Female Body Research Articles

The Symbolic of Female Body in the Anti-Japanese War Painting in China

From 1931 to 1945, Japan launched a 14-year war of aggression against China and it had a profound impact on China’s politics, economy, and culture. One of the reactions or responses from Chinese society to this tragic event is through art, especially in painting. However, most of the paintings in the Anti-Japanese War are dominated by male subjects and females only appear as a supporting role in the composition. The objectives of this study are to describe the female body through Chinese Anti-Japanese War paintings from the 1970’s and to interpret the meaning of signs and symbols through a conceptual framework that has been built from relevant concepts. This study adopts a qualitative research strategy that makes use of observation and documents as its main research methods. This study shows that these visual artworks reflected the social transformation and changing gender roles in culture at that time. The female body in these visual works conveys multiple meanings such as bravery, tenacity, and sacrifice.

КОНСТРУИРОВАНИЕ ОБРАЗА ВЕДЬМЫ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ ХОРРОРЕ

The article examines the representation of the witch in two horror films: “The VVitch: A New-England Folktale” (2015) and “Hagazussa” (2017). The films are set during the historic period of the witch hunts. The article draws on the theoretical foundations of the “monstrous-feminine” theory by B. Creed and the concept of “disgust” by Yu. Kristeva as its methodological basis. B. Creed's theory seems to be very promising in the analysis of horror films, which are built around a female monster figure, such as a witch. Based on the theory of B. Creed, we can identify three main themes in the construction of monstrous images in these films: mother-child relationships, the concept of purity and dirt and images of disgust. The basis is the female body, which becomes the primary indicator of the monstrous. It is concluded that the images of the monstrous are based on religious prohibitions, and one of the functions of horror is to maintain boundaries and taboos in a post-secular society.

Motherhood, wet-nursing and nation: nineteenth-century Brazilian medical perspectives

This paper explores the viewpoints of nineteenth-century Brazilian physicians regarding women’s roles as the ‘propagators of the race’. It emphasises their perspectives on reproduction, breast feeding, and the involvement of...

Vajradhātvīśvarī and Vairocana: Mirror Tantric Images in 10th-Century Cambodia

This article explores a collection of ten-armed, five-headed figures featured in 10th-century Khmer Buddhist miniature shrines. While traditionally identified as representations of Prajñāpāramitā, the female deity embodying “the Perfection of Wisdom”, this article puts forth a new interpretation, suggesting these images depict the Khmer iteration of two dual tantric Buddhist deities, Vairocana and Vajradhātvīśvarī, linked to the Sarvatathāgata-tattvasaṁgrahanāmamahāyānasūtra (STTS). The key insight for this hypothesis stems from an examination of a newly identified shrine located in the Battambang National Museum featuring mirrored male and female figures, prompting a reconsideration of their traditional identification. The link to the mentioned STTS text provides an explanatory framework for the unique iconographic features of these images.

Establishment of a new subfamily for the parasitic isopod genus Pleurocryptella (Isopoda: Bopyridae), including recognition of epicaridium larval yolk sacs and description of a new genus and species of hyperparasite

Abstract External yolk sacs in free-living larvae of marine invertebrates are extremely rare, with all reported cases exhibiting yolk that is taken up through connection with the anterior alimentary canal. Herein, we confirm a novel yolk sac connected to the posterior end of the alimentary canal in the first larval stage of species in the bopyrid isopod genus PleurocryptellaBonnier, 1900, all known as ectoparasites in the branchial chambers of squat lobsters. Pleurocryptella poseidon Williams & Boyko sp. nov. infesting the munidopsid Galacantha bellis Henderson, 1885 in the Arabian Sea, is described on the basis of adults and larvae. In common with conspecifics, the new species exhibits a suite of putative “primitive” characters including the presence of oostegites on the sixth and seventh pereomeres of females and maxillipeds and articulated uropods in males. Pleurocryptella poseidon Williams & Boyko sp. nov. differs from other species of Pleurocryptella by characters of body shape, antennae, oostegite 1, pleon, and uropods of females and midventral tubercles, pleomeres, and pleopods of males. The epicaridium larvae have a large posterior, external yolk sac and segmented maxillipeds, a unique set of characters within Epicaridea. In addition to larval and adult characters, molecular data (COI) indicate that the genus is distinct from other members of Bopyridae, so we erect the new subfamily Pleurocryptellinae for it. Pleurocryptella poseidon Williams & Boyko sp. nov. bears a new genus and species of hyperparasitic isopod that is herein described based on its cryptoniscus stage. A review of epicaridium larval morphology and a key to the species of Pleurocryptella are provided.

