Feminist Perspective Research Articles

Migrant swearing-in narratives at the Supreme Court of New South Wales

While Australian swearing-in ceremonies have been analysed through feminist perspectives, there has been less of a focus on the swearing-in of racialised judges. In this article, I examine the swearing-in ceremonies of two migrant judges on the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Justice Dina Yehia and Justice Hament Dhanji. I find that both ceremonies involve migrant narratives which centre individualism and exceptionalism, perpetuating model minority myths and entrenching verticality between the judge and the judged.

The Force Intervention Brigade in the drc, Civilian Security and Women Peace and Security

Abstract This article examines the UN Security Council (unsc) authorised Force Intervention Brigade (fib) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (drc) and the component of the mandate that articulates civilian security as a rationale for justified force. In examining civilian protection (articulated as both civilian security and as the protection of civilians), we explore the parallels between the women, peace and security agenda and the image – versus the reality – of civilian vulnerability in the drc. In focusing on the narratives of civilian security we explore how the ten years of repeat authorisations for the fib replicate heteronormative and colonial tropes that have ultimately undermined security in the drc and, for international lawyers, undermine peacekeeping principles, authorisations of force, and understandings of consent. The contradictions between the Security Council’s commitments to addressing and preventing conflict-related sexual violence and the mobilisation of the fib are drawn on to demonstrate the ways in which gender simultaneously strengthens the Council’s legitimacy and yet produces few spaces of significant change from a feminist perspective. We conclude that not only is the legacy of the fib detrimental to women’s security in the drc given reports of sexual exploitation and abuse (sea) perpetrated by peacekeepers but that the fib has transformed peacekeeping away from peace, embedding militarised responses to a complex humanitarian crisis.

Reimagining the Future of Reproduction from a Black Queer Lens: An Art-Based Approach to the Study of Reproductive Health Care

ABSTRACT Black Queer people’s reproductive experiences are largely under-documented and under-reported in health communication research, despite the omnipresence of their storytelling within humanities-based literature. Drawing from a larger health study using Black feminist perspectives and centering Black Queer people’s lived experiences with reproduction, previous health research, and Black Queer poetics, this study uses an art-based research approach to create erasure poems that detail how Black Queer birthing people resist and survive reproductive-based injustices. Specifically, through this innovative approach, I construct eight erasure poems developed from the previous insights of Black Queer people’s answer to “What is the future of reproduction?” These poems detail unparalleled truths about the needs and strategies that necessitate efforts to improve reproductive justice for my community. The poems detail Black Queer people’s discussions of the importance of community networks along our reproductive health journeys, creating new conceptualizations of motherhood and parenthood, new understandings of reproductive-based stigma and oppression, and our use of spirituality as a tool for reclaiming reproductive autonomy.

What's care go to do with it? Feminism and the uncertain radical potential of care

Feminist uses of the term ‘care’ actively contribute to ongoing debates about the kind of world we currently live in, as against the one we want to inhabit in the future – a contribution directed towards effecting positive change in the world. Unsurprisingly, the various ways feminists employ the term ‘care’ entail benefits and problems, as well as being the subject of intense debate. This paper aims to summarise and critically assess the main conceptual frameworks and associated debates within feminist perspectives on care. Analyses of care as labour, first- and second-generation feminist ‘ethics of care’, postmodern/poststructuralist and posthuman/new materialist uptakes and, finally, notions of ‘radical care’ are considered. In short, the paper explores the radical potential of care; specifically in feminist terms – that is, what is its potential for advancing progressive social change?

