Brown-Chappel, WGST & Social Work
Friday, November 16, 11-noon, 319 Pray Harrold
This session will involve a review of the period 1946-2012 through the lens of societal events
and circumstances which influenced the life of a Women and Gender Studies Professor who is
an African American woman. Using life course perspectives, Dr. Brown-Chappell will highlight
some of the roles that she has fulfilled and the extent that poverty, homophobia, sexism, or
racism impacted her. Additionally, she will discuss the relationship of these life course
phenomena on her role as a policy advocate for oppressed groups within the larger society.
This discussion will be illustrated by some archival materials.
Revised February 5, 2013
WGST Colloquium Series Schedule 2012-2013
SlutWalks: Online Commentary, Dialogue, and Contemporary Feminist Organizing
Dr. Elizabeth Currans
Friday, December 7, 11-noon, 319 Pray Harrold
This presentation has two goals; first, to explore the relationship between organizers’ use of
public space in public demonstrations and the public sphere of online feminist commentary,
and, second, to explore the tenor and depth of online feminist exchanges. Using SlutWalk
Toronto as a case study, I explore how the flurry of feminist blog posts, newspaper articles, and
academic publications about SlutWalks was inspired by the 1st SlutWalk in April 2011 and
influenced how the 2nd Toronto event, which was held in May 2012, was organized. This
example is an ideal site for exploring relationships between uses of public space and what
political and cultural theorists describe as counterpublic world-making.
Winter 2013
Women Political Prisoners and Theatre of Witness in Argentina
Dr. Deanna Mihaly, WGST & World Languages
January 25, 11am
319 Pray Harrold
This presentation will provide an introduction to the concept of Theatre of Witness, then discuss the
implications for viewing testimonial literature as theatre of witness. Two main works will inform the
analysis: The Little School by Alicia Partnoy and Mujeres Guerrilleras by Marta Diana. Both women
author semi-autobiographical accounts of the imprisonment and torture under the military regimes of
the 70's of 80's in Argentina. Their works function as witness accounts, with the theatrical impulse
engaging the audience and compromising the public in a call to action.
Digital Voice: Egyptian Feminist Cyberactivism in the Revolution and Beyond
Dr. Carol Haddad, WGST & Technology Studies
February 8, 11am
319 Pray Harrold
Women played a significant role in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, following a long tradition of feminist
activism in that country. This presentation will focus on the ways in which six activists of varying ages
have mastered and used information and communications technologies (ICTs) in their quest for social
change.
Revised February 5, 2013
WGST Colloquium Series Schedule 2012-2013
Does English Use as Lingua Franca of Feminism Foster an International Division of Feminist
Labor?
Shuli Han, Melissa Lininger, and Chelsea Miles, WGST Graduate Students
Dr. Solange Simões, WGST & Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminology
April 19, 11am
319 Pray Harrold
This presentation investigates the ways English as a “lingua franca’ of feminism fosters an “international
division of feminist labor”, one in which non-native English speaking feminists are seriously constrained
in having their theories travel the globe. The papers look at main venues for feminist thought in various
non- English speaking countries (China, Spain, Sweden and Finland) and compare them to main English
feminist publications (Gender & Society, Feminist Formations, Signs, Feminist Studies among others).
Using content analysis of published articles (author, topics, reference lists) the authors investigate to
what extent theories are multidirectional, to what extent the new theories or the critiques of “Western
feminism thought” remain confined to their native languages and localized as outsiders in the
production of feminist knowledge. The authors are all graduate students in WGST and use their
knowledge of Chinese, Spanish, and Finish in order to conduct the empirical investigation.
Revised February 5, 2013