The masculinized feminine body: The body politics and the construction of female identity in Mohiniyattam

The article explores the sociocultural construction of aesthetic identities and the ways in which the dominant ideologies have perpetuated specific narratives of the development of Mohiniyattam. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of ‘episteme’ and Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, the study examines the femininity embodied in Mohiniyattam and argues that the dance form has been a tool for patriarchal ideologies, transmitted through generations of dancers manifested in their performance practice. The analysis extends to the contemporary scope of Mohiniyattam, questioning the rigid notion of femininity that has defined the dance form through erotic expressions of the dancer and exploring how innovative choreographies and performative interpretations can challenge such norms. The study uses oral histories and case studies to present a multifaceted view of Mohiniyattam’s historical evolution as a dance form. The revival of Mohiniyattam at different times reflects the dominant epistemes, marked by an embedded male gaze on the female dancing body. The performers’ own initiatives reframed the concept of femininity and its portrayal by exploring the potential of the trained dancing body.

A reproducible, self-reported, field-based tool for monitoring ovarian hormone status and body weight variations in female athletes: the Answ'Her questionnaire.

Intra-individual factors like ovarian hormone profiles and body weight variations may influence sports practice and performance in female athletes and need to be characterized. The "Answ'Her" questionnaire was designed to develop a relevant and reproducible field-based tool to assess self-reported ovarian hormone status (natural menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use) and body weight variations practices among female athletes. French females with a regular sports practice responded (once: N.=210; twice: N.=86; thrice: N.=66) to this 73-item questionnaire reporting their ovarian hormone status, associated symptoms, perceived influence on sports practice, and body weight variations. Reproducibility was evaluated, then a descriptive cross-sectional analysis was conducted on athletes. Reproducibility was verified with 92% of Lin's correlation concordance coefficients above 0.7 and 100% of weighted agreements above 70%. Ultimately 185 female athletes (23.0±4.8 years) were included in the cross-sectional analysis. Whether they used hormonal contraceptive (46.5%) or not (53.5%), most of the athletes perceived a negative impact of their ovarian hormone status on sports practice (78.7%) and performance (84.7%). Overall, 77.3% of the athletes had experienced body weight variations that were significantly associated with an interruption of menses (>3 months) and menses irregularity over the last three years. The Answ'Her questionnaire is a simple and effective reproducible field-based tool for the self-reported characterisation of female athlete ovarian hormone status and body weight variations. It could be used for a unique and simple overview of the athlete situation but also in a longitudinal design to assess the athlete's evolution and/or effectiveness of implanted training strategies.

Suffering Women and their Skin(s): Representations of Female Bodies in Pain in Euripides

Suffering Women and their Skin(s): Representations of Female Bodies in Pain in Euripides

The Triple Cut

Abstract The main object of study in this research is the cutting of the female body in cinema. In order to simplify and rationalize such a broad and diffuse concept, it is necessary to redesign a methodology of analysis valid for the object of study at hand, which will be called the Triple Cut. This will advance self-referentially, as if it were Russian dolls, from the cut of the real itself, passing through the cut of the plane (or between planes) or the absence of the same, until arriving at the cut of the flesh itself. This is where the bodies end up being dismembered live in front of the camera's lens, pouncing like pieces of meat on the—willing or unwilling—audience.

Is Islam the Cause of Muslim Women's Subordination? A Historical Study of Gender in The Old Age and The Classical Islamic Period 7th Century

This article critically examines the historical context of gender equality in Islam, seeking to dispel the misconception that women are considered inferior to men within the Islamic framework. Utilizing historical approaches, the discussion unfolds in three key segments. First, it delves into the position of women in pre-Islamic societies, encompassing the Greek, Christian, Jewish, and Arabian periods. Subsequently, it explores the status of women following the advent of Islam, focusing on the Prophet Muhammad's era, particularly during the 7th century. Furthermore, the article presents notable female figures from Islamic history as exemplars of gender inclusivity within Islam. The conclusion posits that Islam, rather than being inherently discriminatory, has been misrepresented due to the perpetuation of patriarchal cultural norms. This study offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between religious teachings and socio-cultural dynamics that shape perceptions of gender within Islamic societies.

A Misidentified Image of Bhr̥kuṭī in the National Museum Bangkok

This study delves into the misidentification of a seated female figure in meditation, displayed at the National Museum Bangkok, now identified as Bhr̥kuṭī. The statuette, dating back to approximately 750–850 ce, showcases unique attributes, such as a distinctive stūpa on the deity’s hair topknot. Analyzing its iconography, the notice traces the evolution of Bhr̥kuṭī’s representation from South to Southeast Asia, highlighting her diverse forms and roles in Buddhist art history. The study challenges established norms, proposing a potential import hypothesis, and emphasizes the intricate interplay of regional influences, artistic diversity, and the evolving roles of Buddhist female deities.