Religious monoglossia/heteroglossia and discourses of women leadership in Pakistani higher education

A growing body of literature reveals how women in higher education are either excluded from leadership roles or face challenges when they take such responsibilities. The role of religion in Muslim societies is vital to understand Muslim women's sense of “self” and their academic leadership roles and engagement in social and political activities. This study uses Bakhtin's writings as well as a feminist perspective in Islam to unpack how religious discourses shape and construe Muslim women's leadership roles in a public university in Pakistan. Data in this study was drawn from two sources: (a) semi-structured interviews with women academic leaders and academics and (b) focus group discussions with postgraduate students. Findings suggest that discourse around women's leadership in higher education in Pakistan is influenced by a male-centric religious monoglossia characterized by discourses on the hijab, masculinist religious epistemologies, and male-centric divine imagery. In addition, the study points to heteroglossic de-centering of the religious monoglossia by suggesting heteroglossic fluidity in Pakistani religious ethics that favors women's roles as leaders in higher education. A heteroglossic fluidity is characterized by how Islam is viewed as a national project, interpreted along sectarian and gendered lines, and often misused to discourage women from assuming leadership roles.

Feminist expression in American country music a case study of Taylor Swift

This article employs a feminist theoretical perspective and utilizes textual analysis to examine the feminist expressions within the music of American female musician Taylor Swift. Through analyzing the lyrical content of several songs imbued with typical gender themes such as “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” “The Man,” and “All Too Well,” this study reveals that Taylor Swift’s music explores themes of female autonomy and advocates for increased awareness of gender inequality issues. In her feminist discourse, Taylor’s songs integrate emotional nuances from personal experiences alongside critiques of societal gender oppression.Through these analyses, this study aims to uncover the expression of gender consciousness in musical compositions and elucidate the interactive relationship between musical works and feminist discourse and construction. Additionally, this research provides insights into feminist expressions within American country music through Taylor Swift’s compositions, thereby contributing significantly to the exploration of music’s influence on gender identity and women’s rights.

Multiplying Meanings of Pregnancy Through Personal Accounts of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

In cultures where reproduction is highly medicalised, pregnancy is often understood in terms of foetal development and an anticipated baby. This is connected to a wider privileging of the ‘foetal subject’ in these settings, which has had implications for reproductive autonomy. In this article, I disrupt dominant understandings of pregnancy by engaging with qualitative accounts of gestational trophoblastic disease. This rare condition can entail experiences of pregnancy without foetal development, allowing for scholarly attention to the wider biological, affective and relational constituents of this corporeal event. In this article, I pay particular attention to the ‘pregnancy hormone’ human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which in the context of gestational trophoblastic disease becomes a biomarker for disease. My research extends feminist science studies perspectives destabilising understandings of maternal and foetal bodies as bounded and distinct entities. The article de-centres foetal development as the most significant consequence of conception and enriches feminist discussions of reproductive politics.

Legally Blonde Male Gaze and Gender Equality

Abstract: The male gaze and equality between men and women is a problem that society is improving but still not fully solved, and it is also a hot topic that many people are concerned about. In daily life, many women feel afraid and panic more or less because of the gaze of men, and often feel that they do not enjoy the same treatment and equal rights with men in daily life. Film is a medium of emotional expression. It will reflect many realistic problems through the way of deduction, causing the audience to think and give positive guidance. From the perspective of feminism, this paper interprets the issues of male gaze, stereotype and gender equality, as well as the reflection of these issues in the real society, from the dialogue, action and plot relationship of the characters in Legally Blonde and analyzes the method and process of the heroine Elle Woods' "counter-gaze" towards the male gaze. And the process of breaking stereotypes and growing up.

When is ‘the end of the road’ reached? Observing the presumption of parental involvement through systems theory

ABSTRACT In 2014 the Children Act 1989 was amended to include a presuption that involvement of a parent in a child’s life will further the child’s welfare unless there is evidence of the risk of harm. Kaganas published two seminal articles which concluded that the government’s ideological rationale for introducting the presumption of parental involvement not only failed to materialise but had some unintended, possibly detrimental, consequences for mothers. This article examines the operation and effects of the presumption of parental involvement in recent years based on an analysis of private law family court judgments between July 2020 and December 2023. Drawing on Luhmann’s theory of autopoietic social systems, it examines the possibilities for and limitations on using law to drive social change beyond the operations of the legal system itself. It concludes that the statutory presumption has failed to serve its stated purpose and has even had the unintended consequence of generating legal communications about the risks of parental involvement. From a feminist perspective, it concludes that positive changes observed in the family court response to domestic and child abuse are an achievement, in light of the limits on steering society, at least until something changes in the unknowable future.

