Njambi, Wairimũ N.

The pervasiveness of androcentric thinking in many Western societies is evident in language. A prime example of androcentric language has historically been English, especially formal writing. In recognition of this detrimental practice, the American Psychological Association (APA) began prohibiting use of the generic “he” in articles published in psychology journals during the 1970's. However, other forms of malecentered language remained unchallenged, and I argue that academic writings still favor masculine interests. In this study, articles published in academic journals were examined for four instances of possible androcentric expression: number of citations for female versus male authors within a journal; frequency of first name stated in citations of male versus female authors; first placement of female versus male data in correlation matrix tables; and attribution of difference to males versus females in comparison statements. Significant results were found in all studies. These instances have practical implications, including discrepancies in who is applying for positions and who is receiving them.

The contemporary Gay and Lesbian movement emphasizes “identity” in an effort to unify all people being marginalized based on their sexual orientation and/or gender
identity. However, such an “identity” falls short of inclusion of all people of color, and
becomes a tool for the oppression of those who do not fall within the contexts already
defined. This paper will highlight parallels between the construction of racialized
sexuality and the construction of “gay” and “lesbian” identities. Moreover, I will examine the ways in which Race Studies and Gay & Lesbian Studies are entangled in the
context of American culture, particularly with regards to racialized bodies and the ways
in which they have been marked as “sexually deviant." Utilizing my own experiences as
a person of color, whose body does not match common conceptions of male and female, I argue that any identity formation denies the multiplicities present within a given body

Since the economic crisis from 2007, an extensive debate matching unemployment and immigration has been central to conservative discourses. Although progressive organizations have been critical of the SB1070 law in Arizona for its pervasive racial profiling content, some individuals seem to ignore the strong history of legislation, cultural apparatus and social norms that were made to support white supremacy within the history of United States. As immigration comes to the American debate, various politics adopted by the United States towards South American countries have been ignored. My objective with this research is to take a closer look at the artistic representations that, through mass media communications, have allowed the formation and solidification of “ethnosexual frontiers”1. By taking an interdisciplinary academic approach, I hope to make evident how the conceptualization of the “immigrant body” is fundamental to the establishment of fears that perpetuate segregation within American culture.

The body of the “fat” female in America is a place of convergence for many different conflicting social ideas. Feminist social theory has only recently begun to recognize the “fat” female body as a battleground where social anxieties and inequalities have not only been built, but justified as well. While current academic research has explained the modern “fat” woman and the Freak Show “Fat Lady” separately, rarely has there been a line connecting them theoretically. The purpose of this research is to critically analyze and contextualize the created role of “fat” women throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through this work I use studies of history and media culture to show how this characterization has been modified through the 20th century to reinforce American society’s changing attitudes and ideas about “fatness” and to show that the creation of “fatness” is a representation of white, upper class, patriarchal control.

My thesis focuses on the relationship between science and non-human research studies. Specifically, I will look at the role that ‘animals’ play in the scientific construction of race, gender, and sexuality. In what ways has the scientific construction of the dichotomy between primates and human beings been used in science to create racial, gender and sexual dichotomies? In what ways are the resulting consequences of such dichotomies in medical fields a reflection of these constructions? My research attempts to show various ways in which language and interpretations established by science help to create a dichotomy between animals and humans, which in turn influenced the scientific justifications for racism, sexism and homophobia.

Within the last two centuries, birth has undergone a major transformation as doctors took over and relocated childbirth from the home to the hospital, leaving the reproductive female body and female healers devalued and disempowered. Advancements in medical science have played a fundamental role in this transformation. As birth has become more and more medicalized, women seem to have lost their agency and believe the only place to have a successful birth is in a hospital. Reproductive technologies have certainly had beneficial effects, but they have also turned the mother into an extension of obstetric machines, communicating a power hierarchy that reinforces patriarchal control over female bodies. This hierarchy has had long-term repercussions for reproductive bodies, but it is largely concealed. I argue that the transition of birth from the home to the hospital is part of a systematic deprivation aimed at maintaining male supremacy through the corruption of obstetrics.

Media representations perpetuate stereotyped images of Haiti and Haitians. Such
expressions typically emphasize extreme poverty, mismanagement, exploitation,
hopelessness, and also environmental degradation. The environmental image of Haiti is
that it is massively deforested, and the connection of deforestation to poverty and other
problems has been captured in an iconic aerial photograph of the Haitian and Dominican
Republic (DR) border. First appearing in National Geographic in 1987 and replicated
since in various sources, the image displays a stark contrast between the tropical lushness
of the DR and a desert-like Haiti, stripped of its vegetation. The stark image in effect
dichotomizes a supposedly dysfunctional Haiti with a normally-functioning DR. This
study analyzes the “mythologies” that are reinforced by the photo and the discourse
surrounding it, which produces an accepted story of the way Haiti “is.” Going beyond
such stereotypes, the study considers ways of rewriting such depictions to account for
greater complexity.

Despite pervasive claims that the United States is a ‘post-racial’ society, racial segregation did not end after Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement. Today,
environmentally hazardous zoning and biotechnology land developments continue to
determine which families are most exposed to risks of pollution and displacement, and
which families are not. Utilizing documentation of local history and research in Women’s
Studies, Eco-Feminism, and Critical Race Studies, I examine the legacy of racial
segregation in Jupiter, Florida, by charting the biotechnology ‘cluster’ encroaching upon
the historical Limestone Creek community. In this feminist analysis are challenges to
assumptions about race, gender, class, and the environment. In solidarity with residents of color, I emphasize accountability on the part of those who have benefited from unjust
racial legacies in order to prevent further racial segregation and land exploitation of the
Limestone Creek community.

Using a Critical Feminist Science Studies perspective, I examine how the term 'pseudoscience’ rewrites science’s history, preventing science from being held accountable for its power structures and hierarchical narratives. I first examine the historical and cultural origins of science, the figure of the scientist, and 'objectivity.' Then, I explore science's obsession with the body in the many works and theories that have been developed since its origination in the seventeenth century. Finally, I apply critical feminist science studies to Michael Shermer's usage of the word 'pseudoscience' in his book, Why People Believe Weird Things. My proposed solution is that we stop using such a term in order to hold science accountable for its problematic aspects and legacies. I also suggest that we adopt Donna Haraway’s concept of ‘situated knowledge’ to replace objectivity.

Many would argue that September 11, 2001 was another example of the incompatibility of western and Islamic civilizations. I argue that post-9/11 perceptions of Muslims and Muslim women are based on powerful and denigrating constructions of Muslim identities