Female Subjugation and Body Politics in Song’s “Girl Powdering Her Neck” and Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”

This paper examines female subjugation within the framework of body politics as depicted in Song’s “Girl Powdering Her Neck” and Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”. Body politics specifically examines how societal norms and power dynamics shape perceptions and treatment of women’s bodies. Drawing upon Susan Bordo’s concept of “body politics” and Julie Rodgers and Fredrickson Roberts’ “objectification theory,” this study reveals that women are not only oppressed by societal beauty standards but also trapped within a vicious cycle of self-scrutiny, where they prioritize external appearance over their inner value. In Song’s poem, the protagonist becomes a victim of body politics, where her worth is reduced to mere physical appearance putting her intellect and agency aside. Similarly, in Marvell’s poem, the male speaker objectifies his beloved undermining her agency. This paper exposes the deceitful nature of patriarchal ideology, which drives women to conform to societal beauty standards at the cost of their individuality and self-esteem. By highlighting the plight of female subjects in these poems, this study advocates for resistance against oppressive body politics. It also urges women to reclaim their autonomy and value disregarding the superficial beauty standards imposed by patriarchy.

From one-child policy to three-children initiative: a feminist critique of the population planning policies in China

Abstract This article examines the continuity of heteropatriarchal discourse within China’s population policies, focusing on the transition from the one-child policy to the current three-children initiative, and women’s responses to these official narratives. Through the lens of Foucauldian bio-politics, the study explores how discursive practices surrounding family planning policy are manipulated to sustain authoritarian rule, linking it with loyalty to the state and fostering an anti-feminist support base that attributes collective feminist movements to “excessive education.” The “optimization” of the family planning policy is analyzed as a discursive construct that conceals dehumanizing policies reducing women to mere reproductive machines, and portraying children solely as future labor force. This paper argues that the digital feminist movement in China is sustained by women’s constant engagement with, and resistance against official narratives that co-opt feminism to serve the state’s bio-political agenda of managing and controlling the female body.

Embryonic heart rate is higher in species that experience greater nest predation risk during incubation.

Avian eggs develop outside of the female body, and therefore embryonic development is subject to multiple internal (physiological) and external (ecological) factors. Embryonic developmental rate has important consequences for survival. Within species, embryos that develop too quickly often experience deformities, disorders, or mortality, while embryos that develop slowly risk inviability and increase the time they are exposed to various sources of mortality in the nest. These contrasting forces may lead to interspecific variation in developmental rates. We investigated potential factors affecting embryonic heart rate (EHR), a proxy of development, across 14 passerine species in the field. More specifically, we investigated if nest predation risk, clutch size, seasonality, and egg volume influenced EHR. From previous research, we expected, and found, that EHR was positively associated with embryonic age and egg temperature. Species with greater nest predation risk had higher EHR, shorter incubation periods, and lower nest temperature variance. EHR increased as the season progressed and with egg volume, while EHR declined with clutch size. Bird species exhibit varying strategies to increase nestling and fledgling survival in response to predation risk, and these results suggest that variation in embryonic development may be related to species-specific differences in nest predation risk.

Life history changes associated with over 400 generations of artificial selection on body size in Drosophila.

Body size is a trait that shapes many aspects of a species' development and evolution. Larger body size is often beneficial in animals, but it can also be associated with life history costs in natural systems. Similarly, miniaturization, the evolution of extremely small adult body size, is found in every major animal group, yet carries its own life history trade-offs. Given that these effects can depend on an animal's environment and life stage and have mainly been studied in species that are already specialized for their size, the life history changes associated with evolutionary shifts in body size warrant additional investigation. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster populations that had undergone over 400 generations of artificial selection on body size to investigate the changes in life history traits associated with the evolution of extremely large and extremely small body sizes. Populations selected for small body size experienced strong trade-offs in multiple life history traits, including reduced female fecundity and lower juvenile viability. Although we found positively correlated changes in egg size associated with selection for both large and small body size, after adjusting for female body size, females from populations selected for large size had the lowest relative investment per egg and females from populations selected for small size had the highest relative investment per egg. Taken together, our results suggest that egg size may be a key constraint on the evolution of body size in D. melanogaster, providing insight into the broader phenomenon of body size evolution in insects.

The female body on bicycles: a case study on the "Bicycle Face"

As a result of innovations in bicycle styles and an increase in the number of women cyclists, the medical community and mass media have begun to pay attention to a condition known as " bicycle face". Women were thought to be the main victims of this condition. Many people believe that cycling has other health consequences. This article examined the history of bicycle face, using medical journals from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Europe and the United States as primary sources. Articles from popular journals and secondary sources were also reviewed. On this basis, this study analyzes the discussion of women's cycling-related issues in the medical community, and the cultural and social factors behind them, and examines the interaction between the medical community's attitudes towards women's cycling and social and cultural backgrounds, so as to further enrich the relevant research on women's body history and social history.