Who is the Blame for the Russia-Ukraine war? Feminist and Postcolonial Perspectives on 'Real Politics'

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has widely been narrated as having epochal significance with far-reaching implications. For leading historians of Eastern Europe, such as Timothy Snyder (2022) and Serhii Plokhy (2015), what we are seeing is an existential threat to democratic norms. While discussing phenomena of the political world, drawing on a variety of lenses is advantageous; in the case of the Russian-Ukrainian war it is a necessity. This article engages with a combination of lenses provided by feminist and postcolonial theories to critically reflect on the logic, as articulated by Russia's political elites, behind the invasion of Ukraine. It focuses on the role of gender and racialisation in normalising one’s place in the social hierarchy and its ‘appropriate’ behaviour, excusing occupational, violent and genocidal policies under the abstract term of ‘real politics’. This article attempts to trace the way social structures empower gendered and racialised politics, allowing invasions to be justified. Russia-led wars in Ukraine will be discussed as an example of the consequences of such a structure and ideology. This article will firstly underline a feminist and postcolonial approach that addresses the necessity of social hierarchy analysis to reveal the causes of war. Further sections will focus on unpacking Russia’s claims of the legitimacy of its colonial/great-power state project to incorporate Ukraine. I will conclude with a reflection on how the notion of the nation-state, rooted in the ideologies of social hierarchy and colonial domination, can be seen as having fuelled the ongoing war.

Gender precedes sex: Epistemological considerations for occupational science from a materialist feminist perspective

ABSTRACT The cognitive tools humans use to perceive and name reality are social constructs that necessitate critical examination. ‘Gender’ and ‘sex’ are socially constructed categories used in daily life and in relation to occupations, that warrant scrutiny, as traditional explanations for gender differences based on biology fail to account for the social processes that construct gendered groups. Questioning the naturalness of these categories is essential for understanding how they shape individual capabilities and social norms around occupations. This discussion paper adopts a materialist feminist standpoint to problematize the concepts of gender and sex. Rejecting biological essentialism, we argue that social organization precedes and constructs the significance of sex categories. By reconceptualizing both gender and sex as socially constructed, our analysis challenges notions of gender as culture applied to a pre-existing biological sex. Occupational literature makes use of these categories to explore gender-related issues. It mainly focuses on gender identity through an interactional orientation that, nevertheless, preserves an individual conception. Social categories are also used to illustrate inequalities and contextual factors related to gender; an essential usage that remains at risk of reifying such categories as pre-existing groups. The use of gender as a social system of hierarchical bi-categorization, as we propose, is not present in occupational literature. This materialist feminist analysis underscores the importance of questioning entrenched biological determinism of sex, on which rests gender as identity. In highlighting the social construction of categories, occupational science can contribute to a deeper understanding of occupation within, and in the challenge of, oppressive systems.

Supervising criminalised women in the community in England and Wales: A brief history of (un)changing attitudes

AbstractThere has not been a specific history of supervising women in the community. This article, therefore, describes the early neglect of work with women and the period of change from the 1970s when women became more visible and the criminal justice system's response to them began to face scrutiny. It posits the story against the background of increased awareness of gender discrimination and efforts to reduce the use of imprisonment by addressing women's criminogenic and social needs through community‐based supervision. It juxtaposes innovative work initiated by practitioners and managers to years of unfulfilled policy promises. An essential part of the story is the attempt to integrate feminist perspectives into policy and practice at a time of organisational and political turbulence. It concludes that our increased understanding of criminalised women presents the opportunity of breaking the frustrating cycle of governmental ‘enthusiasm‐disillusion‐indifference’ and making a genuine contribution to equality and social justice.