Migration, Human Trafficking, Sexploitation and Trauma in Amma Darko’s Beyond The Horizon

Human trafficking and sexploitation have become prevalent migration configurations in Africa that often plunges the victims into harrowing mental, emotional, and physical trauma. This paper aims at portraying African female immigrants’ experiences in Amma Darko’s Beyond the Horizon projecting the female migrant characters as victims of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and economic exploitation in the hands of their selfish and egoistic husbands. Given the complexities of the lives of African women who immigrate to Europe and get caught in a spider’s web of prostitution and pornography, the fictionalized German universe in the text reveals that Europe is not the “Eldorado” where milk and honey flows in abundance as perceived by most Africans. The paper’s analysis employs a feminist analytical framework to examine the objectification and commodification of the black female body. It submits that, despite their traumatic experiences, these African immigrant women assert their sexuality by challenging the status quo thereby obtaining for themselves an emancipated female agency that allows them to take control of their own bodies as well as their financial gains.

“Les femmes dans l’ombre”: Gendering the 1946 Revolution in Haitian Literature

This article examines revolutionary episodes, particularly the events of January 1946 in Haiti, which stage the exclusion/inclusion of women’s bodies in post-revolutionary politics. These were tensions with which Haiti’s first revolutionary generation had already grappled following national independence in 1804. Here, we will consider how the revolution was gendered, how it was experienced through the female body, and how the women of the revolution were represented in Haiti’s cultural and journalistic sphere of the mid-1940s. We will then examine how revolutionary women and the events of January 1946 have been portrayed in Haitian literature, including the writings of former revolutionaries like Gérald Bloncourt and novels by women such as Marie Vieux Chauvet and Yanick Lahens. Through the tradition of a female revolutionary spirit, its revival in 1946, and its subsequent literary reincarnations, this article examine how Haiti’s revolutionary women have historically played a role in shaping national identity and how fictional landscapes continue to be shaped by the collective memory of previous generations of female revolutionaries. It concludes that taking gendered, embodied, and intergenerational perspectives into account can be a useful way of diversifying our understanding of Haiti’s multiple historic legacies of revolution.

Re-visiting Othering as Death Politics: A Study of Nayomi Munaweera’s Island of a Thousand Mirrors

The female body is politically connected to honor and shame that turns it into a site of numerous conflicts and violence. As a Migrants, female body is an easy, visible Other, seeming to fall neatly into the us-versus-them framework of nationalism. My argument is premised on the strategies of ‘othering’ as a politics of violence designed to push female body towards suicide in order to gain honor or identity and leaves it as unrecognizable and unnamed. The traumatic experiences of othering put the female body potentially in a state of crisis in that extreme level that ability to resist further distort it. Drawing on Kristeva’s concept of Abjection and Giorgio Agamben’s idea of “bare life”, I will discuss the ways in which ‘othering’ as a violence inflicted on woman’s body not only erase her individuality but leaves her as dirty and disgusted body. This study aims to highlight different aspects of necro-political ways of ‘abjection” and “bare body’ articulated in the Munaweera’s Island of Thousand Mirrors through the vocabulary, incidents and landscape to present an alternative avenue of investigation of dehumanization of woman’s body. The focus of my study is to see othering as a violence to take place within the confines of micro social interaction and operates at multiple levels, within individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole.

Herbicide changes the role of body condition in mating interactions of a wolf spider but courtship is primarily affected by female immunity

AbstractAnimals that live in human‐impacted landscapes experience an onslaught of novel stimuli that may interfere with natural communication pathways. During mating, this interference may alter the criteria deployed to assess potential mates as males and females find they must shift their focus and emphasize alternative sensory modalities. The wolf spider, Tigrosa helluo (Araneae, Lycosidae) is common in agricultural fields where commercial formulations of herbicides with glyphosate as the active ingredient are regularly applied. With the development of genetically resistant crops, glyphosate‐based herbicides have become among the most widely used and heavily applied agricultural chemicals in the world. In a laboratory experiment, we explored the effects of this herbicide on male—female interactions during courtship, mating, and sexual cannibalism. We expected that it might impact assessment such that there was a shift in the features that were important to the outcome of mating interactions. When herbicide was present, female body condition, an indication of recent feeding success, became important to mating success. This result was, in part, due to higher rates of sexual cannibalism in parings of males and females with low body condition values. The leg raises and pedipalp waves that males perform in courtship were not affected by herbicide nor were they related to mating success but, across all treatments, they were negatively correlated with lytic activity of females as measured just prior to pairing. This result indicates that males detected this aspect of the female's physiology and that a strong immune response made the female less attractive, possibly because it indicated a current or recent infection. Taken together, these results verify that a common herbicide shifts mating criteria used by an agribiont spider and, separate from the herbicide, the immune status of females affects the reactions of courting males.