Research on the Construction Path of the Mongolian-Chinese Translation Major in Colleges in Ethnic Regions under the New Liberal Arts Perspective

Under the new liberal arts context, the construction of college majors is showing a trend of interdisciplinary and integrative innovation. The Mongolian-Chinese translation major in ethnic regions, as a vital support for the inheritance of minority language and culture and social development, faces the challenge of adapting to the demands of the times and improving the quality of talent cultivation. This paper analyzes the current construction status of the Mongolian-Chinese translation major in ethnic region colleges and the challenges it faces within the new liberal arts framework. It proposes paths such as optimizing the curriculum system, building a strong faculty team, reforming practical teaching, and applying information technology. Additionally, the paper discusses innovative training models, the integration of cultural heritage and modern demands, and international development strategies, providing practical suggestions for the construction of the Mongolian-Chinese translation major in ethnic region colleges, aiming to promote innovation and sustainable development of the major in the new era.

Le défi des femmes haïtiennes de se construire en tant que sujet à la suite des violences basées sur le genre (note de recherche)

This article begins a discussion on gender-based violence against women, especially in the Haitian context. Approached from the perspective of decolonial feminism, gender-based violence is understood through the proliferation of structures of domination, which ensure their production and reproduction. Indeed, an examination of Haiti’s foundation in it’s early years testifies to a configuration of social gender relations that disadvantage women, a situation not unrelated to the gender-based violence of which they are victims. The article focuses on the dynamics between experienced violence and the construction of the subject.

The Resistive Gaze in Kuwaiti Screendance: An Analysis of Women’s Zar Dance in Alsamt (1979) and Mohammed Ali Road (2020)

This article examines representations of women performing the zar dance in the Kuwaiti film Alsamt/The Silence (1979) and television show Mohammed Ali Road (2020). A review of scholarship overviews the history of the zar dance in Kuwait and examines representations of women’s dance in Kuwaiti screendance. A comparative analysis of the zar dance scenes in Alsamt and Mohammed Ali Road considers the reasons why the latter exemplar was censored from Kuwaiti television. The analysis draws on Kuwaiti Islamic feminist perspectives to take up a consideration of multiple gazes that frame the cine-choreography of the zar dance and shape representations of women’s dance in Kuwait. Expanding on these theoretical foundations, describe how patriarchal and resistive gazes influence the way the camera shapes representations of women’s dance performances in Kuwaiti film and television.

The Fertility Fix: the Boom in Facial-matching Algorithms for Donor Selection in Assisted Reproduction in Spain

This article reads the uptake of facial-matching algorithms by fertility clinics in Spain through the lens of ‘the fertility fix’: a software fix to the social reconfiguration of kinship and a fixed capital investment made by competing fertility companies and firms. ‘The fertility fix’ is proposed as a critical, ethical lens through which to situate algorithmic facial-matching in assisted reproduction in the context of the racial politics of the face and phenotype and the spatial politics of market expansion. While an ‘infertility crisis’ is often mentioned when explaining the growth of the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) industry, the use of donated reproductive cells is tied up in societal, ecological and economic shifts. Combining Software Studies analysis with Marxist Feminist and trans*feminist perspectives on shifting re/production dynamics, the article details the role of computational technologies in promoting certain ideas and beliefs about family and fixing certain territories of capital flow.

Gender Disparities and Femininity in the Third Mission: The Example of Blog Writing

Abstract The “third mission” in academia refers to work that makes research accessible and relevant to policymakers, stakeholders, and the public. This article explores the third mission from a gender and feminist perspective, analysing blog posts to illustrate gender disparities in Swedish academia. The analysis identifies gender differences in blog post frequency, topics, and styles. Women tend to write about general and popular themes with an emotionally charged and inclusive approach. In contrast, men focus more on research-related topics with an ostensibly neutral and assertive style. This difference reflects traditional gendered communication patterns, where women often adopt a relational style, and men take a factual approach. These gendered norms can potentially affect research focus and career progression. The implications suggest that these patterns reinforce societal gender norms, perpetuating disparities and limiting women’s voices in academic and research settings.

Inhibiting or Contributing? How Global Liberal Forces Impact Climate Change Skepticism

Although climate change remains a top environmental threat, significant portions of the global population continue to exhibit climate change skepticism. Currently, an extensive literature identifies the micro-level determinants of climate skepticism, often manifesting as a form of populist “backlash” to the adverse effects of globalization. However, the potential of macro-level global cultural forces—particularly embeddedness in liberal world society—to counter such pushback is unclear. Using multilevel modeling to analyze International Social Survey Program data spanning 37 countries from 2000 to 2020, we find that in general, increased embeddedness is linked to reduced climate skepticism. However, when global liberal forces encounter anti-liberal undercurrents within nation-states, a situation we refer to as cultural dissonance, the impact of liberal world society on tempering skepticism varies. Embeddedness mitigates skepticism at the national level, particularly within authoritarian regimes, but not at the individual level, especially among right-wing individuals. Paradoxically, world society also heightens ideological polarization of individual worldviews on climate change. By illuminating the contradictory role of liberal world society, which simultaneously exacerbates and inhibits anti-liberal, populist attitudes about climate change, we advance existing work examining the post-liberal turn and holds promise for making sense of other issue domains where liberal perspectives are contested.

A qualitative study on perceptions of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health education in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is contentious due to societal and religious taboos in the Javanese Muslim community and being misunderstood as a potential catalyst for the premarital sex of unmarried adolescents. The existing practice of SRH education cannot guarantee reliable information about adolescent sexuality. The research aims to understand the intergenerational perception of SRH education conducted at high schools, which has not been comprehensively researched. This qualitative study was conducted in 2016 to explore the perspectives of adults and adolescents regarding school-based SRH education. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were used for data collection, while data analysis was conducted using a feminist perspective. The study identified gaps in the delivery of SRH education among Javanese Muslim, Indonesia. SRH education had not adequately addressed how adults and adolescents perceived sexuality as taboo due to moral panic about premarital sex and societal expectations placed on girls to maintain their virginity. Peer counsellors, responsible for imparting SRH information and facilitating communication with adolescents, reproduced adult moral values toward their peers, leading to a reluctance among adolescents to share their issues. Consequently, SRH education failed to reach those experiencing unwanted pregnancy or a toxic intimate relationship. The results of the study indicate the need to challenge intergenerational perceptions regarding sexuality and gender expectations to promote a positive gender perspective within SRH education in Indonesia.

Yo! Chisme Is Good! Latina/x Girls’ Cultivando Confianza in an After-School Program

Background or Context: Middle-school Girls of Color experience complex systems of relationships, structures, and situations in and out of school spaces. Their experiences, however, are often at the margins or excluded from middle school curricula and after-school programming. In this article, we focus on how young women engage with chisme to liberate themselves from social and academic pressures placed upon them. Purpose and Research Questions: Our study seeks to center and explore the ways of knowing and being of Latina/x middle school girls with particular attention to the role of chisme. We draw on Chicana/Latina feminist perspectives to address the following research questions: (1) How do middle school Latina/x girls define chisme? (2) How and why was chisme enacted or leveraged to co-create a trusting space in an after-school program for middle school Latina/x girls? Research Design: We employed a practitioner research inquiry design to explore chisme as a literacy practice of Latina/x middle-school girls in an after-school program. The after-school program, Latina/x Girlhood Narratives, was implemented in a middle school in a mid-sized, urban city in the Midwest region of the United States. Analytically, we engaged in video data analysis and qualitative coding analysis to examine the data. Results and Conclusions: Three main findings emerged from the study: (1) shared understandings: chismes, rumors, and snitching; (2) todo or la mitad del chisme: a process and product of confianza; and (3) from chismes to liberatory literacy practices of desahogamiento. Our study demonstrates how chisme, in particular, not only was vital to building and deepening confianza, but also allowed access to the girls’ ideas for activities and pedagogies. The field of education must continue to work to make visible the ways in which Latina/x girls engage with themselves and the world in order to sustain better relationships with and for them, and to build pathways for Latina/x girls to see themselves as successful in schools and in society.